One of the world’s most popular franchises of all time, Pokémon has amassed multiple avenues—from a beloved anime to a gaming phenomenon to the most adorable merchandise, including Funko Pop Vinyls and plushies. From the well-anticipated release of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet to the iconic news that Ash Ketchum finally reached his goal of becoming the world’s greatest Pokémon trainer, the support for Pokémon is eternal. Captured in the memories of original viewers and players to newcomers to the Pokémon world through the globally successful launch of the mobile app Pokémon GO, the franchise shows no signs of disappearing into a void of distant memories.
Over 900 Pokémon make up the Pokédex entries, ranging across nine generations of the game series. Of that, there are 18 types of Pokémon, ranging from elemental properties of Fire and Ice to more paranormal Ghost and Psychic-types, each having its own strengths and weaknesses. With the franchises’ humble beginning in 1996, fans have each developed their favorite Pokémon for reasons of nostalgia, for their abilities, or for their looks. From Pikachu—the metonym for Pokémon— to the fan-favorite fluff ball Eevee, here are some Pokémon so cute, you’ll never want them to evolve!
40
Clefairy
First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 62 – “Clefairy Tales”
Originally slated to be the overarching mascot of the Pokémon franchise before the mantle was instead given to Pikachu, Clefairy’s cutesy demeanor and distinct pink color scheme have been a core asset since the beginning. The Pokémon have only grown more in touch with their inner cuteness in the years after their debut, as they were eventually changed from a traditional normal type to the then-new fairy type. While the Pokémon would also receive an even smaller baby pre-evolution in Cleffa, Clefairy still stands as an icon of cuteness in Pokémon.
In the anime series, Clefairy’s most prominent appearances are easily in the original series, where a group of Clefairy frequently appear throughout the series and create all sorts of mischief in various parts of the region. However, Clefairy has continuously appeared in smaller roles throughout the series, always being sure to maximize the emphasis on its inherent cuteness as well as its deeper connection to the moon.
39
Drifloon
First Appearance: Season 11, Episode 43 – “Playing the Leveling Field”
Pokémon as a franchise has continuously found inspiration from everyday items and concepts for designs ever since the beginning, with Drifloon being an unexpectedly adorable balloon Pokémon. While the Pokémon has become largely infamous in specific contexts with Pokédex entries alluding to the species kidnapping children, the design itself fully lives up to the cutesy charm of a child’s balloon. There’s just an inherent innocence and simplistic nature to the design that makes it so cute.
In the anime series, Drifloon’s shining moment is easily as a part of the Gym Leader Fantina’s team, where the Pokémon manages to evolve into Drifblim while battling Ash’s Pikachu. However, as a Pokémon designed after a classic decoration, Drifloon is constantly appearing in small roles throughout the series, whether in the hands of a competent trainer or simply making the background more memorable. While the Pokédex entries may remove its cuteness factor for some people, the design is so effective and overwhelming in cuteness that it’s hard to still not to love the goofy balloon.
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Togedemaru
First Appearance: Season 20, Episode 1 – “Alola to New Adventure!”
Every generation of Pokémon proves to have its own signature Pikachu parallel that emphasizes cuteness and charm while giving a twist on the classic electric rodent. The Alola region’s signature Pikachu clone is Togedemaru, an electric and steel-type mouse whose design is more focused on being spherical as well as much shorter than other Pikachu clones. A lot of the strengths that make Pikachu such a cute Pokémon also apply to Togedemaru, yet it has its own distinct charm, such as its small ears and fur decals that turn into spikes.
Togedemaru gets a lot of appearances in the anime, being the signature Pokémon of Sophocles, one of the primary friends who accompanies Ash on his journey through the Alola region. Throughout the entire Sun and Moon series, Togedemaru has consistently funny interactions with Pikachu and all the other Pokémon that they encounter during the series. Its inherent cute factor and playful personality have helped it become one of the most beloved Pikachu clones over the years.
37
Cubone
First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 9 – “The School of Hard Knocks”
Cubone is perhaps a Pokémon with a strange and bizarre origin story. While there’s no clear explanation for it, Cubone is often seen carrying the skull of its deceased mother. Because of its demeanor, players and viewers can’t help but get attached to the small dinosaur-like creature, with its cream-colored belly and bone helmet.
Despite its cute and cuddly appearance, Cubone has a lot of potential when it comes to battling. Ceremoniously wielding a bone as a weapon, Cubone demonstrates surprising agility and power in both the games and the anime. As a Ground-type Pokémon, Cubone’s moveset includes powerful attacks like Bonemerang and Dig. Cubone has plenty of memorable appearances in the anime, but its first appearance in the games, where it inhabits the Lavender Town Pokémon Tower and cries for its mother, always tugs at the heartstrings of Pokémon fans.
36
Minccino
First Appearance: Season 14, Episode 1 – “In The Shadow of Zekrom!”
So many Pokémon would be a boon in our busy lives thanks to their helpful natures and elemental powers. One of the best Pokémon for domestic help is Minccino, a cute little gray-furred normal type with a long bushy tail. Minccino uses its tail like a combination of a broom and a feather duster, so it can keep its home neat and tidy.
Little things trying to be helpful are cute in and of themselves, but Minccino takes things to a new level thanks to its big brown eyes, big ears, and the eagerness with which it wants to clean. It even uses grooming as a means of social bonding and loves to collect shiny objects to polish to a sparkle. If it finds a Shiny Stone, Minccino will evolve into Cinccino, which, while stronger and majestic, does lose a bit of the original’s adorableness.
35
Vulpix
First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 28 – “Pokémon Fashion Flash”
One of many iconic cuties from the first generation of Pokémon, the fire-type fox Pokémon, Vulpix, has been a fan favorite ever since its release, with its adorable bundle of tails and hazel eyes giving it limitless charm and cute factor. In the anime, Vulpix is most prominently showcased when Brock adds it to his team for a portion of the group’s ventures in Kanto, before returning the Pokémon to its original trainer near the end of the original series. Equally iconic is the Pokémon’s evolution, Ninetales, which it transforms into after being given a fire stone.
Being a highly iconic Pokémon from the original 151, Vulpix has received various special treatments over the years, even receiving an equally cute alternate Ice-type form in Pokémon: Sun & Moon. While the franchise has attempted to create various other fox Pokémon over the years to recreate the magic and cute factor that Vulpix has, none have come close to being nearly as memorable or cute as Vulpix.
34
Pancham
First Appearance: Season 17, Episode 47 – “Dreaming a Performer’s Dream!”
Many Pokémon mirror real-life animals, and the first to take the form of a lovable and huggable panda is the Gen VI Fighting-type Pancham. This charming Pokémon, with its round eyes and charming leaf, exudes a mischievous and adorable energy. Pancham’s attempts to mimic the toughness of its evolved form, Pangoro, are often more comical than intimidating, showcasing a lovable personality that will surely charm fans of the series.
Its fighting style is a reflection of its personality: energetic, a bit clumsy, but full of heart. As a Fighting-type pocket monster, Pancham relies on moves like Karate Chop and Low Sweep in the games. However, its cute nature and appearance will leave trainers with a tough decision: should they evolve it into the powerful Pangoro at level 32, or keep this little charmer as it is?
33
Pikachu
First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 1 – “Pokémon: I Choose You”
The face of the long-running Pokémon franchise, Pikachu, is an Electric-type, measuring 40 centimeters tall. Pikachu was designed to be a bright yellow creature resembling a mouse with a bolt-shaped tail to allude to its electricity-inspired abilities. Pikachu evolves from the smaller Pichu and, in its final form, becomes Raichu – a powerful mouse whose long tail protects itself from its damaging voltage. Pikachu has played a part in the Pokémon anime since the very beginning, being Ash’s partner Pokémon and appearing in nearly every episode of the series.
Charged with static electricity, Pikachu can cause paralysis during a battle, being particularly effective against Water and Flying-type Pokémon but weak against Ground-types. With bright red cheeks that charge electricity, Pikachu became the franchise’s mascot thanks in part to its cuteness. It’s simply undeniable that Pikachu is cute, being one of the most recognizable cute creature designs in all fiction, with massive recognizability around the world thanks to its endless charming appeal.
32
Teddiursa
First Appearance: Pokémon 3: The Movie – Spell of the Unown
While fully grown bears are some of the most ferocious animals out there, baby bears are simultaneously some of the cutest and most adorable animals in all of fiction, with Pokémon’s signature baby bear, Teddiursa, being no different. The Pokémon’s design and demeanor fully ramp up the baby attributes of its character, often having a confused and innocent look on its face, much like an inquisitive, curious toddler. The Pokémon ends up losing the majority of its cute factor when it evolves into the powerful Ursaring, and more recently, evolving again into the destructive Ursaluna.
Teddiursa is one of the few non-legendary Pokémon to have its first on-screen appearance in one of the Pokémon movies, first being shown off in Pokémon 3: The Movie – Spell of the Unown. In the film, the Pokémon appears as an illusion that is used by young child Molly Hale in battle, directly paralleling the character’s innocence and childhood through its design and demeanor. Even after its short debut appearance, the Pokémon often finds itself appearing in the anime whenever they need to add additional levels of cuteness to the story unfolding.
31
Emolga
First Appearance: Season 14, Episode 24 – “Emolga the Irresistible!”
Like a flying squirrel, Emolga is an Electric/Flying-type Pokémon that does not evolve. Inspired by rodents, Emolga has white, black, and yellow coloring, with rounded ears and a membrane that spreads from its arms and torso. It’s been an ongoing trend for Pokémon to create newer electric-type Pokémon each generation that are meant to parallel the likes of Pikachu, yet Emolga stands out as the cutest of these Pikachu clones. Like Pikachu, Emolga generates electricity from the rounds of its yellow cheeks, discharging it as it glides in the air.
A flying squirrel is an underrated, cute animal in the real world already, so it makes sense that it would also make for an underrated, cute Pokémon. The Pokémon’s weaknesses are Ice and Rock-types, while resisting Fighting, Grass, Flying, Steel, and Bug-types. Introduced in Pokémon Black and White, Emolga is known to be a cute but deadly Pokémon, a facet that is perfectly shown in the anime, when Iris catches an Emolga that shows its fiery temper throughout multiple seasons.
