Looks can be deceiving — and that’s definitely true in the Pokémon world. Many Pokémon look like they’d be extremely powerful but aren’t, or look somewhat weak and are surprisingly great. The same can be true for the crucial speed stat, which determines who moves first in a battle (among a few others things).
Some Pokémon look really fast, and they are, like Dragapult or Mega Beedrill. However, there are also some that look just as fast but are terribly slow. Some Pokémon have sleek, streamlined designs or are inspired by real-life things that are fast, but their speed stats are surprisingly abysmal.
10 Escavalier
Shelmet and Karrablast are a strange pair of Pokémon that only evolve when traded for one another. It’s said that Karrablast “steals” Shelmet’s armor, explaining why their evolutions are with and without armor.
That armor must be extremely heavy, because while Shelmet’s armorless evolution, Accelgor, is one of the fastest Pokémon in existence, Karrablast’s evolution, Escavalier, is one of the slowest with a base speed stat of just 20. This is even more confusing given the fact that it looks like a knight with a jousting lance — who would move pretty fast on horseback.
9 Eelektrik
There’s one typical stereotype of Pokémon types that is almost always true: Electric Pokémon are fast. Many of the top Pokémon by speed are Electric-types, and it’s as reliable an assumption as Steel-types having high defense. However, there is one strange exception to this.
Eelektrik, an Electric-type eel-like Pokémon, is ultra-slow, with a speed stat of only 40. It doesn’t get much better on evolution, as Eelektross only has a base speed stat ten points higher. Shouldn’t these things be slithering quickly with their large, serpentine bodies and Electric-typing?
8 Rolycoly
The newly-introduced Generation VIII Rock/Fire-type Coalossal is a strong Pokémon with a lot of potential that’s hindered by a dismal speed stat of only 30. Sure, this can be mitigated, but in a normal single-player game through the main story, Coalossal will almost always be moving last in battle.
Its pre-evolutions, though, have no excuse for being so slow. Sure, Coalossal is a giant titan of rock and flame. But Rolycoly and Carkol are both on literal wheels. Carkol is okay at a base speed of 50, but Rolycoly is down at a meager 30 base speed.
7 Skiddo
One of the newly-introduced features in Generation VI that shaped the world of Kalos was the ability to ride transport Pokémon — chief among them, Gogoat. Hopping on the back of these quick goat-like Pokémon could allow the player to zip around Lumiose City at decent speed.
Its pre-evolution, Skiddo, is not quite as fast of course, but it should be assumed that it’s at least pretty quick. However, Skiddo has a surprisingly low base speed stat of only 52.
6 Golisopod
Golisopod is a Generation VII Pokémon that has several attributes pointing to its speed. Its pre-evolution, Wimpod, is known for running quickly away from the player, and Golisopod itself has a streamlined, sharp design that looks quick and speedy. Golisopod’s former signature move, First Impression, also implies that it moves quickly, as does its speedy-sounding ability Emergency Exit.
Amazingly, though, Golisipod is extremely slow, with a base speed of only 40. Perhaps even more comical is that Wimpod, its pathetic pre-evolution, has a base speed stat of 80 — double Golisopod’s.
5 Luxray
Luxray is often held up as a Pokémon with incredibly disappointing usability, and that’s in part thanks to its low speed. As an Electric-type Pokémon that resembles a big cat, it’s expected that Luxray would be lightning-quick.
However, it suffers from a disappointing speed stat of only 70. This isn’t the worst speed stat ever, but it is still way too low for a Pokémon with this design. This speed stat is actually lower than Rattata’s.
4 Whirlipede
Anyone who has ever seen a centipede crawl across their bathroom floors knows that those suckers can move at what feels like a lightning-pace. Now, imagine those creepy crawlies being able to curl up into a ball and move at 100 km/h (60 mph).
According to the Pokédex, this is how fast Whirlipede can roll toward its foes, poisonous spikes jutting out from its tire-like body. However, this speedy wheel of a Pokémon only has a base speed stat of 47.
3 Mudsdale
If you’ve ever heard the term “horsepower,” it was probably in relation to cars. It basically refers to the amount of power an engine can create, and ultimately, how fast it can move a vehicle. Horses have always been used as transport animals, able to cover long distances much faster than humans or really most other domesticated animals.
It would stand to reason, then, that Mudsdale, a large horse, would be pretty fast. However, it is extremely heavy (one of the heaviest Pokémon, actually) and has a measly 35 base speed.
2 Minior
Meteors and meteorites are known for their extreme speed, able to cause devastating damage while hitting the earth even at relatively small sizes. They move several kilometers (or meters) per second, zipping through space at speeds humans could hardly expect to reach.
Why, then, is Minior, a Pokémon based on meteors, so slow? Minior has a dismal base speed stat of 60 in its Meteor Form. Fittingly, when it drops its shell, it reaches a base speed of 120, but even in this form it should be one of the single fastest Pokémon in existence.
1 Vikavolt
Few Pokémon have ever caused as much disappointment among fans as Vikavolt. This Electric/Bug-type just looks fast, and many speculated that it would zip past all the competition without effort. It resembles an electricity-powered jet plane, complete with jagged saw pincers that could snap at enemies faster than they could blink.
Vikavolt, however, is dismally slow, clocking in at insultingly-low speeds. Its base speed is a mere 43. Just to make it even more insulting, its base stage, Grubbin, has a speed stat of 46. Why did they do this to poor Vikavolt?
NEXT: All Of The Pokémon that were Converted To The Fairy-Type
