With each new generation of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet get closer to releasing their roster of new Pokémon that will come with Gen IX, fans are starting to look back at the old generations to reminisce.
Gen VIII, which started in the Galar region, provided many new Pokémon and even a handful of old ones with different forms. While some may be stronger or have better movies, there are others that will always be iconic and tied to this specific generation for one reason or another.
Skwovet
One of the most ordinary-looking Pokémon in the entire franchise might be Skwovet. This Pokémon literally looks like a squirrel that has food in its cheeks and is considered the Bidoof equivalent of its generation. It is one of the many Normal-type Pokémon that players run into frequently at the beginning of the game.
Pokémon made it so that Skwovet, and its evolution Greedent, show up more frequently than may be desired by players. These two can fall down on a player's head if the player shakes a tree that has berries on it too many times. Upon winning the battle with this Pokémon that fell down, it will only take some of the berries that fell to the ground, but if the battle is lost, it will take all of the berries. It might be incredibly ordinary looking, but the way it shows up makes it hard to forget.
Wooloo
In the game Pokémon Sword and Shield one of the first Pokémon the player encounters is a Wooloo that is trying to go through a gate right outside of their house. Wooloo is also one of Hop's main Pokémon that he always seems to keep in his party throughout the game.
While Wooloo is not a particularly strong Pokémon, it shows up a lot throughout the game, but especially at the beginning. Its resemblance to a sheep makes it unforgettable as well as how many times it shows up causing problems. In fact, Milo's, the grass-gym leader, whole challenge before you can get to him is herding Wooloo's to different parts of the arena.
Perrserker
Meowth may not be one of the most iconic Pokémon from Gen I, but it is one of the most well-known due to Team Rocket having one that always tags along and could talk. The boss of Team Rocket was also famously known to have the evolved form, Persian. Over the years, there have been different forms of each of these, but Perrserker just might have made its own name for itself.
This Pokémon clearly looks like a form of a Meowth, but it no longer looks like a cute cat. The big beard, horned helmet, and ankle and wrist cuffs make this form look much gruffer. Not only is the appearance different, but in the game, Perrserker is known to be one of the Pokémon that will run after players if they are nearby.
Yamper
One of the many Pokémon to resemble a dog is Yamper and its evolution Boltund. While both have the dog look, Yamper might be more well-known simply because Sonia has one that always seems to be following her around in Pokémon Sword and Shield.
Sonia comes around many times to give players advice and help guide them on their journey, and her little electric Corgi is never too far behind. There are even a few times in the game where the player solely encounters her Yamper and has to follow it to where Sonia is. It won't soon be forgotten, as it has embedded its cuteness into everyone's brains.
Centiskorch
Fire-type gym leader Kabu has a strong lineup of Pokémon when players get to battle him. The last one he uses is Centiskorch, a giant, firey, centipede-looking Pokémon. This large Fire/Bug-type may be a thing of nightmare to some players. A giant bug that also seems to be partially on fire is not something fans will soon forget.
One noticeable feature of Centiskorch's appearance is the flames coming from the center of its face that seem to form an X. The shape they form is very similar to the lines forming the helmet in Kabu's logo. Whether the resemblance is actually anything or not may help fans understand Kabu's fascination with the giant fire bug.
Morpeko
Another Pokémon that is heavily tied to a specific character is Morpeko. This cute Pokémon, which many fans say shares a resemblance to that of the iconic Pikachu, is known to be in Marnie's party throughout the game. As the little sister of the Spikemuth Gym Leader, Piers, she also trains Dark-type Pokémon almost exclusively.
Morpeko is her Pokémon of choice and can be seen outside of its Pokeball quite often. Besides it being linked to one of the main characters in the game, Morkpeko also has an interesting skill that it utilizes that makes it unforgettable - Hunger Switch. When it switches to this mode it changes its appearance to become purple and it can change the move Aura Wheel from an Electric-type move to a Dark-type move.
Galarian Weezing
Coffing and Weezing are two other Pokémon that Team Rocket helped make iconic. They haven't changed much over the years, but when Gen VIII was released fans saw a new form of Weezing that changed the game. Weezing was no longer just a Poison-type, it also was a Fairy-type. The unique combination of Poison/Fairy is dual-type fans want to see as Legendary.
The addition of the second type to this iconic Pokémon was huge as this is the only Pokemon that has this combination of types making it incredibly rare. Finding this form of Weezing in the game isn't difficult though, but catching it should be a bigger reward since it is truly one of a kind.
Galarian Ponyta/Rapidash
Ponyta and Rapidash may not be new to the Pokémon world, but these Physic-type forms definitely are. Having finally given a Gen I Pokémon a new look was a big deal. Both Ponyta and Rapidash were known for their flaming tail and mane so to see that changed to what look like cotton candy was a big deal.
While this was a big change for many fans, Pokémon stuck with the original look and just changed the mane and tail to fit into the Psychic-type. This new form isn't quite rare, but it can only be found in Pokémon Shield and in very specific areas in the game.
Zacian/Zamazenta
The two Legendary-type Pokémon that are the poster children of the game Pokémon Sword and Shield have become quite iconic since their release. Both look like large wolves of sorts, and each one has features that make it look either like a shield or a sword. They both rank on top as the strongest Legendary Pokémon in the Galar region.
Zacian, which is a Fairy-type, and Zamazenta, which is a Fighting-type are both shown in their original form, which is also known as "Hero of Many Battles", at first in which they just look like big wolves of sorts. They take on their more unique form, known as "Crowned Sword" and "Crowned Shield", in order to protect themselves better and these forms really fulfill the title of the game.
The Starters
As always, the three starters of the generation are the most iconic and memorable. Choosing a starter is a really big decision and is one of the most well-known decisions players are required to make with each game. No matter which one is chosen, another one of the starters is always seen when battling the friend or foe (in Pokémon Sword and Shield it is Hop).
These three starters are especially iconic because they each have their own unique personality. Grookey evolves to play the drum, Scorbunny evolves to become a bi-pedal bunny that looks like a sports player, and Sobble evolves into a sharp-shooting lizard. Of course, those are dramatizations, but with each one having such distinct features, it's near impossible not to think of these three when ing Gen VIII.
