5 Pokemon Typings That Make No Sense

Pokemon has a massive roster of creatures to meet and catch across its nine generations of games and spin-off titles. And with 18 types bringing massive diversity, the different types and combinations of Pokemon go well beyond this. Every creature belongs to one or two elemental categories that determine strengths, weaknesses, and battle strategies. For the most part, these make sense, but not every Pokemon has been given the types it is best suited for. Some Pokemon have combinations that simply feel mismatched, especially when there are better options available.

With over 1000 Pokemon, there are bound to be some that just don’t click. Strange choices offset these Pokemon and sometimes even hurt how viable they are in both standard playthroughs and competitive Pokemon. There are logical reasons behind some of these decisions, but the final product just doesn’t make sense. Of these Pokemon, five in particular stand out as having confusing type combinations that make no sense.

5) Grapploct

Grapploct is one of the most disappointing Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. This isn’t because it’s a bad Pokemon, but rather it doesn’t fit the theme and design. The first thing players will notice is that Grapploct is an octopus, and they would naturally assume it to be a Water-type Pokemon. This is completely wrong, as it is a pure Fighting-type Pokemon. Now, Fighting makes sense given its name and design, and a wrestling octopus actually seems really fun. But it is the lack of a Water-type that gives many players pause.

This decision feels odd, as Grapploct could easily be a Water and Fighting-type Pokemon just like Poliwrath. This type combination would later go on to be used by Quaquaval despite Grapploct looking like the better fit. So clearly, Game Freak doesn’t have a problem with the type combination. Grapploct works mechanically as a Fighting-type, but visually, it looks like it should belong to the Water-types. Having this type combination would be a huge upgrade for Grapploct and make it more appealing to players.

4) Lugia

Lugia is one of the most iconic Pokemon thanks to its origins in Pokemon Gold and Silver. Yet, despite this, it has always felt off, primarily because of its type and how it doesn’t properly reflect its type. Lugia is described as the guardian of the seas, yet it does not have the Water-type to back this up. Its Flying and Psychic-type combination has nothing to do with the sea, and one has to wonder why Psychic was chosen over Water.

The most obvious angle is that Game Freak did not want it to immediately beat its counterpart, Ho-Oh, which would be weak to Water-type attacks. But we have seen plenty of legendaries be weak to their box art rivals, so this theory falls apart. Another is that Game Freak did not expect the series to take off and wanted a strong Psychic-type to follow up on Generation 1. Making the box art legendary, a Psychic-type was a no-brainer, and thus Lugia was denied its rightful Water and Flying-type combination.

3) Flygon

Flygon was introduced in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, and even from its first form, Trapinch, fans were confused. Everything about Flygon and its evolution line screams Bug, yet it never takes up this mantle. Instead, it keeps its Ground-type and adds Dragon, when it should have been Bug and Dragon. Visually, the insect inspiration is unmistakable. The Ground typing comes from its desert habitat and the sandstorms it creates, but this could have been inferred rather than directly reflected in its type.

At the time, Dragon-type Pokemon were rare and typically pseudo-legendary. By giving it to another Pokemon line, Game Freak made it more common and easily accessible. However, this still doesn’t explain why it isn’t Bug and Dragon. Besides Yanmega, Flygon is easily the best way to represent this unused type combination. Hopes were that Pokemon Legends: Z-A would introduce Mega Flygon and finally give it the Bug-type, but these dreams were crushed. Perhaps Generation 10 will finally introduce a Bug and Dragon-type Pokemon and fix Generation 3’s big mistake with Flygon.

2) Gyrados

The most famous Pokemon with the wrong types is Gyrados. Few Pokemon are as iconic and fewer still as surprising, because no one expected useless Magikarp to evolve into this powerhouse of Pokemon. Yet, it was denied its true power by Game Freak, as it designed Gyrados to be Water and Flying, forever shackling it with a 4x weakness to Electric-type attacks. But the true crime is denying Gyrados the Water and Dragon-type combination it always deserved. Salt was thrown in the wound when the very next generation introduced Kingdra, a Pokemon that possessed this type combination.

The most obvious reason why this choice was made is because of how strong Gyrados is. Even with such a potent weakness to Electric Pokemon, it is a titan. Giving it Water and Dragon would have made it all but unstoppable in the early generations. Now there are more tools to deal with it, but the logic of the early days still haunts it. There is no way Game Freak could have seen Pokemon taking off and prepared for the future, but it still hurts that Gyrados will never get to embrace its true Dragon nature.

1) Psyduck

Psyduck is a beloved Pokemon thanks to its role in the anime and focus in Pokemon Concierge, but it has always baffled players since Generation 1. The name and in-game descriptions would leave one believing Psyduck and its evolution, Golduck, to be a Water and Psychic-type Pokemon. Yet, it isn’t. In fact, even more surprising is that both Starmie, something that would be better off as Water and Steel, and Slowbro, share the type combination that belongs to Misty’s duck. So it isn’t like Pokemon Red and Blue couldn’t have a Water and Psychic-type Pokemon.

What’s even more confusing is that Psyduck and Golduck learn Psychic-type attacks, something Starmie cannot do without the help of TMs. So clearly Game Freak intended for Psyduck to be Water and Psychic, but perhaps realized there were too many of this type combination already. But if this were the case, why not change one of the others and let Psyduck lean into the combination that makes sense? Across games from Pokemon Red and Blue to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Psyduck has stayed purely a Water-type. It is a perfect example of how early design decisions can echo through an entire franchise, even when players continue to question them.

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