Despite One Piece being extremely popular and beloved, it often gets criticized for its length and the inability for newcomers to get into it. It isn’t the only anime with a ton of episodes and yet franchises like Pokemon never really get criticized for it.
The two franchises have been juggernauts in the industry for decades, but sadly, there’s never been a crossover between the two. It’s time to look at 10 One Piece characters and find their perfect Pokemon partner. This includes Pokemon from Kanto through the Galar region introduced in Pokemon Sword & Shield.
10 Jinbe/Wailord
Jinbe is described as being a whale shark fish-man, so it’s only fitting that he’d capture and train either a whale or fish-inspired Pokemon of some sort. He’s a rather large individual who’d likely want a Pokemon partner whose size was just as formidable and awe-inducing as he is.
One of the largest Pokemon in existence is the Water-type whale known as Wailord. This Pokemon is big enough that even Jinbe could ride on the open waters by himself with it. The “Knight of the Sea” could have his very own steed of the sea that’s more than 40 feet long and weighs close to 900 pounds.
9 Brook/Duskull
Brook is a character that sadly has to deal with the fact that he’s scary beyond belief simply due to how he looks. This means that he’s often misunderstood and people tend not to interact with a living skeleton.
Cubone and Duskull are both thematically perfect for the self-described gentleman and there’d likely be some common ground they could connect on. Duskull, the Ghost-type Requiem Pokemon, very much is living a life after death. Because of that shared experience, maybe Brook could raise and train the fiercest Duskull to ever “live”.
8 Franky/Machamp
Giant muscly characters like Franky provide an opportunity in the Pokemon world to either flip the trope on its head or lean into it aggressively. Pairing Franky with a cute tiny Pokemon would be entertaining and make for an interesting combination. But having him team up with Machamp seems like the funnier fit.
Franky working with the Fighting-type four-armed beast would be best for everyone involved as his Pokemon could keep him in line when his natural perversions get the best of him.
7 Nico Robin/Espeon
Nico Robin is a character that could go in several directions when looking for her perfect Pokemon partner. As a female archaeologist, it’s easy to pair her with either a feminine Pokemon or maybe a Rock-type considering her familiarity with rocks and such given her profession.
However, the Psychic-type Pokemon Espeon seems like the best fit. Its split tails fall in line with Nico’s powers a bit, but Espeon also has a strong sense of feminine imbued mystery which is a feeling Nico often gives off.
6 Chopper/Eevee
Now, Tony Tony Chopper is a weird situation in which a sentient animal would be a Pokemon trainer, but it’s best not to think too hard about it. This little guy is a tough fighter and his expertise lays in the healing field as he happens to be the resident doctor of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Having a Chansey under his control would be weird considering the size difference despite it being thematically appropriate. It seems that a small and fluffy adorable creature like Eevee would fit best. After all, he could ultimately evolve the Normal-type into whatever he wanted.
5 Sanji/Milotic
Sanji may be a cook, but he comes from royalty and was once a prince. He dresses with a sense of elegance and has a certain level of mystique about himself. He carries himself in a down to Earth and collected way that makes him very charming.
Sanji is also the type of man who likely doesn’t care how masculine he’s perceived as. With all this in mind, it seems like the elegant water dragon known as Milotic might be the perfect fit for the beloved chef of the Straw Hat Pirates along his journey to finding All Blue.
4 Usopp/Heracross
Known as the sniper of the group, Usopp happens to maintain his distance in battle due to his cowardly tendencies. Wimpod seemed like the clear and obvious choice for him, but a closer examination made it clear that he’s much more than a coward. He often finds himself as the comic relief and is much more compassionate than he gets credit for.
A weirdo like Usopp would likely shoot for an equally weird Pokemon companion. As far as weird Pokemon go, there’s one, in particular, that’s quite beloved and that’s the Bug-type beetle from the Johto region: Heracross.
3 Nami/Totodile
Nami, at the beginning of her journey alongside Luffy, was rather hesitant about the idea of trusting and/or befriending pirates. This means that she’d likely opt for a Pokemon that helps accommodate her to that lifestyle and she’d also likely want something cute she could cuddle with.
Totodile seems perfect as it initially presents itself as an innocently adorable creature, but eventually evolves into a powerful and capable fighter. The Water-type starter reflects Nami’s journey in the show in similar ways, so the pairing makes sense on several levels.
2 Zoro/Scyther
What Pokemon would a former bounty hunter and expert huntsman prefer? Well, several options work, but considering Zoro is known for his green hair and outfit, Scyther had to be the choice. The Flying and Bug-type is known as the Mantis Pokemon and its sword-like arms allow it to be rather fierce in combat.
Zoro is one of the primary combatants of the Straw Hat Pirates and having a partner like Scyther by his side would make him more formidable to enemies. It might also allow him to create different dual-pronged attack strategies.
1 Luffy/Grookey
Often the idea is that the main character of an anime should be paired with Pikachu, but the Electric-type mouse isn’t the perfect fit for most protagonists who lead stories. Luffy, for instance, is a well-intentioned and fearless pirate who happens to have the first name Monkey.
This naturally pairs him with a monkey Pokemon and, among them, it seems that the new Grass-type starter from Pokemon Sword & Shield might be the one for him. That Pokemon is named Grookey and its final form goes by the name Rillaboom.
NEXT: 10 Dragon Ball Z Characters & Their Perfect Pokemon Partner
