With Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet coming in November of 2022, plenty of new fan favorites will soon be added to the storied franchise.
Thanks to an official poll that came out after Sword & Shield, fans know who the most popular Pokémon are before Scarlet & Violet are released. The Pokémon of the Year poll had both classics and new Pokémon alike in the top 10, proving a Scarlet & Violet Pokémon has a real chance of making it into the next poll's top 10.
Gengar
The Ghost/Poison-type Gengar still holds up as one of the game's strongest Pokémon, and the 10th place specter has been a fan favorite since the very first Pokémon games.
Gengar's popularity isn't exclusively attributed to its older status, the Pokémon has a very cool design and has been heavily present in Pokémon media. A Gengar was a major character in the Mystery Dungeon games as well as the official Pokémon anime. It's not hard to see why the Ghost is so beloved.
Gardevoir
The Psychic/Fairy-type Gardevoir is certainly one of generation 3s most popular Pokémon, and its elegance and strong personality have always shone through, landing it in 9th place.
Gardevoir has been present with a huge role in multiple games, serving as Walley's ace in Ruby & Sapphire as well as Diantha's ace in X & Y. The Pokémon has also been used as a major character in Mystery Dungeon. As one of the iconic third-generation Pokémon, Gardevoir is a cornerstone of the series.
Rayquaza
At 8th place is the gen 3 Flying/Dragon legendary and leader of the super-ancient trio or "weather trio:" Rayquaza.
Rayquaza has a fantastic design and is one of the stronger Pokémon in the game, especially in its mega form. The Pokémon's role in Emerald made it a huge fan-favorite, and it's not a huge surprise that Rayquaza was the top-scoring of any legendary in the Pokémon of the Year poll.
Garchomp
The Ground/Dragon-type pseudo legendary Garchomp came in 7th place, making it the highest-rated pseudo legendary in the franchise.
Despite an insanely high evolution level, many players still take an early Gabite in their playthroughs when available. It's both the signature Pokémon of beloved champion Cynthia as well as a Pokémon used by many players in their own playthroughs. The pseudo legendary is certainly worthy of its spot in the top 10.
Sylveon
In 6th place is the Fairy-type evolution of Eevee in Sylveon. The specially defensive Eeveelution serves a supportive role on most teams but can do big damage with Hyper Voice as well.
Eevee is obviously very cute, but one of its evolutions is arguably cuter: Sylveon. Sylveon is arguably the strongest Eeveelution in addition to being one of the cutest, so it isn't hard to see why the Pokémon is so beloved. The generation 6 Eeveelution is also the most recent in the franchise.
Umbreon
In 5th place is the most popular Eeveelution, Umbreon. Introduced in the second batch of Eeveelutions along with Espeon, Umbreon has been a fan favorite ever since.
Umbreon is one of the most beloved Pokémon ever for good reason. It has a fantastic yet simple design, one of the most iconic shiny variants in the game, and it was a starter Pokémon in Colosseum for the GameCube. Umbreon has also been well represented in the TCG, the anime, and is a solid tank in competitive play.
Charizard
In 4th place is Charizard, one of the most recognizable Pokémon in the entire series. The Fire/Flying lizard is a powerhouse with 2 mega evolutions and a gigantimax form.
Charizard and the undefeatable champion Leon are one of the top Pokémon/Trainer pairs in the franchise, but Charizards have also made intense bonds with characters like Alain and Ash. The Pokémon is so iconic that TCG players have a phrase called "Charizard tax" to describe how much more expensive Charizards are than other similar cards.
Mimikyu
A surprising inclusion in the top 3 is the Fairy/Ghost-type Mimikyu, the Pikachu imposter known for its partnership with Team Rocket in the anime.
Pikachu knockoffs are a common part of every new Pokémon game, but Mimikyu takes it even further and becomes a straight-up Pikachu impersonator. Not only did the Pokémon impersonate the electric mouse, it outplaced Pikachu by nearly 20 spots in the poll.
Lucario
In 2nd place is the jackal Pokémon itself: Lucario. The Steel/Fighting dual-type has been a fan favorite since its release in generation 4.
Lucario is one of the most powerful Pokémon available early in any game, and it can be caught especially early in Black 2 & White 2 as a Riolu. Lucario is also among the Pokémon used by Cynthia, and it's also been used by Ash in the anime. It may even lead Ash to victory in the new Masters 8 arc.
Greninja
In 1st place is the ninja frog and beloved water starter itself: Greninja. Shockingly, the most popular Pokémon of all time turned out to be from gen 6.
Greninja is present in almost every facet of Pokémon media. It was Ash's ace Pokémon for Kalos, was the strongest Pokémon in gen 6 competitive singles before being banned, and has a decent presence in the TCG. The Pokémon is a force to be reckoned with and is easily one of the coolest starters.