With every new generation that comes out, the world of Pokemon continues to grow. While there used to be only 151 Pokemon, the Pokedex has grown to over 1,000 entries across multiple regions. The goal of every trainer is to see, if not capture, every single one, a task that is as lifelong as goals get.
Pokemon have always come in all shapes and sizes, from the small and vicious to the large and gentle. There are plenty of these creatures who are adored by people and trainers alike for how pretty or adorable they look. However, despite how they may appear, even the cutest Pokemon can wield tremendous power.
Updated on December 16, 2022, by Doruk Kaptan: Pokemon owes a lot of its popularity to its incredible creature designs. These range from absolutely fierce and scary to incredibly adorable. Generation Nine games Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have added a ton of whimsical Pokemon to the franchise as well. However, not all Pokemon that look cutesy are harmless.
While many Pokemon moves, stats, and abilities are inspired by the design, that doesn't necessarily mean cute Pokemon are weak. In fact, some of the strongest Pokemon in certain generations are the most adorable ones. Here are the cutest Pokemon that are way stronger than they look.
12 Mimikyu, It Just Wants To Be Loved
Quite possibly the most memorable of all the Pikachu clones that are in every generation is Mimikyu. It disguises itself in a Pikachu-like costume, so that people love it, and hides because its true form will scare those who see it. This is an adorable Pokemon, for sure, but it's far from harmless.
This little guy has the amazing offensive typing of Ghost/Fairy and the incredible Ability, Disguise, giving Mimikyu a free hit that merely breaks the disguise. This means Mimikyu can easily boost its already decent Attack stat with Swords Dance, then begin firing off strong attacks like Wood Hammer, Play Rough, and Shadow Sneak.
11 Chansey & Blissey, Extremely Durable Nurses
These two are the grandmothers of all cute, round, and pink Pokemon. While Blissey came a generation later, Chansey has been a fan favorite since the original games. Depicted as the Nurse Pokemon with an adorable part in the anime, Chansey, and later Blissey, are really hard not to find adorable.
They're not all about a welcoming face and cute demeanor, though. Both Chansey and Blissey sport incredible HP and Special Defense stats. You can even give the item Eviolite to a Chansey to make it sturdier. When combined with an incredible move pool full of support moves, such as Wish and Thunder Wave, both Chansey and Blissey serve as some of the best special walls in the game.
10 Whimsicott, Most Supportive Pokemon You Can Find
Speaking of support Pokemon, Whimsicott is among the best you can find. This Grass/Fairy-type is a tiny and adorable cotton ball, making it infinitely huggable. However, it's an absolute menace when it's out on the field.
Whimsicott has a great Ability, Prankster. This allows it to use status moves with increased priority. Taunt, Encore, Tailwind, and Sunny Day are already great moves, so Whimsicott being able to use them with priority makes it an amazing utility option. It almost feels overpowered.
9 Maushold, Strength In Numbers
Maushold is likely amongst the cutest Pokemon in the Paldean Pokedex. This Generation Nine Pokemon is actually a family of mice, three or four of them, depending on the form. While they look very peaceful and harmless, they can wreck an unprepared team by themselves.
Maushold has the Hidden Ability Technician, which increases the damage of weaker moves. Technician is already a decent Ability, but when combined with Maushold's signature move, Population Bomb, it becomes incredible. This is a move that hits up to ten times, unless it misses. Each hit has 90 percent accuracy and is boosted by Technician. When combined with either the Wide Lens or King's Rock, Maushold becomes an absolute menace.
8 Cinccino, Multi-Hitting Rodent
Cinccino, another adorable rodent Pokemon, is sort of like Maushold in that it utilizes weak, multi-hit moves. While Cinccino also has access to the ability Technician, it works better with the Hidden Ability, Skill Link.
This ability allows Cinccino to hit the maximum number of times with multi-hit moves such as Bullet Seed, Tail Slap, and Rock Blast. Cinccino has access to the best of these types of moves, so it's sure to dish out devastating damage, especially when paired with an item like Choice Band. If Maushold is a freight train of an attacker, Cinccino acts more as a Swiss Army knife.
7 Klefki, The Most Loveable Keychain
Although the concept of turning household objects into Pokemon isn’t new, it continues to get more obscure. Many would never consider a keychain to be a viable basis for such a creature, but Klefki begs to differ. This charming ring-like Pokemon is about the size of the very item it mimics and will happily carry both keys and charms along its body.
It is ready to protect every single item it is given with every ounce of its strength, of which it has plenty. Though it doesn’t evolve, this Steel/Fairy Pokemon can hold its own in a fight while unleashing special attacks. Its Ability Prankster, combined with an amazing defensive type, makes Klefki an incredible support Pokemon.
6 Dunsparce, Definition Of So Ugly It's Cute
When Generation Two came along, there was a surge of new Pokemon, as well as evolutions for previous entries. One of the strangest but still adorable newcomers was Dunsparce, a creature that resembled a pudgy snake. Even though it's known to lurk in places full of sand and dirt, Dunsparse is a Normal-type Pokemon with no evolutions.
On top of powerful Normal-type moves such as Body Slam and Double-Edge, Dunsparce can also master Rock, Ground, Flying, and Dragon-type moves to a devastating degree. With the addition of the great new move, Hyper Drill, in Scarlet and Violet, as well as a decent pure type in Normal, Dunsparse is as useful as it ever was.
5 Dragonite, The Original Cute Dragon
Definitely one of the most recognizable Pokemon in the series, Dragonite has had star power since the beginning. Being the only true Dragon-type in Generation One, it was only natural for trainers to want to catch one, especially since it wasn’t clear whether it had any impactful weaknesses.
It has large and friendly features that make it look very comforting and the perfect candidate for dolls and plushies. If you look past these features, you’ll soon realize exactly what Dragonite can do. Its body allows it to take lots of punishment and return the favor. It’s also capable of learning powerful attacks with beneficial effects, such as Extreme Speed and elemental punches.
4 Altaria, More Fierce Than It Looks
One aspect that makes Pokemon surprising is learning the true types of each one, despite their appearance. No one would look at Gyrados and think of it as a Water/Flying-type, just as no one would think Altaria would be a Dragon-type disguised as a bird. Evolving from the small blue bird Swablu, Altaria combines beauty and grace with a cute fluffiness.
While nestled in soft surroundings, Altaria can catch people off guard with its true strength. It has overall balanced stats and the ability to protect itself while launching vicious Flying and Dragon-type attacks. It is especially dangerous thanks to the boosting move Dragon Dance.
3 Togekiss, An Unexpected Powerhouse
Of all the Pokemon concepts that trainers were excited about when the second generation came along, it was eggs. The idea that Pokemon could be bred to create baby Pokemon that would have desired stats was appealing, and it all started with Togepi. This mysterious egg gave us a new Pokemon to raise and learn about. With enough time and care, Togepi will eventually evolve into the happily soaring Togekiss.
Just looking at this Pokemon can bring a smile to a person’s face. Though it may look delicate, this Pokémon is fairly beefy with strength in its special stats and moves to complement that. You'll forget how cute it is very fast when it locks you into the infamous para-flinch combo. Cynthia knew what she was doing when she included Togekiss in her team.
2 Azumarill, The Original Pika Clone
When it comes to Water-type Pokemon, there are a lot of cute candidates. This may have something to do with the fact that there are a lot of playful activities associated with water. One of the Pokemon that emphasizes this is Marill and its evolved form, Azumarill.
Looking like a large bubbly egg with rabbit ears, this Pokemon looks like it’s always ready to play a game. Its smooth shape makes it look friendly and approachable, but that’s not all. After a Belly Drum, especially with the ability Huge Power, Azumarill can be a devastating wall breaker in a turn. It also has access to a great priority move in Aqua Jet, which makes stopping Azumarill even harder once it gets going.
1 Sylveon, Eevee But Even Cuter
Eevee has been with Pokemon trainers since the beginning, and they’re still trying to find new evolutions for it. Almost all the types have been explored, with one of the newer ones leading to the birth of Sylveon. This Eeveelution is a Fairy-type plain and simple with a pink color scheme, sweet ribbons, and an adorable face.
Though it looks like it could be the perfect mascot for the Pokemon Fan Club, Sylveon can more than hold its own in battle. With above-average HP and great Special stats, this pink punisher can cause high damage while strengthening itself and its team. Its ability, Pixielate, only improves the damage output of this adorable Pokemon.
