Summary
Pokemondidn’t become a cultural phenomenon for no reason. Even with the limited graphical and audio capabilities of the Game Boy, the series gave us amazing designs fortons of monsters. One of the most iconic parts of the series is each Pokemon’s cry - the sound it makes when you choose it to battle.
With the anime adaptation airing alongside the games and video game technology evolving quickly, it wasn’t long before we heard Pokemon cries clearly. These cries imbue the critters with personality, making them as essential as the Pokemon’s appearance. Out of the hundreds of unique Pokemon cries, here are the best ones.
10Gyarados
Debut: Generation 1
Big things have small beginnings: Gyarados starts out as Magikarp, a fish that inspires much mirth as a supposedly useless Pokemon. All it can do is flail around, but given thechance to evolve, it becomes a fearsome dragon.
Gyarados isn’t actually a Dragon-type: it’s a hybrid Water and Flying-type Pokemon. Its appearance, though, quickly evokes images of dragons - and so does its roar, which sounds downright scary. When this Pokemon undergoes its Mega Evolution, its roar becomes even deeper.
9Rayquaza
Debut: Generation 3
Rayquaza serves as the game mascot for Pokemon Emerald, appearing on the box and scaring people into buying it. Despite its frightening appearance, this Pokemon is actually quite heroic and serves as the leader of the super-ancient Pokemon.
This giant serpent is a Dragonand Flying-type. It doesn’t evolve from anything, but it does have a Mega Evolution. In both its regular and Mega forms, Rayquaza’s screech is terrifying. The Mega Evolution in particular has a rather grating cry, intimidating its unfortunate opponent.
8Eevee
Eevee is one of the cutest Pokemon, and has been winning hearts since Pokemon debuted as a series. Due to its unstable genetic code, this Normal-type Pokemon can evolve intoseveral different forms, dubbed Eeveelutions.
Due to Game Freak’s intention to make Eevee a secondary mascot for the series, Eevee’s original chirp was changed to a more articulate cry in Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee. This new cry makes Eevee sound like an intelligent companion, but the change divided fans nonetheless. From Pokemon Legends: Arceus onwards, the critter went back to its original, caracal-like cry.
7Snorlax
True to its name, Snorlax would rather spend its time snoring than battling. This charming, relatable Pokemon doesn’t see much use in high-level tournaments, but its design ensures that it has a strong fan following regardless. Snorlax’s snoozy nature was finally vindicated when it became the mascot for Pokemon Sleep.
Due to its dozy personality, Snorlax’s battle cry sounds like a yawn too. The Pokemon is probably trying to conserve as much energy as possible even when it’s battling: what a champ.
6Mewtwo
Mewtwo is one of Generation 1’s most famous Pokemon and has maintained popularity with the fanbase throughout the series' history. This is particularly apparent in Pokemon X & Y, where it gets twoMega Evolutionswith different battle cries.
Each of Mewtwo’s battle cries is iconic. They are longer than most Pokemon cries, with Mega Mewtwo Y’s drawn-out trill being the most intimidating. It’s not the scariest-looking Pokemon, but its battle cries would have you believe otherwise.
5Psyduck
Psyduck is a long-suffering contender; this Pokemon is always confused and often has a headache. Its inability to think clearly is compensated by the immense power it can channel from its migraines, making Psyduck a surprisingly effective Water-type Pokemon.
What we really want to know is how Game Freak got the original Game Boy’s sound chip to sound so duck-like for Psyduck. Its battle cry has remained largely the same throughout the series: short, puzzled, and probably in need of ibuprofen.
4Meowth
Meowth is one of the few Pokemon that can talk. In the anime adaptation, it’s always hanging around Jessie and James as part of Team Rocket. The video game version is quite different, however, and its role is greatly diminished.
Whether or not this Pokemon is acting as a misfit villain, its cry clearly communicates mischief. Short, piercing and nasal, Meowth’s cheeky call keeps you on your toes until the Pokemon evolves into the more regal Persian.
3Wobuffet
Debut: Generation 2
Wobuffet’s cry didn’t make much sense in its video game debut, but its anime adaptation made it make sense: the Pokemon was saying its name out loud, but in a very bitcrushed way.
The anime adaptation cry is the one everyone remembers: although Wobuffet never did much, its comedic timing in coming onscreen and stating its name as part of Team Rocket endeared it to many fans. The Pokemon is still used, mainly for comedy by fans insisting that it’s, in fact, the strongest Pokemon.
2Charizard
As a rule, Pokemon newbies are encouraged to pick theFire-type starter, and for good reason. From the very first game, these Pokemon tended to be the most powerful, and also the coolest in terms of design. The evolved form of Charmander, Charizard established its rule as the de facto mascot of Pokemon Red.
A hulking dragon inspired in part by dinosaurs, Charizard has a straightforward roar that establishes it as a strong contender. There’s no alternating in pitch: this bad boy can hold the same note even while he’s breathing fire.
1Pikachu
Pikachu is the Pokemon mascot: the amalgamation ofall that is cute, and the starter of choice for any anime fan. Though it had a small squeak in its Game Boy debut, the anime adaptation quickly gave Pikachu the cry that would become its default: a cute, human-esque voice stating its name.
Though it can only speak the three syllables that comprise its name, Pikachu is one of the most expressive Pokemon around. It has undergone some design changes over the years, most notably how it gets slimmer in every incarnation, but the base design - and cry - has remained the same for decades. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
