6. Snivy
I never really liked grass Pokémon before generation five. I mean, they were alright, it wasnt like I was offended by the very sight of them but, given the choice, I would always go for a good fire or water Pokémon. In fact, I can only recall having one Grass Pokémon on my team in the first four generations and even then it was mainly because it was a dual water type. But Snivy, from the moment I saw it, proved the exception. At first glance I was universally underwhelmed by the generation five starters (I grew to love them all later, of course) all except for Snivy. Im not sure what caught my heart so instantly, whether it was how cute it was or how tough it looked or how it resembled a snake, but I instantly fell and I dont think that Im ever going to rise again. Snivy certainly conveys an impression of cuteness. I know several people will gawp at me for calling anything resembling a snake cute, but theres no getting away from it with Snivy. It has big eyes, a bigger head, a certain design quirk that means that it looks like its always smiling. It looks like something you would love to cuddle, and the perfect companion for frolicking off on adventures with. Even with this cuteness, however, it still conveys an impression of toughness alongside. It looks ready for battle, even while being adorable. Maybe because its sleek, maybe because its wide eyes seem to have a certain glint in them, maybe because the leaves worked into its design look more suited for cutting than stroking it looks like it could actually win in a fight while still being adorable. As is the fact, the fact that just cant be gotten away from, that it looks like a snake. I have always loved snakes, an oddity in a family that is indifferent to them at best. I think that theyre sleek, dangerous and absolutely beautiful. Snivy, by taking its inspiration from such creatures, is also all of those things its streamlined design makes it sleek, its snake-like features make it dangerous and its everything just makes it generally beautiful. Snivy, overall, is a charming Pokémon. Based on a snake, and yet not a carbon copy of earlier snake Pokémon, it is adorable but tough, elegant in a way that could probably stand up to a fight. Its beauty will always make me choose it first in generation five, and is the main reason why its the first grass Pokémon Ive ever fallen in love with.