[DISCUSSION] All Our Favorite Fire Pokémon!

[0kamii]

Hey, everybody! It's 0kamii, and I am back in a blaze of glory!

My connection has returned, there are no permanent injuries, and my partner and I are recovering at a steady pace. I should be back to my regular posting schedule within a week or so. For now however, I wanted to step back onto the stage and let everyone know that not only have I still got my touch, but I'm just as eager as ever to bring you guys new content. I usually wouldn't do another "All Our Favorite" post so soon after the last one, but I figured a special post was in order for a special occasion!

I love Fire-Types; they're probably my fifth favorite Type overall behind Dragon, Dark, Water, and Bug. They're widely used in competitive, making sure that they get plenty of spotlight, and the vast majority of them have just the coolest designs! From inanimate objects, to organisms, and even xenomorphism, all manner of Fire-Types bring something new and exciting to the table. Except in Gen 4 when we only had Infernape and Rapidash from which to choose... That being said, my personal favorite Fire-Type is:

Torkoal

Torkoal @ Firium Z
Ability: Drought
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Sp Atk / 4 Sp Def
IVs: 0 Atk, 0 Spd
Quiet Nature
- Protect
- Eruption
- Solar Beam
- Heat Wave/Flamethrower

 

I've loved Torkoal for a very long time, ever since Gen 3 when it was first introduced. Not because Ash used one in the anime, I just thought it was cute, and it could take a hit surprisingly well during the era before the physical/special split. Then sadly, Torkoal sad dormant for a long time until former World Champion Ray Rizzo used one at the Pokémon World Championships 2013. He showed that while Torkoal was underused, it wasn't by any means bad. But then sadly, Torkoal once again slipped into obscurity, that is...until 2017 when it was announced that Torkoal was going to be given the ability Drought in Sun and Moon. This was a godsend for the little guy, and overnight Torkoal became a deadly Trick Room sweeper in VGC Doubles. Threatening metagame monsters like Celesteela, Kartana, Pheromosa, and more, Torkoal's popularity only grew once American player Ashton Cox won the Latin International Championships using a Torkoal in his core. See team below:

 

 

 

This proved that Torkoal isn't some long forgotten Gen 3 relic, but is in fact capable of taking center stage with the big boys. I couldn't be happier to see Torkoal viable in VGC after all these years, and come VGC 2018, I'm definitely going to be a major promoter of this little, pyrotechnic tortoise! Also, the split between Heat Wave and Flamethrower just comes down to preference. I prefer Heat Wave because in Doubles, hitting both opposing mons under harsh sunlight is glorious.

Other Fire-Type Pokémon I adore are:

 

  

 

Ninetales was my first Fire-Type love, and to this day it remains one of my favorites. I actually thought for the longest time that Ninetales was a Gen 3 pokémon because of how often I caught them on Mt. Pyre. Our love affair was cut short though, as Torkoal soon crept its way into my heart. Another Fire-Type I adore is Chandelure. I think Gen 5 has a lot of underrated pokémon, and Chandelure is certainly one of them. For those that don't know, Chandelure has a base 145 Sp. Atk and a total of 7 resistances. That is incredibly good. It makes for a great Choice Scarf attacker, or sometimes under Trick Room like Torkoal. Not to mention is has a fantastic Shiny form. Lastly, Rotom-Heat is probably always going to get overshadowed by Rotom-Wash, but Rotom-Heat is and always will be my preferred form. I just love the creativity behind the phantom taking over the oven, and the addition of Overheat to its moveset makes it a force! Sure it's weak to Stealth Rocks, but hey...so is Charizard. #shotsfired

That's all I have for my rivetting comeback post! Like I mentioned earlier, I'll definitely be making more frequent posts as soon as I get back into the swing of things after Irma. I'm glad I at least got to keep y'alls updated throughout. I'll be reading you all soon, and don't forget to respond in the thread below with what your favorite Fire-Type is!

Read you all soon! Battle onwards, friends!

- 0kamii

P.S. I'll be making a post about spare Shiny pokémon I have to trade soon, so keep an eye out for that if you've got some spares yourself!