Pets have been an important part of human culture for thousands of years. Given that, it's no surprise that plenty of people have considered which Pokémon they'd most like to have as a friendly companion. With almost 900 Pokémon currently existing in the franchise, there is certainly no shortage of options to consider.
Most are too large, wild, or powerful to live inside a normal home, but others seem like natural fits. Plenty of pocket monsters resemble animals that we have already domesticated, but others are popular choices due to their fantastic abilities and elemental control.
Ninetales
While several fluffy fire Pokémon look similar to real-world animals, Ninetales get bonus points for being a fairly reasonable size. They average just over three feet tall and around 45 pounds, so they don't take up more space than a large dog.
Their fire typing also means that they can keep themselves warm outside and don't need to stay inside a house. Redditor blakzor explains that they think Ninetales would make a great pet because, in addition to being adorable, they're "useful for winter, thanks to it possibly still exuding warmth ... and being capable of melting snow."
Joltik
Some people are afraid of arachnids, but others enjoy keeping spiders, tarantulas, scorpions, and more. For people who prefer these kinds of pets, Joltik may be a perfect choice. Its evolution, Galvantula, is one of the best Bug-type Pokémon in combat, but this evolutionary line offers more than just fighting ability.
Joltik is one of the smallest Pokémon at only four inches tall, but Marcitos5 points out that it's "So tiny and cute, and free electricity." Owners in it for the free power should be warned, though, that Joltik absorbs static electricity from other Pokémon and cannot generate any itself.
Meowth
Meowth seems like an obvious choice to keep as a pet due to its similarity to real-world house cats. Redditor Omo_Kiem has a more financial reason for wanting a pet Meowth, explaining, "It's a cat that can spawn coins with Pay Day. Free money."
It should be noted that most Meowths cannot speak like the one popularized by the Pokémon anime, so conversations wouldn't be an option. However, potential owners may want to be careful of their furniture, as Meowth is known as the Scratch Cat Pokemon.
Jirachi
Despite their name being a homophone for another popular pocket monster, Redditor espyon claims that Jirachi would make the best pet, "because wishes." This small Steel and Psychic-type creature is also known as the Wish Pokémon, though different Pokédex entries disagree on how often it can make wishes come true.
Some claim that it will make anything come true that is written on the notes attached to its head, but others limit this power to one week every thousand years. This genie-like power could be used to have as many Pokémon pets as one desires.
Chansey
Chansey are most famous for their role in Pokémon Centers, but their skills and abilities related to healing would undoubtedly be a welcome addition to most households. Phoenix_ashfire agrees, saying "Chansey. I get hurt and it can heal me."
Multiple Pokédex entries also claim that Chansey's eggs are nutritionally dense in addition to their medicinal properties, and they enjoy giving them to people that they care about. This Pokémon only has an average height of a bit over three feet, so it shouldn't be difficult for most to give them the space that they need.
Eevee
Eevee's friendly look and its multitude of evolution options have made it a fan-favorite pocket monster since the first generation of games, and Let's Go Eevee granted it status as one of the best starter Pokémon.
TheMageLord cites its similarities to several great real-world pets as their reason for wanting one, claiming, "It's literally a dog cat thing that's also a rabbit." Eevee's unique Gigantamax move, G-Max Cuddle, further bolsters its potential as a pet, though it's a massively large 60 feet tall when in this form.
Arcanine
Dogs are one of the most popular types of animals to be kept as a pet, so it makes sense that many people like the idea of having an Arcanine in their home. Jonjon2314 points out that, like real-world dogs, an Arcanine would likely be "An extremely loyal pokemon" to have around. There would, however, be downsides, such as its massive size.
Being over six feet tall and weighing almost 400 pounds, most people would have to keep Arcanine outside. Owners will want to be careful to keep track of their potential canine pet; the Pokédex claims that Arcanine can run over 6,000 miles in a day.
Garbodor
When considering which Pokemon they'd like to keep around the house, few people are likely to pick the two living piles of garbage, Trubbish and Garbodor. However, these two Trash Heap Pokémon may actually be Poison-type Pokémon worth people's time.
Garbodor is relatively large at six feet tall and 236 pounds, but they're comfortable staying outside and don't need proper food. TheRealKB68 points out that Garbador would "literally eat all the garbage that is produced," making them a solid (if not smelly) choice for environmentally conscious people.
Crobat
Zubat and Golbat may have been nuisances in early Pokémon games, but the addition of Crobat transformed the line into something much more beloved. They may look small, but Crobat is actually almost six feet tall and is capable of flying with riders on its back. Real-world bats are already great at combating mosquito populations, so it's also worth noting that a one as large as Crobat would likely do a lot to keep pests at bay.
While some Pokémon look cute but are actually dangerous, Crobat is the opposite. Redditor rmch99 agrees, pointing out that it "[can] only evolve with friendship."
Latias and Latios
Redditor charvander359 is tempted by the idea of having a pet Riolu or Eevee, but they eventually settle on a Latios or Latias instead. They suggest many benefits to having one of these legendary Pokemon around, including "They are super intelligent," "They can fly you around on their backs," and "Any psychic type moves would be very useful in real life."
There's no doubt that having the ability to skip traffic would be a welcome perk, and both Pokémon are said to be brilliant creatures. They form close bonds with people and can understand the nuances of human speech.