Unova bound! A bestiary of Unova Pokemon

Howdy, Trainers! Between us all, under the guidance and encouragement of Spark, Blanche and Candela, we completed the Global Ultra Challenge. We’ve been reaping the benefits ever since; Regional Pokemon hatching from 7Km eggs, half walking distance for hatches, special raid hours… the list goes on. The final phase of these rewards is the introduction of Pokemon first discovered in the Unova region!

Unova, or Generation 5, gets a little flak from the community at large for introducing some weird monsters. Trubbish tends to bear the main brunt of this.

Honestly, I find Trubbish pretty cute and original. And let’s not forget that prior generations aren’t without their lackluster designs…

Yeah. You know I’m right.

Unova also gave us some awesome monsters.

A little trivia about the Black and White games; the initial set of games, Black and White, were a sort of soft reboot of the series. They contained none of the prior Pokemon from older generations until after procuring the National Pokedex, and bringing them in from older games using the transfer feature unlocked later in the game. This, in essence, made sure that you had to develop new teams, new strategies, new favorites. It’s also the only Pokemon main series game to get a direct set of sequels in the form of Black 2 and White 2. These later releases did contain Pokemon from prior generations as you started out in a different area and moved into the main Unova landmass.

This game also gave us many firsts! We have our first female Professor in the form of the lovely Professor Juniper and we have people of color for the first time. The game’s region is based on the good ol’ U.S. Of A. and as such, a greater diversity was needed for proper representation.

Anyway, on to the new Pokemon to enter Pokemon GO. We’re getting a limited release, as has been the case with the last few generations. I’ll do a little breakdown of each evolutionary line so that you can familiarize yourself with them before catching them!

Let’s start at the very beginning…

Snivy, Servine and Serperior




Snivy is the Grass type starter of Generation 5. You get it from Professor Juniper in a gift box towards the start of the game. You can pick it, while your friends Cheren and Bianca pick the other two. The Pokedex tells us that it’s very calm and intelligent. Being a Grass type, it photosynthesizes a great deal of its energy by soaking up the sun with that fanned tail. The more basking it can do, the quicker it is.


It evolves into Servine and then later Serperior. Serperior is said to be able to stop their opponents in their tracks with just a glare from its noble eyes. It only bothers giving its all against powerful opponents. It has a very regal air to it, with curled embellishments and a collar bordering the back of its head. It looses its arms and legs, though!

Serperior has a max CP of 2277, Attack of 161, Defense of 204 and Stamina of 181. So, it’s only average. Its moves are Iron Tail and Vine Whip for Fast Moves, with the latter being STAB.

Charged moves are Aerial Ace, Leaf Tornado and Grass Knot. The latter two are STAB and Grass Knot is significantly more powerful, so, stick with that and Vine Whip. Being pure Grass type, it’s weak to Bug, Flying, Fire and Ice.



Tepig, Pignite and Emboar




Tepig is easily my favorite Starter from this Generation. For one, it reminds me of P-Chan from Ranma 1⁄2.

Hence I tend to name mine Ryoga. It’s just a really nicely designed, simple Pokemon that does a good job of tearing stuff up. The Pokedex tells us that this Pokemon deftly dodges attacks lobbed by foes while still being able to blast fireballs from its nose. It’s something of a gourmet, roasting berries with fire before scarfing them… but if it’s too enthusiastic about it, it sometimes burns those berries to a blackened crisp by mistake. If your Tepig is sick, black smoke will pour from its nose.


Pignite suffers from ‘awkward middle evolution syndrome’, or A.M.E.S. So be gentle with it. Emboar, though, is a force of nature. Look at that thing. It grows a beard of flame which it uses to set its own hands on fire to make Fire Punch that much more devastating. It’s a loyal Pokemon who cares deeply about its friends. It’s also adept at using many powerful fighting techniques. It’s Fire/Fighting.

Emboar’s Max CP is 2982, Attack is 235, Defense 127 and Stamina of 242. It has access to… well. Not Fire Punch. But you do get Low Kick and Ember as Fast moves, both STAB. Charged moves are Rock Slide, Heat Wave and Focus Blast.



Oshawott, Dewott and Samurott




Oshawott rounds out the Starter Trio with the customary Water Type. It’s an adorable little otter with a razor sharp shell stuck to its stomach. The shell is actually called a scalchop and it’s made of keratin, like nails and hair. It grows from the Oshawott’s bellybutton! Which is super weird for an animal that hatches from an egg. (Better not to think about it too hard but needless to say all mammalian Pokemon are technically monotremes. So….) The Pokedex tells us that Oshawott uses this Scalchop to not only attack enemies, but cut into hard food.


Dewott and Samurott are the evolved forms of Oshawott. Samurott’s legs have swords attached to them that it can draw, strike with and sheathe again in the time it takes an opponent to blink. Tikes! No wonder a harsh glare or roar from this Pokemon is generally enough to make most opponents back down.

Samurott’s Max CP is 2826, Attack is 212, Defense is 157 and Stamina is 216. As for moves, you get Fury Cutter or Waterfall for STAB. Charged Moves are Megahorn or Blizzard or Hydro Pump for STAB.



Patrat and Watchog




Patrat is the Rattata of Generation V. It’s a little Normal Type rodent from the first route. Its Pokedex entries tell us that it uses that white tufted tail to communicate with other Patrat while keeping watch. It stores food in those chubby cheek pouches and can store enough in there to keep it satiated for days if need be. They have a rotating system of lookouts and they, as a nest, feel insecure if there isn’t someone standing guard.


This Pokemon is still a dedicated watchman, standing guard and using that additional height to do so. Using luminescent matter, it makes its eyes and markings glow to threaten predators.

It stores berry seeds in them cheeks to spit at foes…. yet it doesn’t know Bullet Seed in Pokemon GO That’s a shame.

Watchog’s Max CP is 1819, with an Attack Stat of 165, Defense of 139, Stamina of 155. It has Bite and Low Kick for Fast Moves, so, no STAB options which…. is fine, I guess? I’m always reluctant to make a big deal in regards to Normal Type STAB. It has no type advantage to any other, so, the Fighting or Dark Type Fast Moves are probably more useful if you’re using this little guy. It does get Hyper Beam as a STAB Charge move. You could also go with Crunch or Grass Knot.



Lillipup, Herdier and Stoutland




You want Good Boys and Good Girls? We got your Good Boys and Good Girls right here. Good. The Goodest. These pups are super brave and loyal! However… they’re smart enough to know when they’re outmatched and have no qualms fleeing when they realize they’re at a clear disadvantage. The stiff hairs on their face function like whiskers, providing additional sensory input for this very, very good Pokemon. It doesn’t make a lot of noise, so is the perfect Pokemon for apartment dwellers.


Stoutland rescues people caught in blizzard conditions as the cold doesn’t phase it. It has a massive fluffy coat to keep it warm, after all. There’s no danger that Stoutland will ever attack a human – it’s way too smart to do that and is known far and wide for being a very wise Pokemon. In fact, it’s so docile that people who raise Stoutland use it as a nanny dog.

Stoutland’s Max CP is 2827, with Attack of 206, Defense of 182 and Stamina of 198. Unlike the main series, it seems to have an only average level of bulk. In terms of moves, it has Lick and STAB Take Down. Charged Moves are Wild Charge, Play Rough and Crunch. No STAB options, unfortunately. Play Rough is probably your best bet as it gives it some Type coverage against Fighting Types.



Purrloin and Liepard




Purrloin is a cute purple kitty… or so it would have you think. As its name suggests, it’s a little thief that uses those adorable looks to lull you into a false sense of security before

stealing your stuff. If you catch it in the act it might just attack you with razor sharp claws! It’s a pure Dark Type.


Liepard has developed a wealth of musculature since its days as a Purrloin. It has a pretty form and fur and many Trainers find it very appealing. It sneaks up on prey silently in the night. Perfect strategy for this pure Dark Type.

Max CP 1846, Attack 187, Defense 106, Stamina 162. Underwhelming in all aspects, unfortunately. But still a pretty kitty. Fast Attacks are Snarl (STAB) and Play Rough (Good coverage against Fighting Types but you’re not going to be there long enough to deal significant damage so…) and for Charge Moves you’ve got Dark Pulse (STAB) Play Rough (See notes for Play Rough) and Gunk Shot.



Pansage and Simisage (Asia/Pacific Regional)




Pansage is one of three elemental Monkey Pokemon that you get early in this Generation. They mirror the elemental types of the Starter Pokemon, with this one being a Grass Type. The Pokedex says that this Pokemon finds berries and shares them with friends. It also shares the om on top of its head! These leaves reduce stress and weariness.


Unlike its gentle and friendly pre-evolution, this Pokemon is wild and mean. It swings its long, barbed tail to hit and hurt opponents. Unlike before, the leaves on its head are super bitter and have no health benefits of note.

Simisage’s max CP is 2350, Attack is 206, Defense 133, Stamina of 181. So, not a terrible Attack Stat, but poor Defense and Stamina. Its Fast Attacks are Vine Whip and Bite (Vine Whip being the better option.) and its Charge Attacks are Crunch, Grass Knot and Solar Beam. Grass Knot is your best choice.



Pansear and Simisear (Europe, Middle East, Africa and India Regional)




This is the fire monkey portion of our monkey trio. This little fella can make that tuft of fur on its head burn at a toasty 600 degrees. It uses this fire to roast berries, much like Tepig. It’s also a sociable and helpful Pokemon who takes joy in helping people.


This Pokemon loves to eat sweets, which fuel its internal flames. It scatters embers from its head to catch opponents on fire.

Simisear’s Stats are the same as the other monkey’s – Max CP of 2350, Attack 206, Defense 133, Stamina 181. For Attacks, you have Bite and the better option of Fire Spin. Charge Attacks are going to be Crunch, Flamethrower and Fire Blast, with Flamethrower being the best option for DPS.



Panpour and Simipour (The Americas and Greenland Regional)




Panpour is the third and final member of our elemental monkey triumvirate. The Pokedex helpfully informs us that it stores water inside its head tuft and can water plants with this water by sluicing it down into its tail. So… monkey watering can? This water is nutrient rich so plants that are watered with it tend to grow big and healthy.

My plan, by the way, is to make tea by using Pansage’s head leaves, steeped in Panpour’s head water, boiled over Pansear’s head fire. I bet that would be super delicious.


This Pokemon doesn’t do well in dry environments and is best served by places that have plentiful, clean water. It shoots water from its tail with force enough to destroy concrete!

Again, Max CP of 2350, Attack 206, Defense 133 and Stamina 181. Fast Attacks are Bite and Water Gun, with Water Gun being your best bet. Charge Attacks are Crunch, and STAB Surf or Hydro Pump with
Surf being your strongest option.



Pidove, Tranquill and Unpheazant




Pidove is, essentially the Pidgey of this Generation, the Normal/Flying type bird you encounter early in the game. It’s super cute in its early forms! It’s also really ditzy, often forgetting its orders quickly, or waiting for new orders after having forgotten the first set it has been given. It does its best! It has trouble understanding complex commands, though, so…. maybe it’s best suited for very patient trainers. It lives in cities and is used to people being around.


There aren’t that many Pokemon in this generation with alternate forms, but this is one of them. Male and Female Unphezant look pretty different. Neither really looks that appealing to me, unfortunately! I actually really like pigeons and wish they would have stuck to a more pigeonesque look for these instead of going the fancy fowl route. Anyway, the Pokedex says these Pokemon do not trust anyone other than their Trainers. The males have the crazy head plumage which it uses to threaten other Pokemon. The females lack the flashy plumage, but their flying capabilities are superior to their male counterparts.

Despite this gender based dimorphism, both genders have the same Stats. Max CP of 2734, Attack 226, Defense 146, Stamina 190. For Fast Attacks you have Air Slash and Steel Wing for coverage against Rock Types…. but go with Air Slash. (You’re not going to get much damage in even with that type advantage.) and for Charge Moves you have Heat Wave (…why???) Hyper Beam and Sky Attack. These latter two are STAB but Sky Attack is your strongest choice, here.



Blitzle and Zebstrika




This My Little Pony looking Pokemon is an electric type Zebra. (Which is weird for a region supposedly based on the United States, right? It’s not like we don’t have our own wild horses.) This Pokemon’s mane discharges electricity it catches from storms. When thunderclouds gather, you can be sure to find these Pokemon, looking to chase the lightning. Their mane can also light up and flash to communicate with other Blitzle.


Zebstrika, the evolved form, is a dangerous Pokemon to have around according to the Pokedex. When angered it will shpoot electricity indiscriminately from its mane in all directions. Its movements are lightning fast and when it’s running at full speed it is said that the sound of thunder follows. Metal.

Zebstrika’s Stats are as follows: Max CP 2428, Attack 211, Defense 136, Stamina 181. For moves, you have Low Kick and Spark (STAB) for Fast Attacks. Flame Charge, Wild Charge and Discharge make up your Charge Attacks. Stick with Wild Charge for pure Electric type DPS!



Drilburr and Excadrill




Drilburr a more mole looking creature than the other mole Pokemon, Diglett. The Pokedex informs us that its max burrowing speed is 30mph which is pretty impressive! It accomplishes this by placing its claws together and rotating its body like a drill, hence its name.


Excadrill prefers to live in mazelike nests, 300 feet below the surface. These nests can be huge and even interfere with human made structures like subways. The steel drill jutting out of its head is so hard it can bore holes into iron plating, no matter how thick that plating is. No wonder it gains that additional Steel Type.

This Pokemon packs some power! Its Max CP is 3244, Attack is 255, Defense 129 and Stamina 242. Defense is a little lower than you would expect from a Steel Type, but other than that, it’s solid. Both its Fast Attack options, Mud Slap and Metal Claw are STAB, but Metal Claw is the stronger choice. For Charge Attacks you have Drill Run (Ground Type) and Iron Head for STAB…. Drill Run edges out Iron Head for DPS. You also have Rock Slide as an option.



Yamask and Cofagrigus




Yamask is, essentially, a dead person. Not even kidding. Not even a little bit. The golden mask it carries is a mask of the face it had when it was a living Human Being. It often looks at this mask and weeps for the life it has lost.

I just. Wow. Pokemon. Way to go super freakin’ dark.

These were people interred in graves in ages past, and they retain all their living memories. So. Your mileage may vary on how distasteful you find that idea. On the plus side, if you could communicate with them, they would make being an archaeologist or anthropologist super easy. Silver lining to every cloud or whatever.


The evolved form of Yamask is just as creepy. It lies in wait in ancient tombs, waiting for grave robbers to get too close, then it swallows them and mummifies them. Super pleasant. They also enjoy eating gold Nuggets and their entire outer shell is made of pure gold. Sounds like entrapment to me.

Due to the unfortunate spelling of this Pokemon’s name, you also cannot re-name this Pokemon back to its original name in any Pokemon game. So, if you give one a nickname or receive one with a nickname in a trade and decide you want it to have its original species name… figure out an alternate way to spell it.

This Pokemon has a Max CP of 2273, Attack of 163, Defense of 237 and Stamina of 151. Not a bad Defense Stat which you could expect from a Pokemon in a metal sarcophagus, I guess. For Moves, you get Astonish for STAB and Zen Headbutt otherwise. Charge Moves are Shadow Ball (Best, STAB) and other options are Dark Pulse and Psychic. Neither of these is nearly as useful.



Foongus and Amoongus




So, this is basically a Grass Type Voltorb…. right? It lures people in with its Pokeball looking design and then attacks. Instead of exploding, though, it just poisons them with spores. So, a slow, painful demise instead of being exploded in an instant. Unlike Voltorb, though, this ruse is way more likely to work because this Pokemon is only 8′ tall, so, closer in size to… y’know. An actual Pokeball. (Honestly, Trainers who are fooled by Voltorb and get blown up trying to pick up a ‘giant Pokeball’ are prime contenders for the Darwin Award.)


This one is confusing. The Pokedex says that this Pokemon uses the Pokeball-esque caps on its hands as a lure to try and bring in prey…. but I’m wondering exactly which Pokemon are lured in by the facsimile of a human made capture device? The Pokedex also says not many Pokemon are fooled by this ruse, so, wouldn’t it be better for this Pokemon to try and mimic something else? I’m not trying to tell you how to live your life, Amoongus, but you may want to disguise them as fruits or pies or something. I just don’t want to see you go hungry.

Amoongus has Max CP of 2140, Attack 155, Defense 139 and Stamina 249. So, a pretty great level of Stamina but not a lot to do with it. Your Fast Attacks are Astonish and Feint Attack… so… no STAB. Charge Attacks are Foul Play, STAB Grass Knot and Sludge Bomb.



Ferroseed and Ferrothorn




One of my favorites from this generation. This Grass/Steel type is a defensive powerhouse and with those barbs, in the main series games anyway, attacking it physically will damage your Pokemon as well. Couple that with a Rocky Helmet and you make this little fella super hard to damage without repocussion.

….unless you’re using Ember or Flamethrower or something.

The Pokedex tells us that this Pokemon’s spikes are dual purpose. It can attack with them, shooting them out of itself before rolling away. They also help it absorb nutrients from the walls and ceilings of caves; specifically, breaking down and absorbing iron ore.


Very much like Ferroseed, this Pokemon can fire its barbs at targets. It also has those three barbed feelers dangling off its body. It can use those to latch onto things, or to obliterate its enemies. They’re powerful enough that one smack from one of them can reduce a boulder to rubble.

The Stats are: Max CP 2321, Attack 158, Defense 223, Stamina 129. So, Defense is what you’d expect, and considering this is an ambush predator, its Attack is about what you’d expect. Fun little niche Pokemon like this often have a hard time finding their place in Pokemon GO which can be kind of a shame. For Attacks, you have Fast options of Metal Claw and Bullet Seed. Both STAB options with Metal Claw edging out Bullet Seed in effectiveness. Charge Attacks are Power Whip (STAB, best option.) Flash Cannon (STAB) Thunder and Acid Spray. These last two are odd choices and offer nothing for type coverage… so…



Klink and Klinklang




Klink is kind of like Generation 5s version of Magnemite. A Steel type that adds more cogs and parts the more it evolves. It’s actually kind of adorable – the Minigears are predetermined and will mesh with no other. In fact, if any other gear tries to mesh with an unintended partner, they bounce off one another. It’s destiny, man. The energy generated by these Pokemon spinning, one gear meshed with the other, provides the energy it uses to live.

This Pokemon, it seems, will only be available via raids.


The larger gear here spins at a rapid rate and stores energy from doing so. It them uses that energy to attack, sluicing the power through that outer ring and shooting it from the spikes on the outside edge. This Steel Type has a Max CP of 2637, Attack of 199, Defense of 214, Stamina of 155. It has no STAB Fast Moves, sticking to Electric Type Thunder Shock or Charge Beam. You get STAB Flash Cannon for Charge, or you can go with Hyper Beam or Zap Cannon.


Litwick, Lampent and Chandelure




This spooky little Pokemon is one I’m expecting to be a part of any potential Halloween Event that we get for the month of October. That’s been a recurring pattern with Pokemon GO, so, I don’t see any reason they’d stop. It’s a Ghost/Fire Type and pretty cute, in my opinion!

The Pokedex tells us that this Pokemon’s flame is usually out…. but if you see it shining, chances are it’s stealing your energy. That’s kind of its schtick – it pretends to be guiding you through dark places by providing a light, without informing you that it’s drawing on your energy and that’s the fuel it uses to burn so brightly.


But if you think THAT’S bad, look at this beast of a Pokemon. It absorbs a spirit from a body in its entirety and burns that sucker down. The spirit burns away, leaving the body behind and once all the fuel Chandelure needs is burned away, the spirit is left to wander forever, never finding its way to the afterlife.

So…. reducing the prospects of your immortal soul to an eternal and aimless purgatory is one way to get a fire started, I guess.

So, do these Stats set your soul aflame? Max CP 3268, Attack 271, Defense 182 and Stamina 155. Not a bad showing, right? For Fast Moves you have access to Fire Spin (STAB, best pick) and Hex (STAB) and for Charge Attacks you have Overheat which is your best choice, Shadow Ball (STAB) alongside Energy Ball which is good for coverage against Water Types.



Golett and Golurk




This neat Pokemon is one of many artificially created Pokemon. It came from an ancient and long gone civilization who raised it from clay and gave it life.

Just like Wonder Woman! This Pokemon is from Themyscura. That’s my headcannon and I’m sticking to it.

The source of its energy isn’t understood and has not been quantified by modern science. As such, having been active and thriving for thousands of years, there’s the worry that this power is finite and may one day run out. It’s a Ground/Ghost Type.


Also Ground/Ghost. Golurk was created by the same ancient civilization to be a hero. (Exactly like Wonder Woman.) It was made to protect people and Pokemon both. If the seal on its chest is broken, the mysterious life energy trapped within is released with enough power to level towns into rubble. It’s not a very independent Pokemon, following its Trainer’s orders to the letter. It can also fly through the sky at mach speeds, turning its hands and feet into jet engines.

Let’s see if these Stats are Wondrous! Max CP of 2854, Attack of 222, Defense 154 and Dtamina of 205. So, not bad! Not wondrous, but not bad. In terms of Fast Attacks, you have Mud Slap and Astonish, both good STAB options. For Charge Attacks, you have Earth Power, Shadow Punch (Both STAB) and Dynamic Punch.



Heatmor (Western Hemisphere Regional)




This Fire Type Pokemon is the natural enemy of Durant. According to the Pokedex this Pokemon has the odd distinction of breathing through its tail. It sucks in air and uses it to push fire out of its thin beak in a whip-like formation that, essentially, serves as this creature’s tongue. Never challenge this Pokemon to a hot wing eating contest, folks.

Anyway, it melts Durant down, burning away the steel exterior of the bug so that it can slurp up those glorious, gooshy innards. Mmmmm.

Stats are: Max CP 2395, Attack 204, Defense 129, Stamina 198. Fast Attacks are Fire Spin (STAB) and Lick. Charge Moves are Flamethrower (Your only STAB option, so, stick with this.) Thunder Punch (I guess if you want Water Type coverage, this works!) and Power Up Punch.

Durant (Eastern Hemisphere Regional)




This Pokemon is the food of Heatmor, as discussed above. Individually, they aren’t very much able to take on the Fire Type anteater, so they attack in groups, covering themselves in extra steel armor in hopes of protecting their precious, precious internal organs. Each ant has its own role to play in protecting the nest from enemies. Those nests are bored into mountainsides and are mazelike in their complexity.

….weirdly enough, in spite of the lore, Durant is tougher than Heatmor. I mean, it’s four times weak to Fire being it’s a Bug/Steel. But if they were fighting one another with non-STAB moves? Durant would wipe the floor with its mortal enemy. It has a max CP of 2659, Attack of 217, Defense 188, Stamina 151. Fast Attacks are both STAB, Bug Bite and Metal Claw. Charge Moves are Stone Edge (If you want Fire Type coverage, sure, but you might not get to let it off. Be warned.) but your better options are Iron Head and X Scissor in that order.

Deino, Zweilous and Hydreigon




So, this little guy has bangs down over its eyes so it can’t see. Because of this, it uses Tackle and Bite to find out about its environment. Lucky it’s a tough little guy because this leaves its body covered in bruises and cuts. It eats anything that moves, too, and isn’t picky about what it consumes, presumably, because it can’t see to know any better.

Just take it to the groomers. Does Petco trim Dragon bangs?


This Dragon/Dark Type is a Psuedo Legendary, like Dragonite, Tyranitar, Salamence and Garchomp before it. Which is kind of fitting considering it kind of looks like King Ghidora!

Except with six wings instead of two. The heads on the end of its arms do not have brains in them, so, they’re at least not going to fight among themselves. It uses all three heads, though, to destroy opponents with flurries of bites. It soars through the air on those six wings, seeking out foes…. which is basically anything that moves.

This brutal beast has a Max CP of 3625, Attack 256, Defense 188, Stamina of 211. Solid! Fast Mattacks are Dragon Breath and Bite which are both STAB. Charge Moves are Dragon Pulse and Dark Pulse – both solid STAB options. Flash Cannon is your other choice.



The Unova Stone!

This is a stone, much like the Sinnoh Stone, that evolves some special Pokemon all the way to their final
forms.

In Conclusion…
PHEW! Sorry about getting this info to you a little later than anticipated, Trainers! The initial buzz was that there was a total of 19 new species dropping on the 16th… then Niantic wound up releasing a lot more than that which meant I had a little extra digging to do to make sure you had the most up to date info! Hopefully this helps you all build up some great teams of Unova Pokemon! As always, I wish you the best of luck on your adventures with Pokemon!

Which Unova Pokemon are you excited to encounter? And which monsters do you hope for in the next release? Let me know in the comments!

Till Next Time!

Facebook Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.