The running joke of the internet is that Kalos is the forgotten generation, full of forgettable Pokémon and a haphazard storyline. But instead of questioning Kalos’ ranking in the Pokémon series, fans continue to praise Kalos on a different metric: its meme potential. Mega Evolution alone is a goldmine for parody, for its quirky, over-the top-designs, and its callbacks to Generation One.

Whether Pokémon fans Love Kalos, hate it, or simply don’t know it, is irrelevant. What matters is the humor and absurdity that ties fans together in mock or genuine celebration. Though there is a critical mass of Kalos memes, these are the best ones that only true fans will appreciate.

10 Sitting

The programmers for Pokémon games never considered allowing the player character to sit. That’s heartless. That’s a period of 20 years! X and Y Marketing teams rolled out the red carpet for Mega Evolution, and sitting was swept under that same carpet. But arguably this was the most extraordinary mechanic change of X and Y, a game-changer.

This meme from me.me screenshots the tutorial where NPCs teach the player character how to sit. To highlight this absurd conversation, they compare it to the popular Family Guy skit where Peter forgets how to sit. Hilarity ensues.

9 Mega Gengar

Mega Evolution was the first gimmicky power-up ability to be introduced to the Pokémon franchise. Pokémon that Mega Evolve get more powerful and “cooler” looking. When Gengar Mega Evolves, its third eye opens, its body and head get covered in jagged spikes, and it becomes an ethereal nightmare… or not.

As the NPC in X and Y hypothesizes: “Know how your hair sticks out all over the place when you wake up? Think Mega Evolution is like that?” As this meme from me.me suggests, Mega Gengar may just have chaotic bedhead.

8 Espurr

Meme from Cheezburger.com

Espurr is an internet favorite because of its unbreakable stare. It looks like a bipedal cat that’s experiencing the most intense catnip rush ever. But that description is benign compared to Espurr’s true psychic abilities.

As Y’s Pokedex entry reveals, it’s called the restraint Pokémon because it’s restraining itself from destroying anything within a 300-foot radius. Unlike with most cat Pokemon, be careful petting this particular kitty. For safety reasons, it’s best to avoid petting around its ears because that’s where its psychic energy leaks from!

7 Pumpkaboo’s Secret

 

Pumpkaboo is a strange plant ghost that looks part feline, part jack-o-lantern. In this clever meme, YakuzaDuragon imagines the two entities existing separately. Whereas its evolution Gourgeist proves that the two entities are together, the creator’s “cat-o-lantern” is a cuter possibility.

Modern Pokémon designs can get bizarre, sometimes inviting speculation from fans. Pumpkaboo is a perfect candidate for theorizing. Since Kalos is uncharted territory for some fans, Pumpkaboo may have slipped past their radar.

6 Signature Moves

Pokémon X and Y introduced Signature Moves for the three Starters. Delphox learns Mystical Fire, a Special Move that lowers the target’s SP ATK by 1. Chesnaught learns Spiky Shield, a Defensive move that reduces ATK power and damages Pokémon that use physical moves. Greninja learns Water Shuriken, a Special Move that can hit the opponent 2-5 times.

In this meme from YakuzaDuragon, each starter tortures their opposite type counterpart with their signature move. Each victim is curled up into a ball while sweat pours from their anguished face. Forget type disadvantages— this is full-blown type phobia.

5 Fire-Fighting Type

Many fans assert that there are too many Fire-Fighting Type starters. Before X and Y released, fans became nervous that the little fire-fox Pokémon Fennekin would follow the same trend. Luckily, Game Freak bucked that trend with Fennekin’s third evolution, Delphox, one of the only Fire and Psychic-types in the franchise.

The boardroom suggestions meme has been riffed on many times, but in this iteration by DeltaFlame, Chespin faces the wrath of the infuriated Yveltal for suggesting the taboo typing. Fans of the game understand its fury all too well.

4 AZ

AZ is a mysterious, abnormally tall man that is integrated into the story of X and Y… poorly. Many fans are offended by X and Y’s hair-brained story.

In this meme by Kalos Shitpost, a boy ascends a staircase by taking one insanely long step. It’s an image that perfectly illustrates how the writers failed to make players care about AZ. He’s not a 3000-year-old King; he’s a plot device, a bad one with a questionable backstory, and loose ties to the legendaries, Xerneas and Yveltal. He is definitely a low point of the game.

3 Fluffy White Neckwear

Pokémon designs are hard. When creativity is waning, sometimes the designers use shortcuts or aesthetic cheats to liven up mundane creatures and characters. In generations past, these extra flourishes have been armor, spikes, horns, or symbols; Kalos decided on puffy white collars.

This meme by Reddit user u/nopo1401 demonstrates this designing convention doesn’t stop at Pokémon; Diantha is the regional Champion and a Grand Duchess, and her neckwear is enormous! Could this neckwear be a sign of royalty and power in Kalos? Unlikely, since even Scatterbug has one, and it’s basically a peasant’s Pokémon.

2 Dragonite’s Mega Stone

Mega Stones in Kalos are named after the Pokémon they’re for with the suffix “ite” or “nite” tacked to the end. In this meme posted by Unbound Love for Pokémon, Garchomp, Metagross, and Tyranitar ridicule Dragonite because it can’t Mega Evolve.

When Dragonite expresses how it’s been unfairly excluded, they rebut that its stone would be called “Dragonite” or “Dragonitenite.” While it’s hard to disagree with this logic, some fans still feel cheated by this decision and can sympathize with this Dragonite’s frustration. And to be clear, Garchompite, Metagrossite, and Tyranitarite are equally ridiculous names.

1 Clefairy’s Comeback

When Gen VI came out, Game Freak decided to errata the typing of a few Gen 1 Pokémon. Clefairy and its evolutions had been Normal-types since they were introduced to the series, but with the creation of Fairy-types, that had to change. This remix on the popular Simpsons meme template by u/taglis represents super-effective attacks as chairs.

Clefairy, who used to be the Normal-type and Machoke’s punching bag, exacts revenge with its newly super-effective Fairy attack. Truly the tables have turned. Perhaps Machoke shouldn’t have underestimated such a sweet-looking Pokémon.

NEXT: Pokémon: The 10 Strongest Fairy Moves, Ranked