About The Favourite Pokémon Picker

Choosing a favorite Pokémon is notoriously difficult. With over 1,000 distinct species spanning nine generations, the choices are overwhelming. Whether you're a competitive player looking for stats-based preferences or a casual fan who loves design and lore, bias often clouds our judgment when we just look at a list.

This tool solves that problem using a binary sort algorithm. Instead of asking you to rank 100 Pokémon at once, we present simple "This or That" choices. By consistently choosing the winner between two options, our algorithm mathematically calculates your true ordered preference list.

How It Works

• Filter: Start by selecting which generations you want to include. If you're a Gen 1 purist, you can exclude the rest.
• Battle: You'll be shown two Pokémon. Simply click the one you prefer. Don't overthink it—go with your gut instinct!
• Rank: As you make choices, the system sorts your list in the background. Once the necessary comparisons are made, your final ranked list is revealed.

Tips for Accurate Results

For the most accurate ranking, try to focus on a consistent criterion. Are you judging based on battle strength, cuteness, nostalgia, or design? Mixing criteria (e.g., picking Charizard for strength but Pikachu for cuteness) can result in a list that feels inconsistent.

The Psychology of Choice

Why is it so hard to pick just one favorite? Psychologists call this the "Paradox of Choice." When faced with too many options (over 1,000 in this case), our brains often freeze up or make suboptimal decisions. This phenomenon is why scrolling through Netflix takes longer than watching the show!

By breaking the decision down into a series of binary "A vs B" comparisons, this tool eliminates the cognitive load. You don't need to hold the entire Pokédex in your working memory. You only need to answer one simple question: "Which of these two do I like more right now?" This method, known as pairwise comparison, is widely used in research to determine accurate subjective values.

Building a Competitive Team

While this picker helps you find your favorites, building a viable competitive team for VGC or Smogon requires a different approach. However, many great trainers start with their favorites and build strategies around them. As Karen famously said in the Gen 2 games:

"Strong Pokémon. Weak Pokémon. That is only the selfish perception of people. Truly skilled trainers should try to win with their favorites."

Once you have your Top 6 from this tool, consider their type synergy. Do three of them share a weakness to Ice? You might need a Fire or Steel type to cover them. Use this ranking as a starting point for your creative teambuilding.

Frequently Asked Questions