"He evolves into arceus": Pokemon GO players react to trainer finding Gen V bird for the first time

With over 500 creatures in Pokemon GO, there are bound to be a few obscure species that fail to stick around with the fans from both the main series and the mobile spin-off. Some rather interesting creatures have made their way to the game, leading to one particular user on the game's subreddit to ask players more about this creature they have never seen before.

The depicted critter in user AlolanProfessor's post is arguably one of the strangest ones in the franchise, with it sporting a rather sad story contributing to its fall into obscurity.

I've legitimately never seen this thing before. byu/AlolanProfessor inpokemongo

For those unaware, the monster in the post is Pidove, a Normal and Flying-type Pokemon from the Unova region, and the native early bird creature typically found in every region. In essence, Pidove is the Pidgey counterpart of its homeland.

Considering the monster is a relatively lack-lustre one, users on the forum did not miss their chance to poke fun at the creature's overall uselessness, making some ironic remarks.

Comment byu/AlolanProfessor from discussion inpokemongo

Pidove is a critter from the franchise that typically receives a lot of scorn from the community. Of course, at the time of its release, it was tied in with some of the examples players online used to criticize the fifth generation for its lazy creature designs. However, the unique designs of its final evolution neutralized the hate, casting the evolutionary line into obscurity.

Comment byu/AlolanProfessor from discussion inpokemongo

User Azulzinho2002 provides an accurate summary about Pidove, also pointing out that it evolves into some of the most disliked regional birds in the franchise. However, it would not be too out-of-pocket among members of the Pokemon fanbase to outright say Pidove is the worst regional bird, especially considering how well the more modern generations have handled this monster archetype.

Some users comment on Pidove's availability in other areas

User Fibrosis50 makes an interesting remark in regards to Pidove's availability. Pokemon GO often mixes up the common spawns of certain areas depending on what biome it is classified as. What this means is that common monsters for smaller rural towns will be different compared to those in bigger cities. This can lead to certain creatures being much rarer for some players compared to others.

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What's the deal with Pidove in Pokemon GO?

Pidove has fallen into obscurity thanks to its poor moveset (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Pidove is known for its laughably poor stats and moveset in the main series, but it does not appear to fare any better in Pokemon GO. Of course, since creatures are typically fully evolved before they partake in battle, Pidove only has as much value as its final form, Unfezant.

Pidove is harmed by being a three-stage evolution, unlike other popular birds, like Swellow and Noctowl. This increases the line's max combat power total, decreasing the Unfezant's max level to limited combat power leagues, like the Great and Ultra League.

Unfezant's offense-oriented stat spread also leaves it suboptimal for competitive play. Due to the changes to Pokemon GO's combat mechanics compared to the main series, defense is the name of the game. Being built like a glass cannon, and only having a secondary Normal typing, Unfezant is an incredibly weak choice for users looking to add a Flying-type to their battling party.

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For more information on the game, check out the articles below:

• Ditto disguises
• Sierra counters
• Cliff counters
• Arlo counters
• Giovanni counters
• Team GO Rocket Grunts