8 Subtly Brilliant Pokémon Designs
3. Probopass (#476)
To say Probopass and its unevolved brethren Nosepass are not the most popular amongst Pokémon fans is something of an understatement. Essentially Easter Island statues come to life, both the Generation III Pokémon and its latter evolution were criticised as ill-conceived and lazy designs, with many detractors suggesting the creators were scraping the very bottom of the barrel.
Such criticism might be fair in the direction of Nosepass, but it does Probopass something of a disservice. One of the biggest complaints is directed at Probopass' 'mustache', though if we take a second to consider this feature, we actually see it is a masterstroke. Probopass is in possession of a strongly magneticised nose which acts as a compass, and this 'mustache' is in actual fact a backlog of iron filings gathered within this strong field of attraction. Genius!
Furthermore, the Pokémon's appearance is also a delightful reference to Nintendo's mascot Mario, with the pseudo-'tache and the red and blue colour scheme making it a dead-ringer for the portly plumber.
Let's all give Probopass a pass after all!