One thousand and twenty-five. That's how many Pokémon exist now, after nine generations of creature-collecting RPGs. As Pokémon turns 30 — and as it's about to usher in a new crop of creatures through Winds and Waves — there's no better time to rank the best of the best. Herein, the 100 best Pokémon of all time.

Yes, you might notice the scales here tipped toward Pokémon introduced in Red and Blue. On the one hand, that probably reveals much about the collective elder millennial tastes of Team Polygon. But on the other, the original 151 are true classics — designs that have endured over the decades for good reason.

That's the beauty and the brilliance of Pokémon. Nearly every one of these creatures speaks to at least one Pokémon fan. Ask ten people their favorite, you'll get ten different answers. And as Pokémon continues to evolve, those tastes will only get more varied. Here's to another 1,025.

How we chose the 100 best Pokémon of all time: Polygon writers and editors submitted ballots ranking their 20 top favorite Pokémon. From there, a small group of in-house Pokémon experts discussed the tiebreakers, considering factors like cuteness, coolness, and overall........

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