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One of the world's most popular franchises of all time, Pokémon has amassed multiple avenues—from a beloved anime to a gaming phenomenon to the most adorable merchandise, including Funko Pop Vinyls and plushies. From the well-anticipated release of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet to the iconic news that Ash Ketchum finally reached his goal of becoming the world's greatest Pokémon trainer, the support for Pokémon is eternal. Captured in the memories of original viewers and players to newcomers to the Pokémon world through the globally successful launch of the mobile app Pokémon GO, the franchise shows no signs of disappearing into a void of distant memories.

Over 900 Pokémon make up the Pokédex entries, ranging across nine generations of the game series. Of that, there are 18 types of Pokémon, ranging from elemental properties of Fire and Ice to more paranormal Ghost and Psychic-types, each having its own strengths and weaknesses. With the franchises' humble beginning in 1996, fans have each developed their favorite Pokémon for reasons of nostalgia, for their abilities, or for their looks. From Pikachu—the metonym for Pokémon— to the fan-favorite fluff ball Eevee, here are some Pokémon so cute, you'll never want them to evolve!

Pokémon

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18 Pikachu

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 1 - "Pokémon: I Choose You"

The face of the Pokémon franchise, Pikachu, is an Electric-type, measuring 40 centimeters tall. Pikachu was designed to be a bright yellow creature resembling a mouse with a bolt-shaped tail to allude to its electricity-inspired abilities. Pikachu evolves from the smaller Pichu and, in its final form, becomes Raichu – a powerful mouse whose long tail protects itself from its damaging voltage. Pikachu has played a part in the Pokémon anime since the very beginning, being Ash's partner Pokemon and appearing in nearly every episode of the series.

Charged with static electricity, Pikachu can cause paralysis during a battle, being particularly effective against Water and Flying-type Pokémon but weak against Ground-types. With bright red cheeks that charge electricity, Pikachu became the franchise's mascot thanks in part to its cuteness. It's simply undeniable that Pikachu is cute, being one of the most recognizable cute creature designs in all fiction, with massive recognizability around the world thanks to its endless charming appeal.

17 Emolga

First Appearance: Season 14, Episode 24 - "Emolga the Irresistible!"

Like a flying squirrel, Emolga is an Electric/Flying-type Pokémon that does not evolve. Inspired by rodents, Emolga has white, black, and yellow coloring, with rounded ears and membrane that spread from its arms and torso. It's been an occurring trend for Pokémon to create newer electric-type Pokémon each generation that are meant to parallel the likes of Pikachu, yet Emolga stands out as the cutest of these Pikachu clones. Like Pikachu, Emolga generates electricity from the rounds of its yellow cheeks, discharging it as it glides in the air.

A flying squirrel is an underrated cute animal in the real world already, so it makes sense that it would also make for an underrated cute Pokemon. The Pokémon's weaknesses are Ice and Rock-types while resisting Fighting, Grass, Flying, Steel, and Bug-types. Introduced in Pokémon Black and White, Emolga is known to be a cute but deadly Pokémon, a facet that is perfectly shown in the anime, when Iris catches an Emolga that shows its fiery temper throughout multiple seasons.

16 Amaura

First Appearance: Season 17, Episode 23: "Coming Back into the Cold!"

Amaura is a Rock/Ice-type Pokémon character who resembles a small, baby version of a long-necked dinosaur, an animal type that is rarely seen with such a cute baby design. With a light blue body that holds a dark blue crystal on each side, a white tummy, and a stubby tail, Amaura is a cute Pokémon who has pink and yellow "sails" above its striking blue eyes, looking like a large pair of eyelashes! The light blue body turns white in its shiny form, and its eyes become a greener-toned blue.

Introduced in Pokemon X and Y, Amaura is revived from a Sail Fossil and will eventually evolve into the mighty Aurorus. While many fossil Pokemon are far from being considered cute, Amaura's inspiration and long-necked dinosaur design give it an unexpectedly charming appeal. The unique Pokémon is strong against Normal, Flying, Poison, and Ice-types but will take a lot of damage from those of Fighting, Ground, Rock, Steel, Grass, and Water-types.

15 Squirtle

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 12: "Here Comes the Squirtle Squad"

Squirtle is a Water-type Pokémon who has been a part of the franchise since the first generation, acting as a member of the iconic first-ever starter trio. As a Water-type, Squirtle is weak to Grass and Electric-types while being incredibly effective against Fire, Ground, and Rock-type Pokémon. In terms of the anime, Squirtle is most commonly known for the iconic Squirtle squad, a group of 5 wild Squirtles wearing sunglasses who were abandoned by their trainers.

A little turtle-esque Pokémon that walks on two legs, Squirtle is light blue with a brown shell that is yellow on the underside and evolves into Wartortle and then Blastoise in its final form. Drawing its neck into its hardy shell, Squirtle can launch water attacks such as Water Gun with great power and accuracy. Being an icon of cute Pokémon since the very beginning of the series, Squirtle has been charming and delighting audiences for generations with its signature look that combines being cute and cool.

14 Cubchoo

First Appearance: Season 14, Episode 46: "The Beartic Mountain Feud!"

Who doesn't love a teddy bear? If said teddy bear is sentient, all the better. Generation V introduced Cubchoo, an Ice-type teddy bear with a huge snot drop perpetually hanging from its tiny nose. While the concept of constant mucus seems like it wouldn't result in a cute design, Cubchoo is filled with high levels of inherent innocence and somehow makes this design choice add to its cuteness. Although not a baby Pokémon, Cubchoo is a literal toddler with big, glassy eyes, tiny limbs, and a confused expression.

Cubchoo doesn't get enough attention from Pokémon fans, as it is often overlooked in favor of other cute Pokémon from the Unova region. This tiny bear is cuteness embodied, an absurdly endearing creature that will bring out everyone's parental instincts. Cubchoo evolves into the fearsome Beartic at level 37, losing all its cute points; however, Trainers have enough time with it before its mighty evolution arrives.

13 Joltik

First Appearance: Season 14, Episode 28: "Oshawott's Lost Scalchop"

It's a commonly known fact of life that if something is smaller, that usually means that it's cuter, and there are few Pokémon that are as small or as cute as Joltik, the electric bug spider Pokémon from Pokémon: Black and White. Joltik is only 4 inches tall and weighs 1.3 pounds, making it one of the smallest Pokémon of all time, and while spiders are normally the furthest thing from cute in the eyes of some people, Joltik's cuteness simply cannot be denied.

Joltik is so small that, despite its electric typing, it isn't big enough to generate its own electricity, and is forced to attach itself to larger Pokémon and people to feed off of their static electricity. The Pokemon also has a lot of features that aren't accustomed to arachnids, making it even cuter, from its yellow fur to its large blue eyes, it's about as cute as a spider could get. While it certainly loses its cute factor when it evolves into Galvantula, Joltik is still considered one of the cutest Pokémon out there by die-hard fans. - Robert Lee

12 Deerling

First Appearance: Season 14, Episode 2: "Enter Iris and Axew!"

Resembling a fawn, Deerling is a dual Normal/Grass-type that is among the cutest Pokémon. Deerling's coloring is unique to the season depicted in the games and series, with its beige legs and yellow highlights accompanied by a pink body in Spring, a green body in Summer, a rusty orange in Autumn, and a light brown color in Winter. This dynamic approach to the different seasons provides the Pokemon with a multitude of different, yet equally cute designs to fall in love with.

The baby deer design easily evokes the same emotional response as a cute design such as Bambi, brimming with childlike innocence as well as the untainted purity of the forest. Deerling is most effective against Ground, Water, Grass, and Electric-types and weak against Ice, Fighting, Fire, Flying, Poison, and Bug-types. The Pokémon, introduced in Pokemon Black and White, evolves into the larger buck-inspired Sawsbuck, a Pokémon that has its own signature season-based designs.

11 Tepig

First Appearance: Season 14, Episode 1: "In the Shadow of Zekrom!"

One of the starter options in both Pokémon Black and Pokémon White, Tepig is a Fire-type who, axiomatically, looks like a piglet. Tepig evolves to Pignite at level 17 and the macho Emboar at level 36, where both evolutions transform the Pokémon into a dual Fire/Fighting-type. It would attain a great deal of screentime in the anime after Ash captured a Tepig of his own, as it would be one of his core team members throughout his time in the Unova region.

Tepig is a hefty round shape, colored in an appropriate fiery red-orange, with brown ears, eyes, and feet. At the end of its curly tail sits a red ball that glows when using fire attacks. While pigs aren't normally in contention for being the cutest animals out there, Tepig makes a major case for just how cute baby piglets can be. In battle, Tepig is resistant to the moves of Bug, Fairy, Steel, Fire, Grass, and Ice-types but is pretty weak against Pokémon who are Ground, Rock, or Water-types.

10 Sprigatito

First Appearance: Season 26, Episode 1: "The Pendant That Starts It All: Part One"

Available as a starter in the new Pokémon Scarlet and Violet games, Sprigatito is a Grass-type Pokémon. Taking form as a fluffy light green cat, Sprigatito has brighter green colors on its pointed ears, fluff on its chest, and a green-leaf shape across its face. Starter Pokemon are always considered some of the cutest Pokémon, and with Sprigatito being one of the currently newest starters, it has been the talk of the town as one of the newest icons of cuteness in the series.

With the ability of Overgrow, Sprigatito can power up all of their grass moves when their HP gets low in a battle. As a Grass-type Pokémon, Sprigatito is effective against Water, Rock, and Ground-types but not so much against Ice, Flying, Poison, and Fire-types. Sprigatito has also played a significant part in the anime, being the first partner Pokemon for one of the series' new protagonists, Liko. While it eventually evolves into the not-as-cute Floragato and Meowscarada, the cuteness factor of Sprigatito still continues to make waves among fans worldwide.

9 Phanpy

First Appearance: Season 5, Episode 21: "Hatching a Plan"

Especially for a series that has gone on for as long as Pokemon, nearly every creature in the animal kingdom is going to be the inspiration for a Pokemon at some point, with Phanpy being inspired by an Elephant. Phanpy's baby elephant design brings the cuteness levels into extreme territories, with its tiny trunk, baby blue color scheme, and small, floppy ears being only some of the many facets of this brilliantly cute design.

It's especially cute considering that it is a ground-type Pokémon, a type of Pokémon that rarely ever sees anything close to a cute Pokémon, often reserved as one of the tougher, grittier types out there. Phanpy stands tall, however, as an extremely cute ground-type Pokémon, one that would get a lot of screen time in the anime after Ash catches a Phanpy of his own while exploring the Johto region. The Pokémon eventually goes full battle elephant when it evolves into Donphan, the Armor Pokémon.

8 Yamper

First Appearance: Season 23, Episode 2: "Legend? Go! Friends? Go!"

The Pokémon franchise has no shortage of memorable dog Pokémon, from the original dog Growlithe to the currently newest dog Pokémon, Okidogi, but Yamper is easily one of its cutest. Introduced in Pokémon Sword and Shield, Yamper is a pure Electric-type with a powerful evolution and surprisingly strong stats - for a first-stage Pokémon, anyway. Yamper even goes out of its way to be more dog-like than previous and future dog Pokemon, being the only Pokemon in the series to have the "Ball Fetch" ability.

Clearly inspired by Queen Elizabeth's beloved Corgis, Yamper is among the many Pokémon that would make perfect mascots, already acting as one of the most memorable Pokemon from Sword and Shield. The evolution to his sparky canine - the cool and loyal Boltund - might lose the cute factor, but Trainers can always choose not to evolve their Yamper, thus keeping it in the adorable and playful early stage that makes it one of the cutest Pokémon.

7 Manaphy

First Appearance: 'Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea'

Manaphy is a water-type mythical Pokémon that was introduced in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, acting as a guardian of the sea with its small blue body and stubby feet. It's one of Pokemon's simplest yet most effective designs when it comes to cuteness, with its singular blue color, yet emphasized more by its bright yellow eyes, the red gem on its chest, and a pair of long antennae. The Pokémon is prominently shown off in the movie Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, where it helps Ash and his friends after hatching from an egg.

As with most other mythical Pokémon, Manaphy is one of the few Pokémon who is equally as effective in battle as it is cute, able to deal out powerful water attacks to deal with foes. Its signature moves, Heart Swap and Take Heart, also have the added benefit of being able to completely shift the tides of battle in its favor by increasing its own strength as well as taking strength from its enemies. - Robert Lee

6 Mimikyu

First Appearance: Season 20, Episode 3: "Loading the Dex!"

As the franchise's mascot, Pikachu has had multiple clones throughout the years; however, Mimikyu is the most original of the Pikachu variants, with a unique and intriguing lore that makes it truly special. Lonely and desperate to make friends, Mimikyu hides under a roughly-made Pikachu costume, thinking its new appearance will make it easier to relate to others. Its true form is unknown, although some claim seeing it will cause death.

Mimikyu is extremely powerful in battle, thanks to its Ghost/Fairy-type combo and its overpowered ability, Disguise. However, it is also devastatingly adorable, not only for its raggedy appearance but because of the reasons that lead it to costume itself. It's certainly one of the most unique Pokémon when it comes to its cute factor, as its primary cuteness comes from not only its design but also its wholesome, childlike concept of pretending to be Pikachu to make friends.

5 Shaymin

First Appearance: 'Pokemon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior'

Most Legendary Pokémon are cool and mighty-looking. On the contrary, Mythical Pokémon are usually smaller and cuter, and Shaymin is the perfect example. A Mythical introduced in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, Shaymin is a dog-like pure Grass-type with an alternate Grass/Flying form activated after using a Gracidea Flower. Shaymin is easily considered one of the most iconic and memorable mythical Pokémon of all time, even rivaling the legacy of Mew and Celebi.

Shaymin is among the cutest Pokémon, with a lovely face and a small, round body. The pink flowers on its face and the grassy mane on its back considerably increase its charm, cementing it as arguably the cutest Grass-type in the franchise. Shaymin is among the most elusive Pokémon in the main series, so trainers who have it should feel very lucky indeed. Shaymin's primary anime appearance is in the movie, Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior, where it even talks to Ash and friends as it flees from the terrifying Giratina.

4 Piplup

First Appearance: Season 10, Episode 1: "Following A Maiden's Voyage!"

A starter Pokémon, Piplup is a Water-type that is caught predominantly male. A light blue, yellow, and white colored penguin, Piplup, has a short beak and two white ovals on its chest, with fur so thick that it insulates the Pokémon from cold climates. Starter Pokémon have always been widely beloved by fans, being some of the first Pokémon that players will ever see and earn, with Piplup easily being one of the cutest starter Pokémon.

Piplup's greatest wins will involve Rock, Ground, and Fire-type Pokémon and succumb to its weakness against Grass and Electric-types. With the ability of Torrent, all Water-type moves will increase in power by 50% when there's a third of the Pokémon's HP left. Easily the most iconic Piplup in the anime is the one owned by Dawn, as it stays a Piplup throughout multiple seasons of the show and has made a multitude of appearances as a part of the main cast. The waddling little penguin doesn't stay cute forever, evolving into Prinplup and then Empoleon.

3 Jigglypuff

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 45: "The Song of Jigglypuff"

Pink, puffy, and adorable: Jigglypuff is another iconic Pokémon within the franchise, often included in merchandise alongside Pikachu. Having a round, balloon-like shape, Jigglypuff has pointed ears with a tuff of curls in between them, with overbearingly large blue eyes. The light pink Pokémon utilizes its cuteness and ability to fill its body with air to lull drowsiness in its opponent. In the anime, Jigglypuff is most commonly recognized for its constant run-ins with Ash and his friends, causing them to fall asleep with its song before drawing on everyone's faces with a marker.

Once a Normal-type in Gen 1, the Pokémon became a Normal/Fairy-type in Gen 6, which is weak to Steel and Poison-types, while being able to hold a battle against Bug, Dragon, Ghost, and Dark-types. Jigglypuff is the evolved form of Igglybuff and eventually evolves into Wigglytuff when exposed to a Moon Stone. Jigglypuff has attained notable status for its cuteness thanks to its widespread appearances in more than just the Pokémon games, having frequent appearances in the anime as well as being playable in the Super Smash Bros. series.

2 Togepi

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 50: "Who Gets to Keep Togepi?"

Most fans would love to visit the Pokémon world because of the many wonderful creatures that inhabit it. For example, the adorable and iconic Togepi, a baby Pokémon that played a crucial role during the early episodes of the anime as Misty's companion. While Pokémon would go on to introduce many other baby Pokémon in Pokemon: Gold and Silver, such as Magby, Pichu, and Cleffa, Togepi stands high and tall as not only the most iconic baby Pokémon but also the cutest.

Togepi is an egg-like Fairy-type Pokémon that evolves into the Fairy/Flying Togetic and Togekiss. What it lacks in strength, it makes up for in sheer adorableness, ranking as one of the cutest Pokémon in the franchise. It isn't exactly surprising that a Pokémon designed to look and act like a baby would be so cute, yet even then Togepi's cuteness levels are off the charts. Who wouldn't love to carry and care for one of these endearing babies?

1 Eevee

First Appearance: Season 1, Episode 40: "The Battling Eevee Brothers"

It would be a crime without mentioning the ever-lasting love for little Eevee! With its design similar to a household pet, Eevee is a normal-type Pokémon who is brown and tan all over, with tuffs of fluff and a bushy tail, presumably earning its cuteness through its animalistic look that fans can associate with cats or dogs. In terms of popularity, Eevee rivals the likes of Pikachu in terms of just how beloved and iconic it has become, being a poster child for evolution, and even getting its own game in Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!

Eevee is weak against Fighting-types but can hold its own in battles against Ghost-types. Existing since Gen 1, Eevee has a unique genetic code that allows the Pokémon to evolve in more ways than the general Pokémon population, each with a unique type: Vaporeon (Water), Jolteon (Electric), Flareon (Fire), Espeon (Psychic), Umbreon (Dark), Leafeon (Grass), Glaceon (Ice), and finally, Sylveon (Fairy).

NEXT: Pokémon Battles That Left Fans Feeling Frustrated

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