I think lapras had huge potential but has fallen off over the generations.
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Wartortle, apparently. An all-language Wartortle collector in the species Discord group I’m in mentioned earlier today there are just 264 Wartortle TCG cards, whereas even the gen 3 Combusken has more with 303, and most other gen 2 and 3 Pokémon as well (Seviper is barely below it with 244 for example, but Slowking with 349 and Drifloon with 275 are above it).
Surprised me, considering Wartortle is a gen 1 starter Pokémon, for which you’d think there are a lot of TCG cards.
Greetz,
Quuador
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The problem with Jynx is that, 1 it got tied to racism, and 2, it got nerved a lot. Blizzard reduced in accuracy, and it´s special defense taken away.
But yeah, it was awesome (and still is to me).
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Poliwhirl, he used to be featured on merchandise alongside other Pokemon all the time when Pokemon first came out, probably because it was Satoshi Tajiri’s favorite Pokemon. Now you don’t see it anywhere!
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Charizard. Isn’t in every set. Not every card is worth thousands of dollars. Big guy has fallen off hard.
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Lapras has great potential. Don´t let anybody tell you otherwise.
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It just makes me sad there was never an attempt in the games, anime, or in the TCG to have it live up to its potential.
We never got an EX of it back in Gen 3. It hasn’t gotten a dedicated holo since Gen 2. And like you said, it’s a complete joke in the anime and games.
Just for reference it’s not available in R/S/E until after the sixth gym. The entire rest of the game from that point it water routes and swimmers using water type pokemon. It is COMPLETELY unusable at that point.
In the gen 1 anime, it’s basically comic relief, getting KO’d by pikachu and a pidgeotto who he hypothetically has a winning matchup against
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Anecdotally, as a kid at school i LOVED Lapras - As an old man now, it’s well in the IDGAF category
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That´s an interesting take. It could be argued (maybe) that designs like Lapras, Nidoking/Nidoqueen and Kangaskhan haven´t aged that well. They do seem rather 90´s now.
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I would have to pick Magneton. Was always a holo in the WOTC era and then fell further into obscurity later down the line with the introduction of Magnezone.
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Those are some of the best designs lol.
Also Lapras has had love throughout. Kangaskhan has had its fair share of attention as well. Nidoking and Nidoqueen actually received ZERO cards in Sword and Shield, so they do actually fit this thread to a tee.
Of course Nidoking has had a small resurgence with its SAR in Glory of Team Rocket and it also got an AR in 151.
Yeah, they are. I´m not one to diss Lapras haha. It´s just that these designs are the earliest designs, and they don´t look very modern.
My vote is for Lapras as well! Its such a unique, and amazing pokemon.
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Going to say Machamp/Golem. Don’t see them featured much. They were part of the cool trade mechanic. As I’m writing this I’m remembering Masakis but still..Lapras got said a lot so I’m going with these!
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I think Drowzee and Hypno have been completely forgotten recently.
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Gyarados comes to mind when you consider how heavily it was featured in the early years of the TCG. (Base, Team Rocket, 2x Gym Heroes, Neo, Skyridge, Holon phantoms etc.)
It felt like it was positioned as a gen 1 staple then was cast aside out of nowhere in the TCG. Perhaps ironically, it seems to be overshadowed by Magikarp these days.
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Hitmonchan and hitmonlee (and hitmontop frankly)
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I think walrein shuts down dewgong pretty handily. I know they’re not exactly the same but close enough
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It’s gotta be Pidgey. You used Pidgey until you got a better, cooler flying Pokemon (usually a legendary bird) and then that poor friend just hung out in your PC for the rest of time. They were never given a cool personality like Spearow/Fearow. Here’s a pigeon. It evolved? Now its a bigger pigeon. Again? Eagle sized, but still a pigeon.
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