Every RPG just has to have an obligatory rat encounter, and Pokémon is no exception. Rattata is somehow more common than Pidgey (or at least it feels that way), making it one of those Pokémon that annoys the snot out of many fans.

While I agree that Rattata’s frequent appearances can get frustrating, I can’t hate on it from a design standpoint. First of all, Rattata already stands out from a typical rat enemy by being purple. There’s no explanation as to why its fur is this way. It just is; end of story!

Rattata’s toes also stand out for me. Many rodents – and in this case, rats – have specially built feet for climbing and grabbing objects.

I like that Rattata follows this concept, especially since it’s going for a literal interpretation of its source material – i.e. it’s a “cartoony rat,” as opposed to “giant levitating pitcher plant that can eat a man whole.”

Rattata’s whiskers being represented as a single, large shape is a wonderful idea. In my experience with character design, it’s easy for whiskers to feel out of place or add unnecessary clutter. Drawing them like Rattata’s makes for a cleaner composition.

For the common rodent encounter of Pokémon, Rattata does a good job standing out and having its own identity.

Raticate is… Well, it sure is a giant rat!

For all the features Rattata has to deviate from the everyday rat encounter, its evolution falls snugly under those tropes. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing when Raticate is reviewed by itself. There’s no strict ruleset as to what a Pokémon is allowed to look like. Nor is it wrong to follow concepts that have been used a dozen times before.

But when I compare Raticate to its previous stage, it disappoints me. It dropped the eye-catching purple fur for more realistic colors. The once silly curled tail is now exactly like that of a real rat’s.

Again, Raticate isn’t a bad design; for me, it just feels out of place as Rattata’s evolution. I feel it would have benefitted as an evolution for a different Pokémon.

With Sun and Moon came a new spin on old Pokémon. While alternate forms aren’t a new concept to the games, Alolan Pokémon are special in that they’re exclusively native to the islands they’re found on. They’re the same species, but adapted to completely different environments!

Rattata happens to be the first numerical Pokémon to have gained this extra form. Its lifestyle and body changed drastically in response to islanders trying to control their population numbers.

Actually, “drastic” is a little too generous. The change was little more than a pallette swap. My feelings about Alolan Rattata are… well, not very impressed.

I do like the black and tan fur. It may not be Rattata’s signature purple, but it’s still a striking choice of colors. My favorite addition to Alolan Rattata is the spiky and messy pattern on its belly. I find it visually more interesting than the regular form’s simple round belly.

Everything else about this Rattata is a letdown. Simply adding a few sprigs of fur doesn’t make for an exciting and “refreshing” new take on the Pokémon. I presume its whiskers are repositioned to better forage for food, but they look more like a tacked-on mustache. Don’t get me wrong, a mustached Rattata sounds adorable on paper. But in execution, it’s not nearly as amusing.

I’m also puzzled as to why Alolan Rattata became part Dark. Is it just because it’s nocturnal? In Japan, the Dark typing is actually called “Evil,” referencing mean-spirited or twisted combat tactics. The Pokedex doesn’t have any information that would help clarify this.

Then again, I might be overanalyzing this topic. While Dark-type Pokémon are often depicted as evil-doers or hooligans, sometimes they embody darkness or harness the power of the moon (like Darkrai or Umbreon).

Overall, Alolan Rattata makes for a weak first entry into coverage of Alolan Pokémon. I love regular Rattata, but not this alternate form.

Alolan Raticate may also be a minor change from its normal form, but it manages to make me smile by having an absolutely stupid but loveable face.

When I’m not fawning over the adorableness of birds, I can’t get enough of certain rodents – namely rats, mice, and hamsters. Particularly with hamsters, their capacity to stuff food into their cheeks creates a downright hilarious look on their faces.

This is exactly what Alolan Raticate is doing, and why it appears so dorky. This Raticate is a total glutton, sitting around as the world’s laziest boss for other Rattata to gather more food for it to stuff into its face.

It may just be one change, but Alolan Raticate stands out for me over the regular one. The puffed cheeks add so much more personality to it, so it’s not just a generic giant rat. It maintains the same color pallette I enjoy on Alolan Rattata and looks more visually interesting than the drab browns it used to have.

This is a Raticate I enjoy as an evolution to Rattata, and I’m glad it exists.