Novelty Pokémon

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A novelty Pokémon, also referred to as a gimmick Pokémon, is a term for a Pokémon that usually possesses some of the following characteristics:

  • Does not evolve into or from another Pokémon
  • Has a movepool limited to very few moves
  • Has a unique ability
  • Has below-average base stats
  • Has another unique feature.

These Pokémon are often hard to come by, and may be simply given to the player once per game.

Although nearly all Pokémon can be used in a battle effectively, novelty Pokémon appear to be more added to flesh out the Pokémon world than to be actually used or as fodder for potential evolutions later. Many of these Pokémon became viable participants in Pokémon Contests after they were introduced in Generation III, and some fans believe that the introduction of contests were to give players a reason to use these weaker Pokémon.

List of novelty Pokémon

Pokémon Reason
132 Ditto Ditto Ditto only has one move—Transform—which lets it copy the appearance, types, moves, and stats (excluding HP) of its opponents. Before Generation V, Ditto was not very useful in battle, but is invaluable in breeding.
172 Pichu Spiky-eared Pichu While Pichu are not considered to be novelty Pokémon, the Spiky-eared variant found only in HeartGold and SoulSilver can be considered to be a novelty form. Spiky-eared Pichu cannot evolve, cannot be traded to any other game, and as its base stats are the same as regular Pichu, it is nearly useless in battle. However, it does have different Pokéathlon stats. Spiky-eared Pichu is considered to be a marketing tool, used to promote the Pokémon movie Arceus and the Jewel of Life, in which a Spiky-eared Pichu appears as one of the main characters. Spiky-eared Pichu is also the second form difference not to be carried over into later games in the main series (the first being Shadow Lugia from Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness), as it cannot be transferred to Generation V games.
201 Unown Unown Unown’s main purpose in the games is to be collected, a sidequest that consists of finding its 28 forms. Capable of learning only one move, it is nearly useless in battle and contests.
202 Wobbuffet Wobbuffet Wobbuffet has very high HP, but is only capable of learning four moves, and a further three from its pre-evolution Wynaut. It was also the only Pokémon with the Shadow Tag ability prior to Generation V.
213 Shuckle Shuckle Shuckle has very high Defense and Special Defense, making it extremely tough. But it has very low HP, Attack and Special Attack, and it is tied with Munchlax for the lowest Speed of any Pokémon. However, it was capable of creating Berry Juice and eventually valuable Rare Candies in Generation II if it held a Berry.
225 Delibird Delibird Delibird is capable of naturally learning only a single move and is the only Pokémon who can learn it naturally. Unlike Unown, it can learn other moves via TMs and breeding, but it is largely still considered a novelty Pokémon because of its low stats.
235 Smeargle Smeargle Smeargle learns only one move repeatedly, but this move has the ability to permanently duplicate the moves of other Pokémon. Its stats and rarity may look dismal, but with the capability to learn every move, it is very useful in breeding egg moves to Pokémon, as well as using Baton Pass well.
236 Tyrogue Tyrogue Tyrogue is a novelty Pokémon due to the fact it is the only Pokémon to link two previously unrelated Pokémon into an evolution family. It is also the only Pokémon that evolves based on its stats.
311
312
Plusle Minun Plusle and Minun Plusle and Minun were created to showcase the double battle addition to the series in Generation III. As such, they are difficult to use separately, owing to few other Pokémon possessing the ability to power them up. Like Marill, Pachirisu, and Emolga, they are considered to be a marketing tool, created to use the popularity of Pikachu (which they highly resemble) to promote Generation III.
292 Shedinja Shedinja Shedinja is protected from most attacks due to Wonder Guard, but it is also the only Pokémon to have 1 HP. In addition, it has a unique evolution method.
327 Spinda Spinda Spinda’s main gimmick is the variable designs on its body, in a bit of an expansion of the Unown concept. However, because it has extremely low stats, and is of the ever-common Template:Type2, it is not considered to be very useful in battle.
351 Castform Castform Castform Castform Castform Castform has a unique ability to change form and type depending on the weather. It was also the only Pokémon to learn Weather Ball until Generation IV.
352 Kecleon Kecleon Kecleon has a unique ability that causes it to change types whenever it is hit by an attack; however, this ability makes it notoriously difficult to use in battles, as it can be taken advantage of for super-effective hits every time.
370 Luvdisc Luvdisc Luvdisc are known to be weak and have a poor moveset, but can be caught holding Heart Scales, which can be used to teach old moves.
386 Deoxys Deoxys Deoxys Deoxys Deoxys Deoxys is capable of changing between four different forms. Deoxys was the also first Pokémon whose base stats and move compatibility differed between forms. Deoxys's forms can be changed at will in Generation IV and onwards, however, they were game-specific in Generation III, with Deoxys being the only Pokémon with this distinction.
412
413
Burmy Burmy Burmy Wormadam Wormadam Wormadam Burmy and Wormadam Burmy, Wormadam, and their various cloaks are considered just to be an example of both the new location based evolutions and the gender based evolutions, as well as the items that can be received by collecting all three forms.
412 Cherrim Cherrim Cherrim Cherrim has two forms which change during intense sunlight, the Overcast Form and the Sunny Form. Cherrim also has also has a unique ability.
422
423
Shellos Shellos Gastrodon Gastrodon Shellos and Gastrodon Shellos and Gastrodon each have two different forms, West Sea and East Sea, that vary depending depending on what part of Sinnoh they are found.
441 Chatot Chatot Chatot is relatively weak compared to others of its type, and it also has a low catch rate, but it can use Chatter to repeat back messages recorded on the DS microphone.
442 Spiritomb Spiritomb Spiritomb was used to showcase the Sinnoh Underground from Generation IV, and is considered a novelty due to the unique way it is captured, by taking the Odd Keystone to the Hallowed Tower, and then talking to people in the Underground 32 times, then returning to the tower to battle a wild Spiritomb. It is also the second Pokémon with no weaknesses, after Sableye.
479 Rotom Rotom Rotom Rotom Rotom Rotom Rotom Rotom is capable of changing between six different forms. Until Generation V, all forms of Rotom were Electric/Ghost-type. Rotom is one of only three Pokémon to undergo a type change, and the only one to have one of its types removed, though this does not apply to Rotom's normal form.
489
490
Phione Manaphy Phione and Manaphy Phione can only be obtained by breeding the event Pokémon Manaphy, with Manaphy being the only legendary Pokémon capable of breeding. Although Manaphy produces Phione eggs when bred with Ditto, Phione cannot evolve into Manaphy. Phione's stats are also inferior to Manaphy’s.
493 Arceus Arceus Arceus has a unique ability that enables it to change its Forme and type depending on the color of Plate it is holding. Arceus also has the highest base stat total of all known Pokémon.
550 Basculin Basculin Basculin Basculin is the only Pokémon that has four different abilities. It also has two different forms, with the rarity of each form differing between Pokémon Black and White.
555 Darmanitan Darmanitan Darmanitan Darmanitan found in the Desert Resort have a unique ability which enables it to change between two different forms, the Active Mode and the Meditative Mode. Regular Darmanitan do not have this ability however.
585
586
Deerling Deerling Deerling Deerling Sawsbuck Sawsbuck Sawsbuck Sawsbuck Deerling and Sawsbuck Deerling and Sawsbuck each have four different forms that vary depending on the current in-game season, and their various forms are considered to just showcase the addition of seasons to the series.
587 Emolga Emolga Emolga, like Marill, Plusle, Minun and Pachirisu, is considered to be a marketing tool, created to use the popularity of Pikachu (which it highly resembles) to promote Generation V.
648 Meloetta Meloetta Meloetta Meloetta is the only Pokémon that can learn Relic Song, a move which allows Meloetta to switch between its two Formes, its Voice Forme and its Step Forme.
649 Genesect Genesect Genesect can change the color of the light on its Photon Blaster and the type of its signature move Techno Blast, depending on the Cassette it is holding.

List of Pokémon formerly considered to be novelty Pokémon

Pokémon Reason
063 Abra Abra Abra was a novelty Pokémon in the first generation as it and its evolutions were the only Pokémon capable of learning Teleport by level-up, and it was the only move Abra could learn by level-up, this made capturing wild Abra incredibly difficult.
083 Farfetch'd Farfetch'd Farfetch'd was a novelty Pokémon in the first generation due to the fact it could only be acquired by an in-game trade, though it could be caught in the wild in Pokémon Yellow. After Generation I, Farfetch'd simply has common typing and dismal stats (none being over 65); in addition, Farfetch'd was given its own unique novelty item, the Stick.
108 Lickitung Lickitung Lickitung was a novelty Pokémon in the first generation due to the fact it could only be acquired by an in-game trade, though it could be caught in the wild in Pokémon Yellow.
122 Mr. Mime Mr. Mime Mr. Mime was a novelty Pokémon in the first generation due to the fact it could only be acquired by an in-game trade, and is unobtainable any other way, other than trading from Generation II.
124 Jynx Jynx Jynx was a novelty Pokémon in the first generation due to the fact it could only be acquired by an in-game trade, and is unobtainable any other way, other than trading from Generation II. Jynx is also the only Pokémon to undergo a major redesign, due to the alleged controversy surrounding it in the US.
133 Eevee Eevee Eevee was a novelty Pokémon in the first generation as it was used to showcase an evolution method, the Evolution Stones. Eevee was also the only Pokémon to have a branched evolution. After Generation I, Eevee has been relegated to simply having the most evolutions.
175 Togepi Togepi Togepi was a novelty Pokémon in Generation II due to the fact that only one could be obtained, from Professor Elm's assistant, and was used to showcase the addition of Pokémon eggs and Breeding.
183 Marill Marill Marill, like Plusle, Minun, Pachirisu and Emolga, is considered to be a marketing tool, created to use the popularity of Pikachu (which it highly resembles) to promote Generation II.
302 Sableye Sableye Sableye was the only Pokémon with no weaknesses until Spiritomb was introduced in Generation IV, though it still the only Pokémon to have the bizarre, but unique, ability: Stall.
349 Feebas Feebas Feebas was a novelty Pokémon prior to Generation V due to the fact that Feebas could only evolve into Milotic when its Beauty condition was high. In Generation V, Feebas can now also evolve by trading it while holding the Beauty Scale, though it remains the only Pokémon to evolve based on contest condition.
417 Pachirisu Pachirisu Pachirisu has very low offensive stats and none of its abilities have any effect in battle; like Marill, Plusle, Minun and Emolga, it is considered to be a marketing tool, created to use the popularity of Pikachu (which it highly resembles) to promote Generation IV.
449 450 Hippopotas Hippowdon Hippopotas and Hippowdon Hippopotas and Hippowdon had the most visible gender differences in Generation IV, and were considered to just be an example of the new gender differences.


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