Pokemon of the Week #6: Genesect

Pokemon of the Week: Genesect, the Paleozoic Pokemon

HOLY FUCK YES THANK YOU RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR

It can't be reasoned with.
It can't be bargained with.

Oh, wow, Genesect! Every time someone rants about how shitty Generation V's design sense is, about how uber-complex or uber-shit the legendaries are, I point them at Genesect. Genesect is such a cool-looking thing. He barely makes it out of my top ten Generation V Pokemon, simply because, well, there are ten that I like because I played through the games with them. But he will very easily sneak up on a top ten legendaries or whatever list. In my opinion, Genesect is bar none the best-designed legendary in Generation V's insane glut of legendaries, excepting maybe Zekrom. 

See, it's no secret that Generation V's roster made a lot of design choices that's supposed to mirror Generation I's roster, in some cases overtly blatant ones. Genesect's backstory and sheer power level makes him a contender to Mewtwo... but the whole story about Genesect's design makes backstory and status as a man-made legendary the only two things that ties Mewtwo and Genesect together.

See, like Mewtwo, Genesect was also a Pokemon modified by evil human scientists to become more powerful and become an actual weapon. In Genesect's case, by Team Plasma. Except that instead of cloning Mew, the originator of all Pokemon genes, Team Plasma attempted to revive the apex predator of 300 million years ago, which is a cool reference to another thing often seen in Pokemon: fossil Pokemon. I'm not sure if this was supposed to reference Kabutops (who is an apex predator in his time, and shares some similarities with Genesect design-wise) or if Genesect is just his own species... but it's a pretty awesome backstory! Forget RoboCop, he's just some random dude that got upgraded with robot parts. Genesect was an apex hunter in his time, who went extinct, but got revived and brought back into life, and then had a big fucking space gun strapped onto his back. 

I'm not sure if Genesect is designed after a specific Paleozoic insect -- I'm a bit of a fossil geek myself and I find few to none that really match -- or if Genesect is just a generic catch-all to represent all the big scary monster-sized bugs that ruled and roamed the Earth during that time. But in either case, Genesect's a monster of an insect, earning him the very awesome honour of being the first natural Bug-type Legendary. As a huge fan of Bug-types... score one for the bugs! (Bug-Plate Arceus doesn't count.)

Genesect isn't just awesome just because of its stats. Depictions in the (sadly pretty shitty) movie as well as anime and manga show that Genesect can fold itself up into an admittedly pretty silly-looking saucer frisbee mode that allows it to fly and move quickly through the air. It's not as elegant as a Transformer turning into a fighter jet, but functionality, right? Genesect's cannon also allows it to launch, well, a big fucking beam of destruction. This is manifested in-game by his signature move Techno Blast, whose type changes depending on the Drive (which looks very old-fashioned tech) shoved up his spine-cannon. Unlike Rotom, Arceus or the new Silvally, Genesect doesn't actually change his type, just the colour of his drive and the element of the attack.

It doesn't feel pity. Or remorse. Or fear.

In-game, references to Genesect can be found in the abandoned P2 Laboratory, which feature notes referring to a project done by Team Plasma but shut down by N when he becomes aware of what they're doing in it. It's slightly reminiscent of how you can find references to Mew and Mewtwo in Pokemon Mansion in Cinnabar Island, and frankly the only reason why no one really experienced the Genesect story is... well, it's an Event Exclusive Legendary Pokemon. The White 2 copy I purchased way into Generation VI actually had a code, but it expired. Which is annoying. And the recent 30th Anniversary events required me to physically be in the stores to get a code. Which if fine when you actually live in America or Singapore, but I ain't around there. Still, among the many Event-exclusive Legnedary Pokemon, Genesect unquestionably sits at the top of 'I WANT THIS SHIT' alongside Deoxys and Darkrai. Now that I actually own Deoxys and Darkrai... yeah, that code that don't work for Genesect no more... really hurts me deep down in my soul.

Anyway, I really love Genesect. I find that it's a bit of a shame that his movie ended up being so disappointing towards the end, as the concept of a group of heartless machine-robot-bugs searching for a home they lost when they are forcibly brought back to life is a cool one... but it's a shame that the execution is a bit suspect. 

Genesect's typing isn't exactly fresh -- Scizor and Forretress are Bug/Steel from Generation II, which introduced the typing. And Generation V brought two more in addition to Genesect: Durant and Escavalier. And other than a severe, severe allergy to Fire, Genesect is basically neutral and resistant to everything else. Genesect has a whopping base stat total of 600, with 120 in both Attack and Special Attack, and a very decent base 99 speed. But naturally, it's a Mythical Pokemon. You would expect it to have very good stats all over the board. Worth noting that Genesect is still weaker than Mewtwo, who has a base stat total of 680, plus a specialized Sp. Attack value, but hey, Genesect's Ability, Download (shared with the Porygon line), allows Genesect to increase its Attack or Special Attack to match the lesser Defense of its foe, which is pretty cool when you're, y'know, a fucking Genesect and not a virtual origami duck.

Genesect's movepool is pretty diverse. He's got his signature Techno Blast, naturally, as well as great STAB Bug (X-Scissor, Bug Buzz) and Steel (only Magnet Bomb and Metal Claw naturally, but better ones like Flash Cannon and Iron Head via TM) type moves. He also naturally learns the Electric-type Zap Cannon which is cool, and the Fire-type Flame Charge for some reason. TM-wise, Genesect can learn a crap-ton of things, most likely simply because his cannon, y'know, shoots things. Ice Beam! Solar Beam! Thunder! Psychic! Flamethrower! Energy Ball! Dark Pulse! Plus since he has awesome-looking stabby claws, he can learn Shadow Claw and Aerial Ace. Shame that he's so crippled by his weakness to Fire-types, though honestly I don't particularly care.

How can you not love Genesect? He's cool. His red Shiny form is cool. His typing and backstory are cool. Even his name -- Genesis + Insect -- is pretty fucking dope. Shame that, y'know, it'll probably be like a decade or so before I finally own one.