Even if you've only ever played one Pokemon game in your life, chances are, you have very strong feelings on who the best starter Pokemon is. The companions you first pick from to start your adventures are always popular, and each region has brought with it new friends to raise and love. Much like the rest of the Pokedex though, not all starter Pokemon are created equally, and according to 2016 Pokemon World Champion Wolfe 'Wolfey' Glick, one in particular is categorically the worst when it comes to its power in the competitive scene.
It may come as little surprise to find out that it's the adorable Grass-type dinosaur, Meganium. This cutie was introduced in the second generation games, Gold and Crystal, and is the fully-evolved form of Chikorita. Even when playing through Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold or SoulSilver regularly, there's no doubt that the Chikorita line is, strength-wise, the worst you can pick. It's weak to three out of the eight Johto region gyms, and is ineffective against a further two of them, often making it the least popular starter choice when compared to Cyndaquil and Totodile. Sadly, its final form isn't able to make up for this when fighting hardcore battles against fellow players, either.
In a new video from Wolfey, the competitive player slates Meganium, saying "it's like they designed a Pokemon with the express purpose of punishing anyone who uses it." Ouch. That's despite the fact that it's one of his all-time personal favorites, so you know he's being serious.
But what actually makes Meganium so bad? For a start, its offenses leave plenty to be desired, with pitiful base stats of 82 Attack and 83 Special Attack. These make its physical moves hit as hard as a Pancham's (that tiny, unevolved panda Pokemon from X and Y), and special moves as strong as a Frogadier or Dewott's – both of which are middle-stage starter Pokemon.
To make matters worse, Meganium doesn't have access to a particularly good move pool to make up for its lackluster strength, missing out on the likes of Spore (a 100% accurate Status move that sends opponents to sleep) which would give it at least some utility. Its Hidden Ability doesn't add anything useful to the table, either, as it gets Leaf Guard, which prevents it from being affected by status conditions like Poison and Burn when harsh sunlight is active. This isn't bad, per se, but doesn't make Meganium worthwhile.
Sadly, Meganium has seemingly been long-forgotten by The Pokemon Company when it comes to major new buffs, too. In the sixth-generation games, a number of starter Pokemon like Charizard and Sceptile received powerful Mega Evolutions to temporarily boost their stats and even give them new typings, but alas, Meganium wasn't one of them. It's never received a regional form like Decidueye or Samurott (whose Hisuian forms were introduced in Legends: Arceus), or even a Gigantamax form in Sword and Shield which would have been something.
Maybe one day, Meganium's time will come, but for now, it's cursed to a life warming the bench. At least it looks really cute while doing it, though.
Be sure to check out our ranking of the best Pokemon games to see where your favorite lands.
