The Guardians of the Galaxy recently provided Marvel fans with a new holiday special from talented and appreciated director James Gunn. Despite once being a C-list team of heroes in the Marvel fandom, the films thrust the group of outcasts into the spotlight, quickly making them fan-favorite characters.
Between recent video games and projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, heroes like Star-Lord, Gamora, and even Groot have become household names. If they ever crossed over with Pokemon, though, which pocket monsters would each member of the Guardians of the Galaxy choose to be their partners if they had the chance?
8 Kraglin (Psyduck)
Kraglin isn't an official member of the Guardians of the Galaxy and is more like the weird cousin people see once a year at Thanksgiving. Either way, he's a core part of what makes the eclectic group of personalities so endearing.
When looking at the roster o f Pokemon it's clear Kraglin would want a beastly manifestation of his own internalized feelings of being the oddball sidekick. Anyone who's seen an episode of the Pokemon anime knows that the series has two clear matches to this type of energy and those are Mr. Mime and Psyduck. The latter would likely win out as it's the only Pokemon Kraglin could point to and blame when people become frustrated with him.
7 Nebula (Luxray)
Nebula is a complicated individual as her personality somewhat reflects the physical state of her own body. It's a mix of intertwining components that often feel unnatural but come together to form something greater than its parts. She presents herself as a tough and walled-off person who wants to be left alone, but on numerous occasions has showcased both empathy and love for others.
Luxray, an Electric-type from the fourth generation of Pokemon games, seems like a Pokemon she'd welcome with crossed arms and an attitude. Not only does it have an ability called Intimidate, but its visual appearance is rather intimidating as well, and Nebula would prefer a Pokemon by her side that scares people off and provides an additional wall that separates her from any human interaction.
6 Mantis (Audino)
As amazing as Mantis' empath abilities are, it's hard to imagine how lonely it might be to not have anyone to who she can relate to on that level. There are several Pokemon with empath abilities, but based on her personality Mantis might opt for whichever she finds the most adorable.
The Normal-type Audino's Pokedex entry states "using the feelers on its ears, it can tell how someone is feeling", which feels oddly familiar to the empath on the Guardians of the Galaxy roster. It also doesn't hurt that it looks like the type of Pokemon one could cuddle with when Mantis might not have had the best day ever.
5 Drax (Machamp)
If one were to consider what Drax's full Pokemon team would look like it'd mostly be filled with a variety of creatures, because despite appearing to me a thoughtless meathead warrior, Drax is a complex person with a range of emotions and interests.
One thing he does harp on though is efficiency and that means his Pokemon partner would need to both be something he could love, but at the same time could train with. Drax believes that iron sharpens iron and the muscular Fighting-type Machamp feels like the one Pokemon whose metaphorical iron matches Drax's.
4 Groot (Turtwig)
Whether he's a baby, teenager, or full-grown adult, Groot has always showcased a gentle and empathetic soul. He's a natural caretaker and despite his size is willing to be as gentle as needed with other creatures he discovers.
Due to his biological nature, he'd likely be drawn to a Grass-type, and among the many options, Turtwig seems to be the most fitting. It's a small turtle with a tree sprouting on its back. It's unclear if Groot would want it to stay in its base form or evolve, but considering Groot is in a constant state of growth he'd likely welcome the ability to see his tiny partner morph into the sturdy and zen Torterra.
3 Rocket Racoon (Rotom)
Now, Pokemon is a series that doesn't flaunt or associate itself with guns all that often, so finding a Pokemon partner for Rocket Racoon is a bit harder. Creatures like Blastoise or Inteleon have parts of their design or moveset that resembles the firepower Rocket utilizes, but there might be a better-fitting choice out there. That's where Rotom comes in, as this Electric-type is known to overtake technology, which in turn transforms both its typing and visual appearance.
This exact ability would fascinate Rocket and he'd spend countless hours studying Rotom and trying to figure out how to make it the best living weapon the universe has ever seen.
2 Gamora (Scyther)
Often referred to as the "Deadliest Woman in the Galaxy", Gamora is an astute and capable warrior who is rarely off-kilter or scared. At the same time, she understands that she's more than just a killing machine and can lean into her other interests and ambitions when she sees fit.
Sure, it wouldn't be surprising to see her with an adorably small Pokemon by her side, but she knows that to be most effective she'll need a capable fighter that can hold its own. Scyther is not only a Bug and Flying dual-type that is great in battle, but from an aesthetic perspective, it looks as intimidating as Gamora can whether she's trying to or not.
1 Star-Lord (Toxtricity)
Peter Quill aka Star-Lord, often tries to present himself as a stoic leader, but at his core, he's much more of a child trapped in the body of a man. He has plenty of interests, but one of the more notable things he enjoys is classic rock and music in general.
That means that if he had his choice of which Pokemon he'd have by his side there's a strong chance he'd opt to have the Electric-type rock star from the eighth generation, Toxtricity. It's vibrant, loud, and sometimes a bit much. These are all aspects of Toxtricity that Quill would undoubtedly relate with, further cementing their bond with one another as perfect partners.