The final results of Google’s 2020 Pokémon of the Year poll are in, with Greninja, the mysterious Ninja Pokémon, taking the top honors. The poll, which kicked off on February 5th, spanned all eight Pokémon generations, allowing fans to vote daily to select their favorite Pokémon from each, with over 800 Pokémon to choose from in total, including Mythical and Legendary monsters.
First introduced in 2013’s Pokémon X and Y, Greninja is the third and final evolution of the Water-type starter Pokémon, Froakie. Since its first appearance in the Kalos region, Greninja has appearead in games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and even featured prominently in the popular Pokémon anime series, helping Ash Ketchum finish as the runner-up in the Kalos League finals. Greninja gained popularity early on among hardcore fans and had a special form, called Ash-Greninja, in the Pokémon XYZ anime series and the Pokémon Sun and Moon games on Nintendo 3DS. This form was made available to players who downloaded the Sun and Moon demo and transferred their save file into a full, retail copy of the game.
Released on YouTube just in time for Pokémon Day 2020, the official top ten list of Pokémon from Google’s poll included favorite creatures like Gengar, Gardevoir, Sylveon, Umbreon, Rayquaza, Garchomp, Charizard, and, of course, Greninja, as chosen by fans from all over the world. Surprisingly, Charizard ranked fourth on the list, coming in just behind Mimkyu and Lucario, despite being held as a longtime fan-favorite and being selected as the most popular Pokémon from the Kanto region. Notable omissions from the top ten list include series staples Mewtwo, Snorlax, Slowpoke, Jigglypuff, and the official Pokémon mascot, Pikachu – which may surprise some fans.
In addition to announcing the final results of the Pokémon of the Year poll, a brand new Mythical Pokémon, Zarude, was also revealed as part of the Pokémon Day celebrations. This monkey-like Pokémon will be available in Pokémon Sword and Shield later this year, after making its debut in the 23rd animated Pokémon feature, Pokémon: Coco, which is scheduled to release in Japanese theaters on July 10th.
Pokémon fans looking for the perfect way to celebrate the 24th anniversary of the beloved game series can challenge special Max Raid battles featuring Mewtwo, the three Kanto starters, and more, in Pokémon Sword and Shield, or watch Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution, the 3D animated remake of 1998’s Pokémon: The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back, which debuted on Netflix today. Really, it’s never been a better time to be a Pokémon fan.
Next: How Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution Compares To The Original Pokemon Movie
Source: YouTube
