The Pokémon series found an audience right out of the gate. The level of support for this series has only grown over time and it’s incredible to see the heights that Pokémon has been able to reach in just a few decades. Now Pokémon mainline titles and spin-offs are on the majority of Nintendo consoles and there’s also an anime that’s been going strong for years.
Of the many different types of Pokémon that fill up the universe, there’s always been an extra level of affection for Electric-Types due to how Pikachu is a member of the party. Nobody is going to forget Ash’s faithful partner, but the same isn’t true for some of these other Electric Pokémon.
11 Rotom
Admittedly, Rotom is one of the more unique Pokémon that are out there and it’s an example of the series getting a little more creative on both how Pokémon can work and also the ethos behind them. Rotom is a mix of Electric- and Ghost-Type, which plays into how the Pokémon can possess the motor of certain appliances and then become a different version of itself. In this sense, things like the Rotom Phone or any of these altered version of Rotom are slightly more memorable, but his base form is just a means to an end.
10 Emolga
With there being hundreds upon hundreds of Pokémon out there, it’s only natural that some of them will feel like copies of previous Pokémon and don’t really offer anything original. This is especially true during Generation V where the franchise created some nostalgia out of returning to old ideas. There’s no denying that Emolga is cute. It’s an Electric- and Flying-Type that takes its cues from a flying squirrel, but Emolga just feels like a reject from the Pikachu evolutionary line. Emolga would only standout if a handful of other Pokémon didn’t already exist.
9 Pincurchin
Some Pokémon are able to get by on the fact that they're so gross and unappealing that they actually become cute again. Pincurchin tows this line, but in the end there's just not enough going on here for the urchin-based Pokémon to stand out. Pincurchin is meant to be one of the bottom-feeders of the sea world, despite the electricity that it packs.
Pincurchin blends in with the other aquatic Pokémon and the fact that it's a newer creature from Generation VIII means that audiences have had less of a chance to get to know Pincurchin in the first place.
8 Electrike
Generation III of the Pokémon titles features some controversial creations and while there are plenty of worthwhile additions from the games, there seem to be even more that are looked down on. Electrike is an Electric canine Pokémon that’s cute in its own right, but it’s just such a simple design and doesn’t really stand out when there are other Pokémon like Jolteon that are better takes on the same idea. Electrike feels lazy in its design and it's an unessential Pokémon. Its evolved form, Manectric, is also simplistic in the same ways.
7 Galvantula
Galvantula comes from Generation V and it’s actually the evolved form of another very forgettable Electric/Bug-Type Pokemon, Joltik, which is exactly what the problem is for Galvantula. Galvantula is undeniably more distinct than Joltik, but few people will actually be dedicated enough to push Joltik to Level 36 to get it to evolve in the first place. In that sense it’s easy to not know that the Pokémon exists. Also, Galvantula is a spider, which is something that nobody wants to think about.
6 Eelektrik
It can be difficult for the Pokémon that fill the aquatic areas to all be memorable and Eelektrik is a casualty that’s introduced in Generation V and remains a Pokémon that’s hard to notice.
There are just more powerful Electric-Type Pokémon that fill this niche and since Eelektrik can only be obtained in the later Pokémon games by evolving Tynamo, it’s a Pokémon that people seldom get to see since the Level 39 requirement is on the higher side and Tynamo is also no treat. It’s a Pokémon that’s just not worth the effort.
5 Stunfisk
Stunfisk is a Pokémon from Generation V that suffers from the fact that it feels like a Pokémon that should evolve into something more impressive, but it doesn’t change into anything at all. The Pokémon is at least also a Ground-Type in addition to being Electric, but it feels like another version of a Magikarp that’s more of a mockery than a viable Pokémon. Curiously, the Galar region version of Stunfisk removes the Electric-Type entirely from the equation and turns the Pokémon into a Ground/Steel-Type Pokémon, almost as if it disgraced the honor of its Electric-Type roots.
4 Joltik
Bug-Type Pokémon are typically not the most popular variety of Pokémon. Bugs are very similar to bird Pokémon that can be the overwhelming thing that’s encountered while out on routes or the main areas of Pokémon games. Joltik is one of the more insignificant and tiny of the bug family and because of that it’s easy to even exists in the first place. Perhaps a different design could help Joltik stand out more, but that’s part of the problem of why it’s one of the more irrelevant Pokémon to come around in Generation V.
3 Charjabug
The later Pokémon titles definitely have the least room to come up with completely new Pokémon designs, which leads to some wilder swings from the developers, some of which work and others that are just silly and are better left forgotten. Generation VII’s Pokémon Sun and Moon isn’t full of misses, but Charjabug is such an unusual example of a Pokémon. It’s a mix between an insect and a battery in an idea that’s supposed to come across as cute, but doesn’t. It is the kind of Pokémon that David Cronenberg would be into, which is probably not a good thing.
2 Chinchou
The sad thing about Chinchou is that it's a Pokémon that feels like it's one of the more phoned in designs from the later generations of games, but it's actually from Generation II and within the original 250. Chinchou is an Electric/Water-Type that's a fun example of when Pokémon mimic real life, but it just blends in amongst the crowd. It's a Pokémon that could have really benefitted from a major presence in the anime or even a Super Smash Bros. Game, but it's proven to be not very essential over time.