Keeping up to date with all the classifications and categories in the Pokemon community can be confusing, especially if you’re a newer fan.
Understanding the differences between SIR cards and SAR cards in the TCG or identifying whether a critter is a Legendary or a Mythical can take time and practice. One piece of terminology that’s caused a lot of confusion over the years is Pseudo Legendary.
Pseudo Legendaries came up in a fan discussion recently after @JoeMerrick, the Serebii webmaster, pointed out that the term seems to have been changed by The Pokemon Company. He declared that we seem to “have an official name for this group”, which kick-started a debate in the replies.
Also interestingly the official notes for the Dragonite Raids and Larvitar, Bagon, Goomy & Beldum Outbreaks labels them as "Powerhouse Pokémon".This was also used for a recent merchandise line featuring the "Pseudo-Legends"I think we now have an official name for this group!
— Joe Merrick (@JoeMerrick) July 7, 2024
As pointed out by Joe, the term Powerhouse Pokemon can be seen in recent, official content from The Pokemon Company – like a new merch drop on The Pokemon Center – featuring Pokemon that are believed to be Pseudo Legendaries. This includes ‘mons like Salamence and Dragapult.
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, Pseudo Legendaries or Powerhouse Pokemon have to meet a few requirements to fall into the category. These are:
- Base stats which total 600
- A slow leveling curve/XP gain curve
- A fully evolved Pokemon from a 3-stage line
The reaction from Pokemon players in the replies was mostly positive, with many welcoming the new term. One fan noted, “Honestly like it a lot better than Pseudo Legendary … but it’s going to be hard to stop using a term after so long”.
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Another Pokemon player agreed, “I like it better than Pseudo Legends, they feel like those archetypes that fans always used that don’t get used as in-game dialogue. Powerhouse sounds simple and natural.”
Not everyone was sold on the use of Powerhouse as an official term, though. Some felt that it was too vague and meaningless, with one person joking, “I think I’m gonna treat this like ‘First Partner’ for the starters and just ignore it”.
Other Pokemon terms popped up in this discussion, too. One fan praised the change by saying, “Wait this title actually goes hard.” They then noted that it made a lot more sense than the controversial use of first partner Pokemon over starter Pokemon.
Whether you call them Pseudo Legendaries or Powerhouse Pokemon, it’s hard to deny that ‘mons like Baxcalibur, Dragapult, and Hydreigon are heavy hitters. No matter if you’re looking at the TCG or video games, these Pokemon always manage to stand out and make an impact.