Judge a Pokémon: Victini
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Introduction
skylight
We haven't judged a Pokémon for a while. But we've been judging you. You haven't been complaining about a lack of Judge-A-Pokémon (JAP), but don't worry; we know you want to see JAP more often, and that's exactly what's going to happen. From now on, we're only going to cover one Pokémon per release, and we'll be rotating writers as well. This JAP will have Aurora, Bummer, and Danmire analyzing the Generation V firecracker: Victini!
Aurora
Victini and I have been well acquainted for a fairly long time. I used a Bold Victini during my first White playthrough. It was also a staple of my UU teams back in the days of BW2. Without it, I would never have become the BW2 UU stud that I am today. As time went on, I grew to love Victini so much that I sent an email to the St. George Illawarra Dragons—an Australian sports team—asking them to replace the signature red "V" on their jerseys with a Victini. The suggestion made sense, as Victini's head features a prominent "V" shape, but—oddly enough—I never got a response. I doubt you care too much about my childish endeavors, though, so I'll elaborate more on why I love this Pokémon so much. Look at its big, blue eyes. Are they not hypnotic? They remind me of blue orbs. Could Victini be related to Primal Kyogre? I sure as hell don't know, but some fanfiction writer in the deep, dark depths of the Internet has probably already written several critical analyses discussing that far-fetched kinship. Take note of the name of its natural habitat, too: Liberty Garden. Victini clearly isn't just a legendary Pokémon. It's a proud libertarian that wants to ensure that you can live your life without constant intervention from your pesky government's Orwellian policies. I completely respect this, and I encourage all Pokémon to follow in Victini's footsteps by making their political opinions known. Every time you use Victini in BW2 UU or ORAS OU, you're standing up for your God-given rights, which nobody can take away from you, so use it with pride.
Bummer
Like most legendaries with sextupled base 100 stats, I've only been aware of Victini's existence through hearsay and online databases instead of actually owning one myself. And just like that brand of legendaries, Victini also suffers from the fate of having a head that constitutes the sheer majority of its body, making it more of a chibi version of another creature than the real deal itself. Its eyes, while mezmerizing, are a tad too big for my tastes and only serve to further emphasize the hilarious body proportions in this design. Because Game Freak wanted this Pokémon to revolve around the concept of victory, they've added some subtle hints towards this theme for us to discover, such as its species name, the Victory Pokémon, but also the enormous "V" shape cemented on its forehead. With all things considered, they may have overdone it. It would have been nice to end my rant here and instead move on to Victini's positive traits, but, sadly, this train of negativity has more coal to burn. The impression that I get from Victini is that it looks like the result of a company that desperately wants their mascot included in the Pokémon universe, particularly as a strong critter, because they don't want to waste their money. Overall, Victini simply seems awkward with all of the weird features adorning it, from the large "V" shape on its head, to the wings fashioned onto its thighs, to its lower body that cannot be described without accidentally creating an innuendo. Victini is a design where they tried too hard to make something amazing. I can definitely see where its fans are coming from, but for me, Victini won't be gaining any favor in the near future.
Danmire
Out of all the "Legendary Pixies," as some fans like to call them, or simply base 100 tiny legendary Pokémon, Victini stands out as my favorite. Its petite size with its child-like demeanor is clearly used to undermine its opponent, as this thing is a powerhouse. Sporting the destructive Fire-type move V-create, Victini packs quite a punch. One would question how such a tiny Pokémon is able to hold such raw strength. Its most prominent features are the large V-shaped ears, which come in a vibrant, fire-red color that ignites whenever the Pokémon uses V-create. It also sports huge blue eyes that are simply irresistible. Did I mention it can also fly? It has two little wing-like tails that allow it to take flight, giving more homage to the "fairy" look that most of those tiny legendary Pokémon have. Aesthetics aside, this Pokémon is also an insane bundle of destruction, as mentioned earlier. Sporting a 180 Base Power V-create, Victini can punch holes in your opponent's front lines, and most Pokémon won't be able to resist it for long. The little rabbit can also take quite a punch thanks to its good bulk, allowing it to take a hit before completely obliterating the opposing team. It's also able to learn Blue Flare and Bolt Strike, allowing it to have a ton of coverage. Tie a Choice Band around Victini, and it's sure to spread fear into any foe. Finally, Victini is one of my more favorite, yet simple, designs for a legendary Pokémon in Generation V. It's appealing, it's adorable, and it packs quite a punch competitively. Out of all of its "cute" legendary family, Victini stands out the most, at least to me. It's definitely in my top 10.
Conclusion
skylight
Victini: the liberal and over-done cute rabbit. Will I be spending days fawning over how adorable it is? Probably not, but I'll give it a solid 8/10 for trying.
The next time we release, we'll have a brand new panel (giving our current panelists a short break) as well as a new Pokémon to analyze. Can you guess what it is?
Until next time,
~skylight
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