In the world of Pokémon, there are creatures that are designed with certain standards in mind. Some are created to be cute, others to look cool, and there’s a select group of monster designs that are meant to strike fear in the heart of trainers. The second generation of games, that being Pokémon Gold & Silver, are home to some cute Pokémon, as well as some terrifying ones. You may be caught up in Pokémon Sword & Shield, but it’s time to look at and rank the 5 most adorable Pokémon in Pokémon Gold & Silver, as well as the 5 scariest.
10 Adorable: Mareep
Pokémon Sword & Shield introduced the world to the adorable sheep Pokémon known as Wooloo. Though this new creature is quite cute, trainers must not forget about the original sheep-inspired Pokémon, Mareep. This cuddly yellow sheep wasn’t only elementally electric, but its cute face and bulbous body make humans flock to it naturally. The joyous and gleeful attitude it sports seems to be infectious, which is great for a Pokémon based on animals that are often relegated to farms and petting zoos.
9 Scary: Misdreavus
Ghosts are inherently scary for obvious reasons, and Misdreavus is the premiere Ghost-type Pokémon in the second generation of games. It is a bit of a trickster and has been known to scream and wail in the middle of the night in an attempt to startle and scare people. The only thing scarier than a ghost is a ghost who actively enjoys terrifying people and finds pleasure and enjoyment from it. People have reported that you can often hear them sobbing and crying at night in an attempt to lure in the unsuspecting for a frightful surprise.
8 Adorable: Cyndaquil
Cyndaquil lands a little bit lower than many reading this probably expected it would, but that’s due to thinking practically. One look at Cyndaquil will show you that it’s an adorable little echidna-inspired Pokémon that’s worthy of any human’s love and affection.
The problem is, just like with Charmander, is that it happens to be able to produce flames out of its body. It keeps its flames away when it feels safe and protected, but like most pets, if it acts out randomly it could potentially burn you, your house, and everything you own. Is it worth the gamble?
7 Scary: Feraligatr
Like Charizard in the first generation of games, Feraligatr easily took the crown as the coolest final evolution among the starters. Typhlosion lost all of its appeal once 3D models were introduced, so the gap became even larger in subsequent years. Now, something can be cool while at the same time being a little scary. If Jurassic Park has taught humans anything it’s that ancient reptiles and dinosaurs can’t be tamed or controlled. The Big Jaw Pokémon known as Feraligatr is a shining example of this in the pocket monster franchise.
6 Adorable: Ledyba
Ledyba is based on the real-world insects called ladybugs that happen to land in a sweet spot of being an insect that’s mostly considered cute and adorable. That’s a tough spot to earn considering insects and bugs are often seen as pests, but somehow ladybugs, and in the Pokémon world Ledyba, managed to accomplish such a feat. Their large welcoming eyes and puppy ear-like antennae make them really endearing. It also helps that their six appendages all seemingly have Mickey Mouse gloves at the end of them.
5 Scary: Ariados
Humans are generally uncomfortable with spiders and many people fear them entirely. It may seem a little ridiculous that a fully grown human would be afraid of something the size of a penny, but the Pokémon Ariados takes those irrational fears to new heights.
This giant arachnid measures in at over 3 feet tall and weighs around 75 pounds. If people thought house spiders were scary, imagine their surprise when they come across one the size of a medium-large dog while they’re walking through the park.
4 Adorable: Togepi
The neat thing with Togepi in Pokémon Gold & Silver is that trainers receive an egg early in the game and are told to hatch it without knowing what’s inside. Upon taking it upon themselves to walk the necessary amount of time and getting it to hatch they’re greeting with an adorable little thing called a Togepi. Since it’s the first of its evolutionary line with new forms added in later generations, it was clear that it was created with the sole purpose of being cute and desirable. It worked perfectly as Togepi quickly cemented its place as a top-tier adorable Pokémon.
3 Scary: Ursaring
Ursaring isn’t scary because it’s some otherworldly creature that’s foreign to a human’s understanding of Earth-based animals, it’s terrifying for literally the exact opposite reason. Though many people love and admire bears, they’re one of the most fearsome creatures on Earth and are considered one of the few true apex predators. Unlike most bears who stand upright in certain situations but exist with all four paws on the ground, Ursaring prefers to stand nice and tall. This is likely used as an intimidation tactic to appear more fearsome and dangerous than it actually is.
2 Adorable: Pichu
Some people may dislike or even hate the addition of baby Pokémon into the franchise, but in hindsight, it’s one of the smartest things Pokémon Gold & Silver did. Pichu was the shining example of these additions as it provided Pikachu with a smaller and arguably cuter pre-evolution.
Considering it’s meant to be the youngest form of the beloved electrified rodent, it should come as no surprise that it is easily the most adorable creature in the entire region of Johto. Some other creatures put up a decent argument, but the true #1 is pretty obvious.
1 Scary: Tyranitar
Despite Tyranitar being one of the most beloved pseudo-legendary Pokémon in the series, most people forget that it was native to the Johto region and made its debut in the second generation of games. One look at the Armor Pokémon will make it obvious what the inspiration was for its design. It’s clear that the Japanese developers and designers over at GameFreak wanted to make their version of Godzilla. Tyranitar may not be titanic in size, but a Pokémon standing at over 6 feet tall and weighing 450 pounds is pretty huge in comparison to the young trainers trying to become champion.
NEXT: Pokémon: 5 Reasons Gold & Silver Are The Best In The Series (& 5 Why They’re Not)
