I'm stealing this from Arren. He's playing by the rules (1 like = 1 answer). I'm NOT [boom] PLAYIN' [boom] BY THE [boom] [boom] [boom] RULES!
(follow my boy ArrenSol on Twitch or Arren Sol on Twitter)
1. Favorite Pokemon
Treecko.
It's fast, cute, and relatively badass to all the other tiny woodland creatures in these games.
2. Favorite Pokemon Game
Pokemon Ruby.
There were so many cool innovations and a lot of "patchwork" kinda stuff added to gen 3. In my opinion, significant improvements to the game wouldn't happen again until Gen 6. A lot of stuff that was added later (GTS, hidden abilities, Victini) was really cool. However, I don't think the games significantly improved upon the increasingly mundane formula until X and Y with Super Training and shared Exp. Share (yes, I'm calling shared Exp. Share an improvement. If you don't like it, turn it the fuck off).
3. Favorite Pokemon Spin-off
Pokken Tournament.
I've always wanted a Pokemon fighting game and was shocked when they not only made it but got Tekken devs to make it. What I've really always wanted was a dedicated Pokemon Smash Bros. but that's never going to happen. In its own right, Pokken is still pretty good and the closest we're probably ever getting to that idea.
4. Favorite Legendary
Mewtwo.
Mewtwo was my favorite Pokemon until recently. I realized I'd been lying to myself and others to be a bigger edgelord. It was never Mewtwo (after Ruby came out). It was always Treecko. Anyway. It's an old one but I think we can all agree that Mewtwo has one of the most badass backstories of any legendary. Now there are five million legendaries and most of their stories are way more hamfisted or nearly non-existent, especially if we're counting mythicals. I also really liked playing as Mewtwo in Melee more than most characters even though he's hot garbage.
5. Favorite Mega Evolution / Dynamax / Gigantamax
Mega Evolution: Mega Mawile.
This is the only mega that I think didn't just look like "this one but worse".
Dynamax: Aren't these just big Pokemon? I didn't play Sword and Shield.
Gigantamax: Hatterene.
Butterfree is a close second since they are the only two I like at all. I like how abstract Galarian Hatterene looks and I think the overall vibe and color palette of Hatterene works with this blobby design. It looks like a Trix yogurt nightmare.
6. Favorite Regional Variant
Hisuian Zoroark.
I didn't play Legends: Arceus but these fuckers are so badass. It's constantly just wisping around but still looks like a silly little mammal. This was a really good way to introduce Normal/Ghost type too. I like Pokemon with fucked up Pokedex entries. Doesn't get much edgier than Hisuian Zorua and Zoroark.
7. Favorite Starter
Still Treecko.
8. Favorite Region
Hoenn.
I could probably draw an overview of this region from memory with at least 80% accuracy. I fucking love how it's laid out. It's not as easy to traverse as Unova, Alola, or Paldea but it's less of a pain in the ass than Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, and because of how much movement sucks in XY, Kalos. I also think it's one of the most varied (you're simply not making a "too much water" joke) regions. Its layout plays along with the setting and plot better than most of the regions in Pokemon as well. It's got good creatures. The gym leaders are all interesting. The elite four looks cool. Pacifidlog was a sick fucking idea they did very little with. I'll shut up about Hoenn now.
9. Favorite Pseudo-Legendary
Hydreigon.
I don't know why I love this goofy fiend so much. It's so silly and terrifying. If past evolutions count, I would probably pick Larvitar but I think the final forms are the actual pseudos so I'm picking Hydreigon. It's also pretty close to the Randomrings color palette. That's probably why I like it.
10. Favorite Mythical
Victini.
Victini is part of the issue I have with this franchise and how it handled mythicals after Johto. However, Victini is fucking adorable and just wants to have a good time. It can't help that it's powerful and can learn a lot of different moves.
11. Favorite Rival
May.
May was very different from Blue and Silver but still a rival. I personally feel that she kind of set a standard for rival characters that had more direct plot involvement (Barry, Cheren, Bianca, and the fucking hundred of rivals in XY definitely have more dialogue and related characters than Blue and Silver). This might be seen as a bad thing but May was the pioneer of this concept. I could make a whole-ass video essay about Pokemon rivals but I think May hits the sweet spot between being a good character, being a good skill check, and being a likable rival that services the plot well. Also, her design is just as iconic as Dawn and I will die on that hill.
12. Favorite Professor
Professor Kukui.
I don't blame anyone for skipping Gen 7 but you missed some fun fucking characters. Kukui is the only Pokemon Professor that has a natural and well-written addition to the main plot and the region's lore. In Alola, you are actively watching history unfold in this specific region that has nothing to do with whichever dragon or giant bird is causing a mini-apocalypse that year. Don't get me wrong, I like Oak, Elm, Birch, and Juniper and they aren't unimportant to the plot but Kukui might as well be main cast.
13. Favorite Gym Leader/Elite Four/ Champion
Gym Leader: Jasmine
Jasmine can defend herself and uses that power to help Pokemon and others around her. She also does so with poise and peace, never forgetting to try to bring people together before using her resilience to tear people further apart. Her stint in Johto's plot is short but always stuck with me. I know this is too deep for a "1 like = 1 answer" thing but I think Jasmine was one of the only role models I really had as a kid under the age of 10. Today, I just really like her design but maybe I'm trying to mask that a Nintendo character makes me want to become a better person.
Elite Four:
Okay, the short answer is Phoebe. She's one of my favorite character designs in the whole franchise.
My top 4 are Lorelei, Phoebe, Rika (don't judge me), and Caitlin (the Psychic one from Unova).
Champion: From a character writer standpoint: Cynthia. Aesthetically: Iris.
Looking at the champion list, most of the champions are kind of fucking weak. They're strong trainers, weak characters. Fighting Blue, Drake, and Steven feels satisfying but inevitable. Alder and Iris are underrated but still kind of do their thing toward the end of the game. I think Diantha's plotline was literally unfinished or something? Nemona is a good character but a hamfisted champion. Cynthia's really the only one that has a positive and mysterious impact on the story. I don't really like Sinnoh but I think I get why people love Cynthia. I think. If nothing else, she's a good character.
14. Favorite Villain Team
Team Skull.
Team Skull has one of the coolest B-stories in the entire franchise. They have so much direct impact on the story and how the legendaries unfold. For once in the franchise's run, there's some subtlety to the Team Rocket stand-in. Rocket, Aqua, Magma, and Plasma were really only as cool as the people leading them. Team Star actually comes close to this but Team Skull carries this unique aesthetic that Sun and Moon had as a whole.
15. Favorite Character Overall
Uh. May? You'd think I would have a real answer for this.
16. Favorite Route / Town / City
Route: Route 117 in Hoenn.
Hatchin' eggs or grinding Amy and Liv?
Town: Seafolk Village
Mina lives here and I want to be her neighbor.
City: Olivine City
This is the first place I think of when I think of Johto. I love the look of this place. I would totally live here and play Mario Party with Jasmine.
17. Favorite Soundtrack
Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
But also listen to Colosseum and tell me that isn't the fucking tits.
18. Least Favorite Pokemon
Binacle? I dunno. I really like Pokemon.
19. Favorite Battle
Kyurem.
This is more of an "encounter" but fuck it, they're all battles. There are tiny breadcrumbs leading to Kyurem but it's purely optional. Getting to where Kyurem sleeps is daunting in its own right, then when you get it, it kicks your ass (unless you get lucky with a Quick Ball). They gave this legendary the mythical area treatment and it's what I wish they would do instead of mythicals from now on. I'm not even joking. If they stopped making mythicals, I'd be 100% okay with that. Unova's legendaries and mythicals, for better and worse, are my prime argument for that.
20. Favorite Type
I guess Grass?
My older cousin was the one that mostly got me into video games and certain franchises after the fact. I couldn't beat him in battle until Ruby and Sapphire. He always picked the Water starter so I thought I would at least have a leg up with the Grass one. I didn't.
21. Favorite Mobe
22. Favorite Ability
Synchronize
Why don't you also feel poison then? You bitch.
23. Favorite Item
Running Shoes
24. Favorite Z-Move / Max Move
Sinister Arrow Raid
Close second is Twinkle Tackle because it's funny.
25. Favorite Shiny Pokemon
Probably Sylveon.
