The show! Will! Go! On!

Keldeo reared up on his hind legs, his expression serious and his Secret Sword raised and glowing brightly.

Keldeo the Critic

Editorial 7- Top 11 Pokemon Who Should Be in Pokken Tournament

tinyurl: pc2oq4k

"It's me! Keldeo the Critic! I review it so you don't have to!" Keldeo said cheerily, "One thing that a lot of Pokemon fans have been talking about is the brand new fighting game that will soon be dominating arcades all over Japan, and will then make it's US debut on the Wii U. Pokken Tournament!"

Keldeo pranced in place with excitement, "I love the Tekken series! Roger Jr. all the way!" Keldeo sat on his haunches and pumped is left forehoof into the air. "The action, the animation, the control scheme, the combos, the agony of getting knocked down, and the satisfying feel of landing blow after blow! It's all just sooooo good. No wonder it's the best selling fighting game franchise in history!"

Keldeo calmed down a bit enough to get up and stand still, and said, "But in terms of the Pokemon universe, well, I have to say that it's about time we got a game like this! I mean, come on, Pokemon don't take turns in real battles! Pokemon was a turn based RPG. It's not realistic, but that's just how the game worked. Not that there's anything wrong with the Pokemon games, that system works and is still fun and engaging. But now, by using the live combat found in Tekken, players can control Pokemon in battles that feel more like the anime! Even better, the programmers made it so that the battles switch between the 2D side view that's common in fighting games and actual 3D battles that yet you run, dodge, and attack in a wider stadium! Again, this game puts you inside of a real Pokemon battle. The game also has a special meter called the Resonance Gauge. Fill it during battle, and you can unleash a special move or even a Mega Evolution!"

Keldeo smiled and said, "So, the burning question that everyone must ask is this: What Pokemon should you be able to fight as?"

Keldeo nodded and continued, "Well, first, let's see what Pokemon have been confirmed. So far, we've got Lucario, Machamp, Suicune, Gardevoir, Pikachu, Gengar, Weavile, Charizard, Blaziken, and a female Pikachu dressed in the Pikachu Libre cosplay outfit from Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby."

Keldeo blinked in confusion, then smiled awkwardly and shrugged, "Well, okay. Gender equality, yay."

Keldeo concentrated and said, "Okay, so if we use these Pokemon as a guideline, then we should be able to figure out what kinds of Pokemon should be able to join. And I gotta say, the qualifications are wide open enough to allow for a pretty big roster! First off, this isn't a Fighting-type only deal. That makes sense, because all Pokemon can fight. Secondly, while Tekken characters are all pretty tall, you know, human adult height; the size conditions for Pokken seem to be more Pokemon friendly. Weavile, Gengar, and Pikachu are pretty short, but they got in and are fighting against the taller and thinner Pokemon easily. And third of all, the fighters don't need to stand on two legs! Other than Amaterasu in Marvel vs Capcom, I don't think any other fighting game has allowed for this that. But, of course, a Pokemon fighter game needs to be Pokemon friendly."

"But of course, there are some conditions to keep some Pokemon out. They can't be too tiny, of course. They need to have a few decent melee attacks. Lets take Emolga, for example. An Emolga can't really kick and punch or hit things with her tail. But Pokemon that can't be fighters can play a role as assist characters. Emolga, Fennekin, Snivy, Frogadier, Eevee, Lapras, Whimsicott, and Jirachi have all been confirmed as assist characters that pop in and help out fighters. I would talk about them, but that's another show."

Keldeo nodded and said, "So, here we have the qualifications. The Pokemon should be of a decent size, no Joltiks or Wailords. The Pokemon should be able to perform good melee attacks. And the Pokemon should be known to have some power and heft to it. For instance, I don't think a Butterfree has a good chance in being a fighter, maybe an assist character instead."

Keldeo grinned and gave a slow nod as he said, "And, you know, I think we should also address the fact that popularity does play a major role in this. If a Pokemon isn't that well known or well liked, then it probably won't get in. Sorry Pokemon: Type Wild, but Snorlax probably won't be getting a spot on the roster."

There was suddenly the sound of a lot of people booing.

"Alright! Alright! I'm sorry!" Keldeo exclaimed hastily, "But if it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure the Swords of Justice won't be in this game either."

The booing stopped, and Keldeo sighed and said, "We're just not popular enough with the majority of the general fanbase. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all the people who read my reviews. But a lot more people need to make some major noise in order to get us me, Coballion, Terrakion, and Virizion in Pokken Tournament. It was pretty much by pure luck that I got a cameo in Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS as a Pokeball Pokemon. And to be fair, our fighting style might seem a bit too wonky for a Tekken style fighting game."

Keldeo smiled confidently and said, "But don't any of you worry. It doesn't matter what games I'm in! I'm a Sword of Justice, and that's more than enough honor I'll ever need!"

Keldeo quickly got back into the spirit of things and announced, "Well, let's get on with it! It's time to count down the top 11 Pokemon who deserve a spot on the roster. Why top 11? Because 10 just isn't enough," Keldeo said with a grin, "So, grab your controllers, choose your assist character, and get ready to rumble; because here are the Top 11 Pokemon Who Should Be in Pokken Tournament."

Number 11

"Darkrai."

"Now, the best fighting games often have a character that is more mage-like. Sure, they have some melee attacks, but most of their power lies in energy based attacks. Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS had Palutena, Rosalina, and to a lesser extent, Robin. Darkrai would be the perfect fit for this role in Pokken Tournament. Attacks like Dark Pulse and Dark Void would look amazing. Dark Void would probably make a great Special Move. Darkrai would also have moves like Shadow Claw and other moves like that to balance things out."

"And, Darkrai is a pretty prominent character. He was the main villain in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky and Pokepark 2: Wonders Beyond, he had his own movie, and he fought alongside Tobias against Ash's Sceptile. Yep, Darkrai would be right at home in a fighting game, and would make the roster more well-rounded as well."

Number 10

"Absol."

"A lot of People love Absols for their ability to predict disasters, their great offensive abilities, and their beautiful design. And with their awesome Dark-type moves like Night Slash and Sucker Punch, plush the ever handy Psycho Cut, Absol is sure to give Suicune a run for his money."

Keldeo smiled sheepishly and said, "And plus, I'm sure a lot of fans would faint at seeing all the fur getting the 4k HD computer generated treatment. Combine strikes with those huge claws, epic slashes from that horn, and the illustrious flowing of all that bright white fur; and you got one stylish Pokemon that can really tear into an opponent."

Keldeo tapped his snout with his left forehoof and said, "And as an added plus, some people are calling Mega Absol the most underrated Mega Evolution. Well, a place in this game might give Mega Absol the respect is deserves."

Number 9

"Meowth."

The screen was suddenly overcome with static.

BZZZZZZT!

An image of Meowth in an undisclosed location appeared.

"Meowth! That's right! And I'm gonna win this here tournament!" Meowth said confidently.

BZZZZZZT!

"Oh, come on, Meowth!" Keldeo shouted, "I thought this joke ended with the Zalton story arc!"

Keldeo shook off his surprise and refocused back on the topic. He nodded decisively and said, "Yeah, I know it sounds like a weird choice, but if you give it some thought, it suddenly becomes clear why Meowth deserves to be in this game. For one thing, he's just as much as a mascot as Pikachu. He's in nearly every episode of the Anime, and his antics with Team Rocket are always entertaining. Plus, he does have some good moves. Fury Swipes is always nice, and we also have stronger moves like Slash and Night Slash to make things interesting. Oh, and we can't forget Pay Day! Sure, the Meowth we all know can't learn Pay Day, but there's nothing keeping a Pokken Tournamet Meowth from using it. I'm sure many of us are familiar with Pay Day from whenever a Meowth pops out of a Pokeball in Smash Bros. I could even see Pay Day being a perfect Special Move."

Keldeo grinned widely and said excitedly, "And hey, wouldn't it just be the greatest thing ever to finally have Meowth and Pikachu in an all out, knock down, drag out, fight to the finish? Haven't we all been waiting to see that for years? And hey, I'm pretty sure that after a little training, Meowth could hold his own against Pikachu in a fair fight! But hey, that's another show."

BZZZZZZT!

"I'll hold ya to that, Keldeo!"

BZZZZZZT!

"Meowth, just because I saved Christmas for you doesn't mean you can just hijack my editorial whenever you feel like it!"

BZZZZZZT!

"Just hurry up with that 'other show'! I'll be waiting! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

BZZZZZZT!

Keldeo sighed and rubbed his forehead, "Oh boy, I just walked right into a commitment, didn't I?"

Number 8

"Zoroark."

"Zoroark is a huge monstrous fox with huge claws and great Dark-type moves like Dark Pulse, Shadow Claw, and the ultra powerful Night Daze. But the one thing that defines Zoroarks is also the thing that might make things a little tricky for them. And that's their Illusion Ability."

Keldeo rubbed the side of his head in thought as he explained, "The question here is how would you work that ability into a fighting game? I mean, I guess you could have a button that makes Zoroark turn into the opponent with all the opponents moves. Or maybe Illusion could be the Special Move. This does have a lot of strategic potential. Imagine, Zoroark vs Lucario. Zoroark is having trouble landing hits on Lucario, and it's too dangerous to get in too close. So, Zoroark turns into a Lucario and starts hurling Aura Spheres at the real Lucario. Genius!"

Keldeo frowned, "Now, I know what you're thinking. 'What about Ditto?' Well, first off, Zoroark already has a fighting style and moves. Ditto can only transform into and take the moves of another Pokemon, which would probably be the opponent. In that case, why not just choose the same Pokemon as your opponent in the fighter select screen?"

Zorua suddenly scampered up to Keldeo and said, "Keldeo! I've got a question! What if Ditto can change into any fighter on the roster at any time during a battle?"

Keldeo shook his head, "No way. That would be too powerful. That would give a player access to every move and every play style in the game. That would be like letting a player pause and choose a new character in the middle of the game. That wouldn't be fair. Ditto, or Zoroark for that matter, should only be able to transform into one Pokemon. Either their opponent, or a Pokemon they get to choose before the battle."

"But what if the game doesn't allow players to choose the same Pokemon?" Zorua asked, "In that case, Ditto would be the only way to have a Lucario vs Lucario battle!"

Keldeo made a wry face, and then shook his head again, "Well, in a way you're right. But then having Ditto would defeat the purpose of putting that restriction on the players in the first place. Ditto would just come in, transform, and you'd never know you were even playing as Ditto at all. Zoroark has her own moves and style, so you'll be drawn to using her as herself for most of the battle, especially if Illusion turns out to be a Special move that you need to fill the Resonance Gauge in order to use. Ditto in his natural form doesn't have any moves or style at all. Do you see now?"

Zorua stared up at Keldeo with wide eyes for a long moment, then he nodded and said, "Yeah. I get it." Zorua then gave a great big smile and said, "As long as Meema gets to play! Ooh! And I wanna be an Assist Character!"

Keldeo smiled warmly and nodded, "Why not? I hope you do get that chance, Zorua. I really do."

"YAY!" Zorua cheered, and he ran off excitedly shouting, "I gotta start training right now!"

Keldeo sighed nostalgically and said, "You know, he reminds me a lot of myself. . ."

Number 7

"Kangaskhan."

"She's the Pokemon version of Roger Jr.!" Keldeo exclaimed, clearly still excited about his favorite Tekken character, "That reason alone is enough to earn Kangaskhan as spot on the roster. Kangaskhan also has a few qualities that make her different and more interesting to work with than Roger Jr. They're heavier and stronger brawlers than a kangaroo, with powerful punches and other moves. And Mega Kangaskhan would be a cool sight to see. Imagine attacking your opponent with the mother on one side while the child pummels the opponent on the other side by itself. That might be tricky to program, but if they could do something similar with Rosalina and Luma in Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS, I'm pretty sure they could figure a manageable control scheme for Mega Kangaskhan."

Number-

"Hey! Hey! How about me, am I next?!" a voice called out.

Keldeo turned to see Zorua standing next to him. Keldeo groaned, "Zorua, you just blew it!"

Zorua blinked and cocked his head in confusion. Keldeo silently pointed a hoof at the little fox. Zorua looked down at himself and gasped. "Oh, right! Oops! Don't worry, we can still do it!"

Zorua quickly ran off screen. Then, a few seconds later, Vicitni flew in and said excitedly, "Hey! Hey! How about me, am I next?!"

Keldeo just looked right through Victini with a look of disappointment on his face, but then sighed and said cleared his throat.

"Ahem! Oh, Victini! Where did you come from?" Keldeo said with forced enthusiasm.

"I hear you were doing a Top 11 list for Pokemon who should be in Pokken Fighters, so I rushed right over!" Victini said excitedly, "What game. He orbited around Keldeo as he yammered on and on, saying, "What game would be complete without a painfully cute, big eyed, high voiced, talkative, tiny Pokemon like me?! I even already have the perfect special move. My V-Wheeeeeeeeeeeel!"

Keldeo shook his head and, "Sorry, Victini. But no. You'd make a good Assist character, but I don't you have the size, presence, or melee capabilities needed to be on the fighter roster. I don't see how the hit detection would work between you and an opponent in a Tekken style video game. I'm really sorry, but I can't put you on the list."

"WHAT!?" Victini shouted in a shrill voice filled with indignity. He scrunched up his face in an angry frown and began to fly straight up and down in a rage, "How dare you say no to the cutest Legendary Pokemon that has ever been conceived and ever will be conceived! I'm the Victory Pokemon! I always win! I always get what I want! How dare you say I can't be a fighter!"

Victini landed on the ground hard, and then gave out a quick cry of pain and began hopping away on his left foot. "Ouch-ouch-ouch! I just landed on my toes and stubbed them all! Ouch-ouch-ouch! That hurts! Ouch!"

Keldeo stared after Victini, then shrugged and smiled, "Well, that's Victini for ya!"

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away. . .

The real Victini glared at the screen of his smartphone, and then threw the phone to the ground in a rage.

"THAT DONKEY HEADED JERK!" Victini shouted angrily. He pounded his fists together and began cracking his knuckles.

"Time to boil a Water-type into a Steam-type!" he declared, and he quickly flew off as fast as he could.

A moment later, Victini came floating backwards, arms folded behind his head as he said with a smile, "Heh-heh, I bet you all thought that this joke was gonna be a cheap copy of the Uncle Yo joke from the Nostalgia Critic's Garfield review. Heh, silly readers. You really think we'd be that predictable. That would've-."

CLUNK!

Victini had floated backwards right into a tree, just fast enough to bonk himself on the head. He cried out and fell the few feet down to the ground. "Owowowow, my head! This is gonna ruin my day. . ." Victini moaned weakly.

Meanwhile, back with Keldeo in the Moor of Icirrus . . .

Number 6

"Sawk and Throh."

"I know, two in one sounds like cheating," Keldeo admitted understandingly, "But they're just so similar! If one gets in, it would be an injustice to not let the other one in too. Although not extremely popular, Sawk and Throh are excellent Pokemon for a Tekken style game. We've got a blue, lean, light, quick moving karate master; and a red, heavier, forceful, sumo-like brawler. It creates a nice kind of Red Oni, Blue Oni effect. Both will have contrasting fighting styles that both have an equal chance of winning depending on how well the player is able to utilize them. I can see players spending time trying to master either one or both of them, debating on which one is better. Seriously, these characters would be a valuable addition to this game."

Number 5

"Scyther and Scizor."

Keldeo waved his right fore hoof dismissively and said, "I know, I'm putting two Pokemon in one spot again, but I repeat, these Pokemon are so similar that if you put one in, you really need to put the other in. They're both large and powerful Bug-Types that can fly and strike out. They also have unique fighting styles as well. Scyther is more of a quick slasher with those blades, while Scizor would be more of a puncher and grabber with those huge pincers. I can just see Scyther slashing wildly while Scizor grabs and slams an opponent into the ground. Scizor having a Mega Evolution also increases the chances of getting in."

Looking very confident, Keldeo said nodded and said, "Scyther and Scizor. They're popular, they're iconic, they can fly, they can Cut, and they can conquer!"

Number 4

"Hawlucha."

Keldeo was stone faced as he said, "I am going to be legitimately insulted if they put Pikachu Libre on the roster and not put on Hawlucha. I mean, how dumb would that be? You have a literal Wrestling Pokemon, and you put in a Pikachu wearing a wrestling outfit instead? Come on!"

Keldeo tossed up his hooves and said, "Do I even need to explain why Hawlucha should be in this game? His gliding skills, his Flying Press, his High Jump Kick, his huge arsenal of other Flying-type and Fighting-type moves, the way he compensates with his smaller size with power and speed, and the fact that he's the Wrestling Pokemon makes him the perfect Pokemon for a game like this."

Keldeo grumbled a bit and said, "And they better not make him an Assist Character, because that would just be an insult."

Number 3

"Raikou and Entei."

Keldeo didn't look happy at all as he said this.

"The only reason these I'm putting these Pokemon this high up on the list is because Suicune is already on the roster. I do not like the Legendary Beasts. Those three don't even come close to having the honor and discipline of the Swords of Justice. All they ever do is attack the first thing they see and make everything worse. They're like the Team Rocket Trio of Legendary Pokemon."

BZZZZZZZT!

"Hey! I resemble that remark!"

BZZZZZZZT!

Keldeo ignored Meowth's interruption and kept on with his point, "Was Suicune really so weak that he couldn't beat an Evil!Celebi? Couldn't the three of them together see that Zoroark wasn't doing anything wrong? Were they really going to just stand there staring at their paws as Grings Kodai ran away and Zoroark was dying? They're either racist against Dark-types or stupid. . . or both."

Keldeo humphed indignantly as he commented, "It actually makes sense. They didn't earn their power. Ho-Oh just found three dead Pokemon and decided to give them a 1-Up plus some superpowers for pain and suffering. I'm sure Ho-Oh meant well, but he really should have taken some time to train them and educate them so that they wouldn't have failed so horribly in Celebi: Voice of the Forest and Zoroark: Master of Illusion. I'm sorry, but the fact is that as guardians of anything, they all stink."

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away. . . .

Suicien, Raikou, and Entei stood in the basement of the burned Brass Tower staring at the screen of a laptop. Raikou had wide eyes, Suicune had a blank expression, and Entei looked like he was about to explode.

Entei threw his head back and roared out a huge plume of gold-rose-colored flame straight up into the air.

Entei glared back at the screen and shouted, "THAT ARROGANT PUNK!"

Entei pointed decisively with a fore paw and shouted, "It's time we taught that colt a lesson!"

Raikou blinked, "Wait, you mean, like, attack him?"

"YES!" Entei shouted furiously

"Won't that get the other Swords of Justice mad at us?" Raikou said nervously, "I mean, those guys work out. They could really mess us up."

"I think we can take them," Suicune said calmly.

"Then it's settled! Two to one, Raikou!" Entei said triumphantly.

"Oh no," Raikou muttered.

Entei stood on his hind legs and roared out, "We are going to make Keldeo wish he never even dared to-."

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

CRASH! BOOM!

Victini suddenly dived down out of the sky and straight into the basement, colliding directly with Entei with a powerful V-Create. When the dust finally settled, Victini sat up from his position on the floor and looked around in confusion.

"Huh? This isn't the Moor of Icirrus," he said.

"Of course it isn't! It's the ruins of Brass Tower! BAD BUNNY!" Raikou shouted as his tail crackled with electricity and thrashed around wildly.

"At least the place was already scorched," Suicune commented wryly.

Victini stood up and dusted himself off. "First of all, I am not a bunny! Second, I'm sorry, I must have made a wrong turn somewhere. And third, what happened to that guy I hit?"

Entei was blasted into one of the four massive pillars the supported what remained of the tower above. With a groan, Entei pried himself off of the pillar and landed on his side on the floor. "I'm fine. I'm resistant to Fire-type attacks after all." Entei got up on his paws and took a step towards Victini, "Now if you want to help us get back at Keldeo, then- OW!" Entei hissed with pain as he held up his left hind leg. "Arrgh! My paw's bruised! Arrgh, this is going to ruin my day."

Victini could only face palm, hard.

Meanwhile, back with Keldeo in the Moor of Icirrus. . .

Keldeo sighed, "But, this list is not for the Pokemon that I want or like, it's for the Pokemon that should be on the roster. And it really is a no-brainer. Why would you put one member of a Legendary Trio and not the other two? It would look kinda stupid for Suicune to be in the game all by himself without his brothers. It would also balance out the elemental rock-paper-scissors Pokemon is so well known for. Sure, Type Advantages probably won't apply in a fighting game like this, but stylistically, having a balance of the elements makes sense. Plus, different elements have different styles. Water is swift and free flowing, fire is explosive and furious, and electricity is lively and energetic. This would allow players who like the four legged style to have more options in terms of attack style."

Keldeo gave a small smile, "So, here ya go. The Legendary Beasts. Love 'em or hate 'em, they do make a fine edition to a Pokemon fighting game. . ."

Keldeo's small smile turned into a mischievous grin, ". . .you get to beat them up as much as you want!"

Number 2

"Greninja."

"He's a NINJA!" Keldeo said loudly, "He has to be in this game. He's already in Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS, and he'd be even better in Pokken Tournament. He's got plenty of ninja moves, like Double Team and Shadow Sneak; that long powerful frog tongue of his is the perfect weapon; and have we forgotten the awesomeness of Water Shuriken? I hope this doesn't sound too mean, but they'd have to be kinda stupid to not put Greninja in this game. I mean, he's certainly cool looking enough!"

And the Number 1 Pokemon that should be in Pokken Tournament is. . .

"MEWTWO!" Keldeo shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Why wasn't the Mewtwo the first-?"

A picture of Lucario frowning with his arms folded appeared.

"Okay, second-," Keldeo relented.

A picture of Pikachu frowning with his arms folded appeared.

Keldeo groaned and rolled his eyes. "Okay, third! Why wasn't Mewtwo one of the first fighters to be announced!? He's Mewtwo! The very first ultra-powerful talking Legendary Pokemon. He was in the First Movie, and has appeared in a bunch of Pokemon movies, Pokemon specials, and Pokemon manga ever since. Sure, a few of those appearances were Mewtwo Girl, but it's still a Mewtwo! One of the most, if not the most, powerful Psychic-types of all time! He's so popular that not only did he get two Mega Evolutions, like Charizard, but they even put him back on the Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS roster through DLC. That's how popular he is! People will actually pay extra money just to play as him. So to not put him in Pokken Tournament would be insanity! He has plenty of cool moves, he can fly around as good as Charizard, and he can bring on the melee attacks with his fists and tail. They could even reference the manga and give him a giant spoon if they wanted to."

"There's no doubt about it, when it comes to power, popularity, and great representation of the Pokemon franchise as a whole, Mewtwo is without a doubt the Pokemon who most deserves to be a fighter in Pokken Tournament."

Keldeo breathed out in exhaustion. "Whew! That took a lot out of me for some reason. Well, if you have opinions on who should've been in what spot, or even ideas for other Pokemon who should be in the game, let us all know in the review section and we can get a kind of discussion going."

Keldeo smiled optimistically and said, "And one more thing. I know that in the future, we'll be getting an announcement form Japan that the roster has been completed, and we may or may not see that some of the Pokemon we wanted to be on the roster didn't make it. Those Pokemon might even include some on this very list. If that happens, no one panic or get depressed, because that's only the Japanese arcade version of the game. I am very sure that in the process of making a Wii U version, Nintendo will either program more characters onto the game as Wii U exclusives, or sell us more characters as DLC."

Keldeo nodded gravely, "Sure, it's annoying to have to pay extra for stuff. . ." Keldeo then grinned and said, "But hey! I'd say Mewtwo, Zoroark, Greninja, or any of the character I mentioned are worth at least a few extra dollars!"

"I'm Keldeo the Critic, I review it so you don't have to!" Keldeo said as he took his leave.

The End

Credits

Nostalgia Critic- Garfield

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity

Marvel vs Capcom

Special Thanks

Tekken by Bandai Namco Entertainment

TVTropes