A very similar pasta to rotini

147: Dratini

At last, we have Gen 1's sole Dragon type line. And it's... more unique than you'd think! At least at first, more into that in a few. It has definitely felt like a bunch of Types had a "signature Pokemon" so to speak, in Gen 1. Fighting has Machamp, Psychic with Alakazam, and Poison with Muk. That gets kind of awkward with Ghost and Dragon, which each only had one line in this Gen. Sure, Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar represent Ghost as a concept pretty well, but then there's Dratini here. The sole Dragon type in the gen isn't a baby reptilian or even a big badass like Charizard. It's just this cute little aquatic snake thing.

I mean, plenty of Dragons are serpentine, but specifically an aquatic little thing? That's quite unique for a first timer! Not in the wildest way ever, nor is Dratini even close to being up there as one of my favorite Dragons, but I still like it quite a bit! The little fin-like ears are a nice touch too. I also really like that blunt, round snout it has.

Personal Score: 7.5/10

It's too bad I can't also wear winged shoes.

148: Dragonair

And then there's Dragonair here. And boy what a Pokemon! It retains a lot of what was likable from Dratini and just makes it better. It mostly trades in cuteness for grace, picking up crystals, its “ears” becoming wings, and the little horn is like a cherry on top of a pleasant sundae. It's so nice looking as a serpentine river-dragon. It's so atypical in a spot that very easily could've been occupied by a generic Dragon, that I can't help but have a bit of a soft spot for it.

And those wing-ears aren't just for show, the thing can actually fly with them! I feel like that really elevates Dragonair into being something that, while not mind-blowing, is still nonetheless a really strong example of how cool dragons can be as a concept when you think outside the box a little. Dragonair could've totally stood out on its own as a two-stage Pokemon with a really cool visual to it.

Personal Score: 8.5/10

...But unfortunately, Dragonair DOES evolve... into...

I am the nite.

149: Dragonite

Ye-

I--

Huh---

Okay, Dragonite's the first of at least a modest handful of "heartbreaks." Pokemon lines that start out so well and have so many cool directions they could go, but then they just.............. Don't. They refuse to go to those cool places. Why could be anyone's guess, but I am just ultimately disappointed that Dragonair's sky-river-serpent look just gets completely thrown out for a total nothing of a design.

Well, I mean, look at it. It's not terrible or offensive of course, but the fact that it follows up a Pokemon infinitely more interesting than it is what really grinds my gears. Dragonite is exactly the kind of dragon creature I was glad Dragonair wasn't. And I can at least hand-wave a contradictory design if it at least contradicts it in an interesting way. But it doesn't. Dragonite is your average cartoon dragon sidekick that wouldn't look too out of place in a children's show like Dragon Tales. No traits from Dragonair kept other than the horn on its head, which just looks silly now that it's plonked directly on top like a tiny cone-cup someone glued onto its head.

It doesn't really even hold up on its own merits, either. Dragonite's one trait unique to it are the weird little antennea, and that's it. It's not too dissimilar to a royalty-free stock image of a cartoon dragon. Heck, even this stock image of a dragon I found has got at least a bit more going on with that snout and snake tongue.

Again, Dragonite isn't so offensive that it deserves an aggressive tear-down, or maybe not even this score. But for my money, Dragonite's just completely failed as an evolution of Dragonair, and I don't think it's too unreasonable to feel a bit cheated when something you found interesting turns into something almost entirely different, even if it has its own appeal. Charizard may be generic, but it at least has the same general flavor as the rest of its line. Dragonair into Dragonite, to me, is like being promised genuine Mexican cuisine and then being given Taco Bell.