This is At the Buzzer’s list of the top 25 Pokemon of all-time. We’re in the serious business zone now, counting down one by one until we reach the very best. For more information, click here or check out the Related Links down at the bottom of the post. Don’t forget to vote on how we did in the poll below!
Today’s Pokemon sticks with its Trainer, following behind with unsteady steps. This Pokémon breathes fire of over 1,800 degrees F, including fireballs that leave the foe scorched black. Inside its body is a place where it keeps a small flame. Hug it! It will be as warm as a hot-water bottle.
19) Torchic (2 votes, 111 points)
Chris: Torchic’s design is simplistic, but that seems to be a trend among some of the Pokemon I like. It spends most of its time in the anime hopping around like a little bird and sometimes standing on one leg. Team Rocket’s Seviper almost eats it at one point, but it’s like “nah, son” and it gets away.
So what is it about Torchic that put it so high up on my list? I’m honestly not sure. Even though I liked the idea of having a Swampert from a Mudkip choice, I always went with Torchic in Gen III. There’s just something about the little guy. It doesn’t hurt that he turns into what used to be a unique typing, Fire/Fighting, or that both of his evolutions are awesome. But even so, I put Torchic higher than Blaziken on my list. I guess he’s just that adorable.
If we were making a list of the best unevolved Pokemon, Torchic would be number two. Despite an abundance of cute Pokemon in the world, he’s second to one in my book. That’s why I was excited to find out that we’d be getting one for free as an early download for X/Y — with its Mega item equipped and the Speed Boost ability to boot — because it meant one more journey with the little guy.
Shaun: You know, we should probably do a list of best unevolved Pokemon at some point, because you’re right, Torchic would definitely be on it. Keeping up the trend I talked about earlier in the list with Mudkip, where the Gen III starters were a marked improvement over Gen II, Torchic actually has some creativity to him, to go along with the fact that he’s super cute.
When I found out that early adopters of X/Y could download a free Torchic, and then I realized that I had missed the deadline, I was devastated and cried into my bowl of cereal. Because–real life talk for a second–if Pokemon were real, and I was a young trainer, and some old man geezer professor was just gonna let me start with a Pokemon from a pool of all of the starters in the series, Torchic would be one of my finalists. There’s something about owning a real life chick fire bird thing that evolves into one of the most ludicrous flame falcon karate eagle things that appeals greatly to me (even though my Blaziken was the glassiest of cannons).
One day, Charmander, Fennekin, and Torchic will have to fight to the death in a three way struggle for fire-starter-cuteness supremacy. Until that day, Torchic is a well-deserved 19 on our list.
Nick: I get the love affair people have with the unevolved version of the starters, but Torchic over Mudkip? Get out.
Objection Network 