Today is Pokémon’s thirtieth anniversary! Following the franchise since its “Pokémania” heyday has been fun and oddly validating, seeing it evolve from a “fad” to an industry institution. But we don’t need to waste time recapping all of that here, right? Instead, let’s jump straight into the action in the spirit of our excitable subject:
Image: Source Gaming. A newly evolved Cinderace in Pokémon Journeys: The Series, ready to battle!
One of the biggest, most impactful decisions I ever made is choosing my first partner Pokémon. Most mainline titles present greenhorn Pokémon Trainers with three cute, capable critters: a Grass type, Fire type, and Water type. They’re all based on recognizable animals, visually distinct, and bustle with personality; franchise illustrator Ken Sugimori has touched upon how challenging it is to design them. Sometimes, the starters even act as a subtle difficulty selection; Charmander struggles against Kanto’s first two Gym Leaders, whereas Squirtle and especially Bulbasaur breeze through them. Nevertheless, each generation’s starter trio invariably ranks among their most recognizable monsters, ensuring they’ll accrue many fans…
Cinderace’s History
Cinderace debuted in Pokémon Sword & Shield. At their onset, players can select the excitable Scorbunny as their partner, which can evolve into the larger, more stoic Raboot upon hitting Level 16. Reaching Level 35, one level earlier than most starters, matures Raboot into its final form, Cinderace. Set in the Galar region, Sword & Shield’s flagship mechanics are the ability to “Dynamax” or “Gigantamax” your Pokémon (it links to their “biggest theme,” the “idea of being the greatest or the strongest”). Where both turn your buddy giant for three turns, the latter also alters its appearance and grants access to special moves. With the release of Sword & Shield’s The Isle of Armor expansion, Cinderace gained the ability to Gigantamax.
Image: Source Gaming. Upon evolving, Cinderace automatically tries to learn Pyro Ball, its signature move.
Setting a contentious precedent, it’s impossible to obtain every previous Pokémon in Sword & Shield. Cinderace eventually crashed Pokémon Scarlet & Violet through their The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC, however. Using the Pokémon Home storage app, Trainers can transfer their rabbits throughout the games. And it’s a recurring sight in spin-offs, including Pokémon GO, Masters EX (usually under the ownership of Gloria, Galar’s female protagonist), and UNITE. Cinderace may be hibernating, but it’ll undoubtedly reemerge someday. Maybe even as soon as next week—today we learned that Scorbunny is in Pokémon Pokopia.
Unsurprisingly, Cinderace received a weighty role in the Pokémon Journeys anime, becoming the ace of co-lead Goh; his bunny buddy is even in the Pokémon Mezastar arcade game. Two other Cinderace also grace the show, while a few unrelated animations also feature the furry. Same for a handful of manga publications, most notably Pokémon Adventures, where it’s the frontman in protagonist Casey Shield’s team. And the lively lagomorph’s profile is boosted even further through a wealth of merchandise, spanning clothing to trading cards.
Image: The Pokémon Company. Casey Mongillo and Megumi Hayashibara portray Goh’s Cinderace in English and Japanese, respectively. They’re both more than serviceable, though sadly neither manage to elevate the character in my esteem…
So, what’re my thoughts on Cinderace?
I don’t remember exactly when or how I discovered Pokémon. Some of my classmates in elementary school introduced me to it when they were talking about the anime, I think? What I can vividly recall is the awe I felt when I first laid eyes on Charizard, the Pokémon Red mascot and final form of the tiny Charmander. Developer Game Freak’s dragon looked eminently imposing and strong, an aura the cartoon elevated through an episode where Ash’s battles Blaine’s Magmar (it does not hold up, and the anime went on to produce much better battles, but still). And despite the countless Pokémon that have emerged since, the dual Fire/Flying type still rises as my all-time favorite. A boring choice, yes, but one I uphold proudly.
Initially, I was surprised and a little dismayed when I learned Pokémon Gold & Silver, the core series’ first proper follow-ups, would sideline the original starters for a new group. But I wound up eagerly anticipating them, as it made sense to front-load a new generation with three new striking, prospective partners. My affection for Kanto’s overgrown iguana persisted, however, by informing a tradition I still dutifully adhere to: my first time exploring a new Pokémon region, I do so with the comforting warmth of its premiere Fire type by my side. No regrets! Commanding a fierce, flame-wielding fighter rekindles the excitement I felt when I went through Pokémon Blue three decades ago. Many of Charizard’s successors—Typlosion, Blaziken, Infernape, and Delphox—now even rank among my favorites as well.
Image: The Pokémon Company. Seemingly, Pokémon’s handlers had high hopes for the hopper. Media highlights Cinderace, and it placed respectably in two “Pokémon of the Year” polls. For whatever it’s worth, it was also once the most Googled Pokémon in Louisiana.
The downside to my routine is, well…not every Fire-type starter’s gonna jibe with me, y’know? I was chilly towards Emboar for years, though I gradually warmed up to it. Same with Incineroar, whose Super Smash Bros. and anime roles elevated it. And, yes, Galar star Cinderace and I had a rocky start. When Scorbunny was unveiled, I was despondent; its final form left me even colder. To be blunt, it’s the first starter of any type that I ever considered benching; using a Pokémon can help endear me to them, but that regrettably didn’t pan out this time. When I revisit Galar someday, it won’t be alongside the carrot-lover. Unlike its Unova or Alola analogs, I’m thoroughly lukewarm to Cinderace.
Visually, it simply doesn’t appeal to my taste. Galar is a sport-centric region—it places the heaviest emphasis on the spectacle of Pokémon battles—that’s based on Britain, a country known for a profound love of soccer. Theming one of Galar’s mascots after soccer makes perfect sense; it’d be a missed opportunity if Game Freak hadn’t done so. Thing is, I’m psychologically unable to muster any enthusiasm for sports, the odd Mario spin-off notwithstanding. Through no fault of the furry’s own, Cinderace embodies a pastime I’m disinterested in, creating an irrevocable rift between us. By this point, I was also getting weary of every Fire-type starter maturing into a biped; less predictability would’ve been refreshing (something I’m glad Scarlet & Violet addressed).
Image: Source Gaming. I like that Cinderace is white. White flames are extremely hot, white’s a common color for rabbits, and it implies purity, alluding to the athlete’s playful nature. Its darker Shiny coloration is pleasing, too.
Even so, there’s a cohesion to the soccer star’s design I appreciate. Easily its best quality is its palette, a rich combination of black, white, yellow, and orange. Its design looks a bit busier than its forebears, who tend to predominantly rely on two or three colors; Charizard, for example, is mostly orange, but that’s complemented with sizable yellow and teal spots and tasteful use of accent colors. Now, Cinderace’s torso, arms, and head are mostly white, immediately drawing the eye upward. Black breaks up the jock’s “uniform” via the ruffle surrounding its shoulders, the “belt” on its hips, and even its eyeliner. Most notably, the athlete’s ankles and feet are largely black, grounding it. Orange is used somewhat sparingly but effectively, enough to quickly sell this thing’s typing; the streak of fur protruding dead center above its head, irises, “shorts,” and toes are impossible to miss. Finally, the yellow areas reinforce its typing while adding texture, energy. Altogether, it’s a commendable color scheme, and yet it looks…unnatural.
That’s a quality I typically dislike in Pokémon. Even within this cartoony power fantasy, however, I can imagine a flock of Charizard soaring the sky, or some Infernape roaming a jungle. Try as I might, I struggle to envision several Cinderace prancing along a meadow, acting as a “normal” fauna because the species is too tied to soccer, something manmade. Likewise, Cinderace’s toothpick stomach and arms suit its athletic look, perhaps, but mesh oddly with its oversized feet and head. And while it wears its “clothes” well, Pokémon that are designed as if they’re wearing garments almost never click with me (surprisingly, Raboot is a rare exception). Try as I might, I see Cinderace as malnourished Pocket Monster that’s too unintentionally goofy to look cool, or cute, or charmingly goofy.
Image: Source Gaming. The well-built bunny’s feet are eye-catching, showing its flurries of kicks won’t pull any punches! Naturally, Pyro Ball is an extension of that; Cinderace spawns and then kicks a massive fireball.
Even the anime let me down! Where it’s usually masterful at making ‘mons compelling (I did not like, say, Bewear until its vaguely creepy motherly characterization), Cinderace is tethered to Goh, one of the weakest leads the show has ever seen. And while I wouldn’t argue that his premiere pet has no personality or memorable moments, they weren’t so gripping as to compensate for my inherent distaste for its design. Still, at least watching Leon’s Cinderace battle against Ash was fun; while it felt a little unearned watching Pikachu KO it in one hit during their Gigantamax standoff after struggling previously, Leon’s clever usage of Libero—a hidden ability that changes the Striker Pokémon’s type to reflect the move it most recently used—was fun.
It also echoes the mammal’s usefulness in the games; Cinderace is capable! It has a diverse array of moves, which can get boosted further by Libero (a riff on Protean, fan favorite Greninja’s cherished ability). Pyro Ball also boasts a whopping 120 base power, accuracy of 90, it can inflict a burn, and even thaw the user if it’s frozen! Cool, right? Truthfully, Cinderace’s strength is the lone reason mine stayed on my team! And yet…this all only furthers its inorganic aura; looking at Cinderace, I see a mercenary mascot that was scientifically designed to be as appealing as possible, in both design and utility. Of course, that’s true of other starters, too, but rarely does it feel so blatant.
Image: Pocketpair. With no shortage of ways to design a cartoony, athletic rabbit, it’s inexcusable that Palworld’s slapdash Verdash apes ‘ace so unabashedly.
For all the criticism I’ve given Cinderace, though, I acknowledge and respect that it did spawn from a genuine creative spark. Verdash helped that sink in. I mean, just look at it! While I could give Verdash’s design a thorough (and brutal) breakdown, I’ll instead highlight its massive tail. Cinderace’s small one keeps our focus on its fit frame, a quality Verdash loses. Oh, but Verdash taught me another lesson: its inspiration hit the big leagues. You wouldn’t copy an also-ran, right?
And, ultimately, Cinderace’s popularity is what I’m here to honor! I won’t mince words: I dislike the bunny bobblehead, and it’ll never enter my all-star roster (nor will Sword & Shield; having played every mainline game up through Legends: Arceus, they’re the most disappointing). But many adore the sports superstar, and one of Pokémon’s greatest qualities is that everyone will find at least one monster that’ll speak to them. Sure, I just spent five or so paragraphs roasting Cinderace, but it nicely embodies its games’ themes and I’m happy it’s here.
Congratulations, Cinderace! Go for the goal!
Image: The Pokémon Company. To end on another positive, I like that Scorbunny is childlike and energetic, Raboot tries to act cool and aloof, and finally Cinderace openly re-embraces its passions, just with flair and a more mature air.
Thanks to Hamada and animator Wiimonkey2 for helping with edits.
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