With Pokemon in the news so often thanks to Pokemon Go and the upcoming Pokemon games, we here at ComicBook.com sometimes spend our time debating what sort of Pokemon celebrities would have if they were trainers. Would Robert Downey Jr. prefer Steel type Pokemon? What Eeveelution would Rihanna choose? Is there any Pokemon tough enough to hang with Brock Lesnar?
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Well, our newest feature Celebrity PokePals will try to answer all those questions and more. We’ll pick out a celebrity each week and pick out which Pokemon would have on his or her battling team.
This week’s “celebrity” is Spider-Man, Marvel’s friendly neighborhood wallcrawling superhero. When he’s not scrambling to make rent or finding new and spectacular ways to mess up with his small army of love interests, Spider-Man can be found annoying other superheroes in team-ups and fighting one of comics’ most colorful rogue galleries.
Here’s the Pokemon team we feel would be the best fit for Spider-Man. Agree? Disagree? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
Galvantula
Let’s get this caveat out of the way, now. We loaded Spider-Man’s team up with every spider Pokemon we could think of. Obviously, having three Bug Pokemon on a team opens the team up to some major weaknesses, but Spider-Man is a pro at working from a disadvantage.
The first spider Pokemon on Spider-Man’s team is Galvantula, a Bug/Electric tarantula first introduced in Pokemon Black and White. Although Galvantula has a Bug type’s weakness to Fire and Rock types, it doesn’t have the other spiders’ weakness to Flying Pokemon.
Galvantula doesn’t look very threatening, but it have a few attacks that gives it a punch in battle. When coupled with the ability Compound Eyes (which raises its accuracy by 30%), Galvantula can use Thunder with 100% accuracy. It can also use Thunder Wave to hamstring faster Pokemon with Paralysis. Rounding out Galvantula’s moveset is Bug Buzz (which receives a boost due to being a Bug attack) and Sucker Punch to pick off weaker Pokemon.
Ariados
Ariados is probably the weakest Pokemon on Spider-Man’s team and wouldn’t be on here if not for Spider-Man’s commitment to his arachnid friends. It has below average stats in every category with the exception of an okay Attack stat. It also doesn’t have any real strong abilities or unique attacks that gives it a real niche in the game.
So what is Ariados good at? Well, it’s a decent trap user, with access to both Toxic Spikes and Sticky Web, moves that affect enemy Pokemon whenever they switch into the field. If Ariados can stay alive long enough to throw Toxic Spikes and Sticky Web onto the field, it could dramatically shift the flow of battle in Spider-Man’s favor…even if Ariados gets wiped out a turn later. We’d also give Ariados Infestation, which traps Pokemon in place for 4-5 turns, and Megahorn to give it an actual offensive move with some punch.
Araquanid
Araquanid is the final spider on Spider-Man’s team, and comes from the Alola region millions of players are exploring in Pokemon Sun and Moon. Unlike the other spider Pokemon on Spider-Man’s team, Araquanid has a resistance to Fire attacks thanks to its Water Bubble ability. Thanks to Water Bubble’s other ability to double the power of Water-Type moves, Araquanid is the first line of defense against any Fire, Ground, or Rock Pokemon that would otherwise wreck Spider-Man’s team.
Araquanid is an unconventional tank, but Water Bubble enables Araquanid to dish out a whole lot of damage in a hurry. Araquanid’s strongest attack is Liquidation, which has a whopping 170 base damage thanks to Water Bubble. Leech Life also gives Araquanid a secondary attack to use on Pokemon weak to Bug attacks, while providing a HP recovery option. Araquanid should also learn the Rest/Sleep Talk combo, which allows Araquanid to fully recover its HP while still giving it a 33% chance to use Liquidation while asleep.
Metagross
It might not technically be a spider, but Metagross is really the perfect Pokemon for Spider-Man. Metagross has the intelligence of a supercomputer and is deceptively fast and powerful. Although it’s not the most powerful Pokemon in the game, Metagross is a popular choice for many trainers because of its versatility and powerful Mega Evolution.
With superior stats to Spider-Man’s trio of actual spiders, Metagross is Spider-Man’s top sweeper…at least until a Fire Pokemon comes into play. Using Rock Polish will give Metagross the boost it needs to outspeed opponents, while physical moves like Meteor Mash, Zen Headbutt, and Hammer Arm gives it an arsenal of attacks to pick apart opponents.
Most importantly, Metagross can have multiple uses in battle. It can come out to break down tough Pokemon at the start of a battle or sweep up an opponent’s Pokemon once their Fire and Ground Pokemon have been taken out of play.
Barbaracle
I’ll be honest, Barbaracle’s on Spider-Man’s team mainly because it reminds me a bit of Spider-Man’s six-armed days. But Barbaracle also has its uses, mainly as a counter to Flying Pokemon that could threaten Spider-Man’s trio of actual spiders.
Since Barbaracle doesnt really need to act as a defensive wall, it should use Shell Smash to boost its attack and speed stats and really do some damage. Stone Edge will probably knock out most Flying and Fire Pokemon in one hit. The rest of Barbaracle’s moves should be used to either weaken Pokemon that could do damage to the rest of Spider-Man’s team or keep it on the field a little longer to help soften up enemy Pokemon.
Blaziken
Spider-Man’s final Pokemon is Blaziken, a strong, fast, and agile Pokemon that moves like a superhero. Blaziken’s speed increases the longer it stays on the field thanks to its Speed Boost ability, which means that (just like Spider-Man) it will eventually have the edge on its opponent provide it survives long enough.
Blaziken is also a great Pokemon for Spider-Man in that its limited moveset means that it’ll rarely knock out a strong opponent with one attack. Spider-Man has never really been a superhero that outmuscles his enemies, so the key is to deploy Blaziken in situations where it can do the most damage.
A well-timed Protect gives Blaziken a free Speed Boost and can reveal an opponent’s moveset. Flare Blitz is Blaziken’s strongest Fire move (albeit at the cost of HP), while Hi Jump Kick is a strong Fighting attack, albeit with a bit of extra risk. Blaziken’s final move should be Baton Pass, as it allows Blaziken to switch out and pass its massive speed boost to a teammate.
