Psyduck is such a loveable goof. I mean, just look at that dopey face!

Here’s one of many Pokémon that show the sillier side of the franchise. In the world of Pokémon reside majestic dragons, fearsome beasts, charming-but-deadly fairies, killer plant life… and then there’s Psyduck, a platypus-duck monster suffering from perpetual migraines.

Personally, I think Psyduck’s design is a fantastic way to represent a platypus. After all, it’s considered one of the world’s weirdest creatures. I mean, just look at it!

It’s an egg-laying, amphibious mammal that secrets venom. WHAT?!

Psyduck’s headaches originate from hidden powers not even it knows of. When the pain intensifies enough, it can unleash an incredible psychokinetic force. Unfortunately, Psyduck doesn’t really have control over these powers, because as soon as the pain dulls, it gets distracted again by more head pains. Poor thing.

I like this concept of making Psyduck unassuming and even appear harmless, but it has mysterious abilities welling up inside.

With all that in mind, it’s bizarre that Psyduck is a pure Water-type Pokémon. It can learn a few Psychic attacks in the games, but it otherwise has no explicit connections to the typing. Maybe that creative decision was made to play up on the fact that Psyduck is just a plain-ol’ platypus-duck monster that only ever uses its superpowers by freak accidents?

Too bad I know which direction Psyduck takes when it evolves; otherwise, I’d make the suggestion that it doesn’t become Psychic type until it matures and can better control its powers. I still want a PSYduck, damnit!

And on another tangent, it’s a shame that Psyduck was designed so early in Pokémon’s history. Had it debuted in a later game where Game Freak could program more complex mechanics, I could see it having a more involved ability. It could have a 30-40% chance to swap from Water to Psychic type. While it’s Psychic, its next attack could be boosted by 50%, but then it reverts back to Water type. That way, it matches with the details of its Pokédex flavor text.

Or maybe that would have been a great idea for Alolan Psyduck. Or maybe Game Freak should do more than let their outdated Pokémon drag behind as their newer, “cooler” monsters are released.

Why are you afraid of redoing certain aspects of your Pokémon designs, Game Freak? Why do you just let your older Pokémon sit in the dust with each passing generation, Game Freak?

What was I talking about? Oh yeah…

I haven’t even brought up how much I enjoy Psyduck’s visual details. I love that its body is bright yellow like a rubber duckie. It’s humorous that a tiny sprig of hair sprouts from atop its head. Out of all of Psyduck’s design features, its giant eyes with tiny pupils and its arms holding its head are my favorite. They best illustrate its personality and clearly communicate those headache problems it’s dealing with.

Despite the technical setback in the games, Psyduck is a highly amusing character.

Remember how Persian ditched everything that made Meowth great? The same thing happens with poor Psyduck. It was chosen to eventually fill the role of “generic aquatic bird” for the Kanto region.

There are references to Golduck having psychic powers, but only vaguely. The Pokédex puts higher priority on its ability to swim. In fact, nearly all of Golduck’s flavor text talks about what an Olympic swimmer it is. That’s great and all, but it’s nowhere near as exciting as the potential for it to shoot lasers out of its forehead.

Except that I don’t recall ever seeing this ability outside of this card art. It seems like a big feature, so why is this the only instance of its existence?

I’ve now reviewed several Pokémon evolutions that I feel should have been standalone species. Like many of those reviews, I don’t have a problem with the Pokémon’s general existence, per se. When there’s a unique or zany concept such as Psyduck, having it evolve into a more straightforward, plain, or “generic” monster feels like an insult to the design. There’s nothing wrong with taking an evolution in a different direction, but instances like Psyduck place higher expectations for what it grows into. Going from “psychokinetic duck-platypus” to “a super fit duck-man monster” just doesn’t have a punch.

If Golduck wasn’t tied to Psyduck’s family, I think it could have run wild with the one thing the Pokédex explicitly mentions: that it’s often mistaken as a kappa. It’s missing the signature water plate on its head, but I’m intrigued by the idea of making a kappa as birdlike as possible.

Heck, I just thought of an interesting idea: what if Golduck’s head spikes were arranged in a bowl shape so that they could hold liquified psychic energy to power its moves? It would tie right back into the kappa theme as well as justify its psychic abilities.

Unfortunately, Golduck as it stands is just a humanoid duck monster. Had it not been the evolution to Psyduck, I think I would have rated it higher. Instead, it’s an average design that makes for a letdown as a final form.