Day 26: Arcanine

(BGM: Indigo Plateau from FireRed and LeafGreen)

And so begins the second half of this year's Lent Marathon.

Let me just say that while I love the Pokemon in the first half of this marathon, and I will gladly use them anytime and anywhere, these next 25 are Pokemon that I dub as perfect! These are Pokemon with the best moves, the best abilities, the best designs, the best types, the best stats, and Pokemon that are worthy of all my love and adoration for one reason or another.

And what better way to kick off the second half of the list than by talking about my personal favorite Pokemon from the original 151.

I know when it comes to Kanto Pokemon, Charizard is usually the go-to for not only the best Pokemon and/or Fire-types of the region, but also the best Pokemon and/or Fire-types, period. To that, all I have to ask is one thing…

Have any of you ever used Arcanine before?

(Insert Arcanine cry here)

(BGM: Lance and Red theme from HeartGold and SoulSilver)

What's that? You thought I said no legendary Pokemon would be in this marathon? What legendary Pokemon? I don't see a legendary Pokemon? All I see is Kanto's best Fire-type Pokemon.

Yeah, despite not actually being a legendary, or even a pseudo-legendary, Arcanine is regarded as 'the Legendary Pokemon', and I think that has to do with two things; its appearance and its stats.

Moving to the former, Arcanine gets inspiration from not only dogs, but some of the most fearsome predators in the animal kingdom like tigers and lions, and I feel Arcanine's design nails all three of these species greatly. The regal and proud nature of the lion, the fearsome bite of the tiger, and the obedience and athleticism of the dog; all put together to make one fascinating specimen.

As for stats, we're looking at some pretty good and balanced stats all around. We're looking at a Pokemon with 90 HP, 110 in Physical Attack, 100 in Special Attack, 80 in both Physical and Special Defense, and 95 in Speed, making Arcanine feel like a 'jack-of-all trades' type character. It can take hits decently well and it's not afraid to dish out abuse just as bad, all while moving decently fast. Oh, and all of those stats total up to a BST of 555, pretty damn close to pseudo-legendary status.

As for abilities it has Intimidate to lower opponent's Physical Attack stat, once again showing the ferocity of the three beasts he's based on. There's also Flash Fire which not only makes him immune to Fire-type attacks, but also raises the power Arcanine's own Fire type moves. And then there's his hidden ability, Justified, which raises Arcanine's Physical Attack stat when hit by a Dark-type move.

While Arcanine's abilities are probably my least favorite thing about him, as all of them, with the exception of Intimidate, feel situation, I wouldn't call them the worst abilities you can give him.

And finally, we come to the moves that Arcanine can put his 110 and 100 Physical and Special Attack stats to good use for.

Upon evolving, Arcanine can learn Extreme Speed, which is basically a more powerful version of Quick Attack, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. With moves like Flamethrower, Flame Wheel, Crunch, Play Rough, and Flare Blitz at its disposal for the moves it can learn naturally, as well as Fire, Psychic, and Thunder Fang, Close Combat, Solar Beam, Heat Wave, Dragon Pulse, Outrage, Aerial Ace, and Dig through TMs, I think it's a safe bet that Arcanine is well equipped for just about any enemy.

Arcanine is without a doubt my favorite Kanto Pokemon, and that's because of his balanced stats, his amazing moveset, and unforgettable design.

Arcanine, I've used you in plenty of playthroughs in the games that you're available in in the past, and I'll definitely be using you in them for the many playthroughs I'll be having in the future. You're not only a good boi, but you're easily the best boi! And no Charizard can ever take that honor away from you.