Did you use your Elemental Monkey?

[SilverJakler]

I used Pansear to beat Cilan in my first White 1 playthrough and didn't have the heart to bench him after. So I took him with me and the crew to the Hall of Fame. Haven't used an Elemental Monkey that much since.

[ImperfectEntity]

I think the elemental monkeys were mediocre, but did their job well. I didn't look them up and beat the E4 with Simipour, although most of that was just scald being an amazing move. I think their designs would be more acceptable if there was only one of them, but three lines with the same designs is too much. Not great overall, but better than Primeape in my opinion. Infernape and Slaking are still top monkeys.

[ZEL]

I didn't use them at all, but I have to admit that's mostly because I don't like monkeys .-. Monkeys creep me out.

Pansage is a bit cuter than the rest, but I never needed them for the gym, so I just dropped them into the box forever well ok no, until I needed them evolved to complete my dex.

[mde2001]

I agree with shing. Infernape is the only monkey we need or like or need to like.

And now Mankey is standing there yelling get off my lawn .

I'm not huge on the Simi's but I've used a simipour a few times, so it is probably my favourite.

[Monochrome_Complex]

These guys are mad underappreciated and it makes me sad.

They have a nice concept, serve as decent enough early-midgame mons, and have some neat aspects to their designs. But people seem to just jump on the hatewagon and complain how there's too many of them despite this being a thing with certain pokemon in like every gen(Rattata was like everywhere in gen 1/2).

While I'm not crazy about simisear simipour isn't really that bad(it works better as female though) and simisage is actually pretty badass and one of my favorite grass types.

I kind of wonder how many people notice the little details in their designs, like simisear's "biker gloves" and torso + neck fur resembling a volcano, or really the whole Japanese subculture aspect of the designs in general.

I feel there's a tendency among fans to write off designs just off looks alone without understanding the details or basis of the design in the first place.

Edited May 1, 2016 by Monochrome_Complex

[NickCrash]

I feel there's a tendency among fans to write off designs just off looks alone without understanding the details or basis of the design in the first place.

A man can understand and appreciate a concept. A man can also see better designs for the same concepts. A man is not pleased.

A man has given the monkeys a second chance. There won't be a third.

[YinYang9705]

I used Simisage in a white nuzlocke, and she was actually pretty decent, of course she died, but that's a story for another thread.

[The God Fist]

I used it in the beginning because their wasn't much else that was worth it, but I pretty much only used it as an HM slave/fodder until I got some better options. I don't really like any off them.

[Masquerain]

A man can understand and appreciate a concept. A man can also see better designs for the same concepts. A man is not pleased.

A man has given the monkeys a second chance. There won't be a third.

Pretty much. Can appreciate creativity of a design and all that, but if it's not to my taste, wellp, it's not

[Narckarth]

I've used Simisear all the way through both Black and X versions. However, I've never actually used the Pansear given to your character in front of the dreamyard so I'm not sure if it counts for the purposes of this thread.

[Lilleen]

(I haven't played Black nor White)

I tried to use one of the monkeys during my first run of Reborn (I think it was the water one), but I just didn't like it. I don't really care for the monkeys. I get what Game Freak was going for, but I just don't care. Plus, I really don't like that they have five fingers ... it creeps me out, okay?

Edited May 2, 2016 by Lilleen

[Chase]

I used Pansear for the first three gyms if I recall. I chose Snivy - and after Burgh you had the opportunity to pick up Darumaka and thus it was the end of the road for the 'mon.

I too don't hold the elemental monkeymons in high regard. The reason isn't that they are bad Pokemon though, and it's not even that you have to actually find a correlating evolution stone to evolve them either. The most egregious sin they committed was that they ultimately babied you through the first gym. It should be noted that Panpour was the only Pokemon to acquire Scald through level up and therefore it had some value for breeders and what not. It's also worth noting that competitively, the elemental monkeys are actually very solid PU Pokemon (if playing the lowest of the low tiers is your forte). For someone like me, who completed the National Pokedex on the previous generation I had played, collecting the two monkeys you didn't find was kinda fun.

I really feel like Generation 5 did a lot to try and make the game's story the major mechanic (with perhaps the Entralink missions and other Person-to-Person gadgets be the "new content") and thus made the game easier to help as many players as possible get absorbed with the game.

Nurses showing up in weird places, being given a Pokemon that completely checks the corresponding Gym Leader's strength over your starter, fast-travelling with other NPCs, and the like are the most diminishing parts of a Pokemon game these days - and that's what the elemental monkeys did. Diminish as opposed to add.

I don't hate their designs though - each one is different enough from the others to make it's design justifiable.

[Personthing]

I strongly dislike all three monkeys. Unova Pokemon are generally really hit or miss for me. I either really, really like them (Bisharp, Zoroak, Krookodile, Serperior, Stoutland, etc) or I strongly dislike them. (The monkeys, the Tepig line, Watchhog, the entire Timburr line, etc)

[laggless01]

In looks, I like sage the most. But besides my first run, I'm not sure if I ever used them besides HMs (especially if I altered it for a different starter). They're just not that...great.
And yeah, how you get one is kinda patronizing.

[doombotmecha]

I only used the monkey in gen 5 because I had to.

I used pansear in reborn on this one run and he was an alright early fire type. along with ponyta, I used him on florina and shelly to great effect. would've taken literally any other non-flareon fire type over him, tho.

[NickCrash]

I only used the monkey in gen 5 because I had to.

I used pansear in reborn on this one run and he was an alright early fire type. along with ponyta, I used him on florina and shelly to great effect. would've taken literally any other non-flareon fire type over him, tho.

You do know Flareon got some good moves in Gen6, don't you?

[AuthorReborn]

I'm inclined to say that Panpour is the best of them for fairly simple reasons. 1- it learns Scald via level-up, which is always good. 2- It, like practically every other water type with the exception of a few oddballs, like Whiscash has Ice type moves to completement its Water STAB, meaning that it can kill either of the other monkeys in single combat. Rinner up is probably Pansage because Leech Seed is nice, plus if you're feeling cheeky, you can do something crazy like White Herb Leaf Storm+Acrobatics+Knock Off to hurt a wide array of foes. Pansear is just bad and I refuse to use it period because it is just annoying.

[Froiky]

While I used Simisear for a very short time (replaced by Victini) I think I'd like to use Simisage (if forced to use one). Simisage is the coolest looking one of the three and could probably hit hard if needed.

[Monochrome_Complex]

True story: My monofighting team got swept twice by Cheren's simisage in his post E4 rematch during BW.

[Sheepish]

Simisage was the only passable elemental monkey because i like its pompadour hairstyle(guilty as charge, i am weird), the other two were meh. No place for other primate in my heart other than Aipom and Ambipom.

Totally agree with you there on the pompadour man xD simisage also at least had a cool pose unlike his two companions (who had really weird poses that did nothing for their already bad designs).