HI y'all! This was quite interesting. The same day two responses to Steve Guthrie's article on his top 10 was posted, so was his second one, which I'm gonna comment on. As usual, his comments are in Black, mine in Blue.
 
20. Golduck
Comments: Golduck seems to be a very solid combo of Water and Psychic Energy-using material.  Psyshock is okay, and Hyper Beam is wonderful.  He's not exactly the greatest show on earth, but he's good.
Rating: 5.9
 
I'm going to ignore the ratings you have here, as they've already been commented on. Golduck is WAY underrated, especially in a removal deck, though Psyshock is, well, ugly. Hyper Beam is cool. The T.R. one is better though, methinks.
 
19. Beedrill
Comments: I love this Pokemon.  One of Venusaur's best friends.  Poison Sting is a real bashing, and Twineedle isn't half bad either.  Free retreat and a resistance to fighting make this Pokemon a real threat.
Rating: 6.1
 
One of Venusaur's best friends is a Stage 2? Not gonna happen. It's hard enough getting 1 major evolution line into play, never mind 2 different ones. It's sorta playable, but it's gotten wrse with recent expansions.
18. Erika's Victreebel
Comments: He's beat Beedrill by 0.1 of a rating on my 1-10 scale.  That's how close it is/was.  The built in Gust Of Wind (the "d" is silent), and the Razor Leaf attack just makes Erika's Victreebel an awesome Pokemon.
Rating: 6.11
 
This one, I have to agrre about. Erika's Victreebell, like her Vileplume, is a very, very powerfull card, if used correctly.
17. Poliwrath
Comments: Poliwrath isn't in the top 16 because he's weak to Venusaur and his big buddies, Erika's Victreebel and Beedrill.  Water Gun is nothing special, but Whirlpool is wonderful, like a higher damage version of Golduck's Hyper Beam.  Good card.
Rating: 6.3
 
Poliwrath has't been played since Jungle came out. He's too slow, and Poliwhirl get's killed off by a single Slash from Scyther. Ouch. Whirlpool, though it does more damage requires a WWCC cost. There are many better Water Pokemon Availible.
16. Lapras
Comments: The good old beatstick from Fossil.  80HP, Water Gun, and a confusion attack.  That's pretty dang good for a basic Pokemon!
Rating: 6.3
 
Lapas is average at best now. Like most Water Pokemon, it's weak to Electabuzz and friends, and like most Weak-to-lightning Pokemon, it dies in two turns from Buzz. It also takes too long to get really charged, and Raindance is dead.
15. Haunter (Fossil)
Comments: Just a little bit better than Lapras and Poliwrath, Haunter squeaks in a No. 15.  The power is just sick, and the attack, Nightmare, is solid too.
Rating: 6.3
 
Fossil Haunter is another solid card, but it has 2 bad points. 1. Hideous H.P. 50 for a stage one. 2. Attack does 10 damage for PC. It's also a Satge one that Evolves again, so Breder is just better. The only card I can think off that doesn't use get replaced by Breeder is Sabrina's Kadabra. =D
 
14. Gligar
Comments: The reason, the only reason, mind you, that I prefer the Rocket Squirtle way over Gligar is because Gligar is weak the Venusaur and his pals.  Otherwise he's good.
Rating: 6.3
 
So, you prefer a card that's weak to lightning and has less H.P. to a card that's Weak to Grass and has more H.P. Giligar is average, there are much better cards that act as splashes and don't get killed on turn 2/3 with Scyther. Oh, and Squirtle is much worse.
 
13. Venusaur
Comments: A big fat Pokemon with a big fat Pokemon power.  Energy Trans is like an Energy Flow and then an automatic Rain Dance with Grass Energy onto any Pokemon.  Works extremely well with Beedrill, Erika's Victreebel, and Pokemon Center.
Rating: 6.4
So, you can make a good deck that uses 3 Stage 2's? If you can, I Worship you. Venusaur works well with Pinsir, Scyther, Rocket's Scyther and Koffing with maybe Dodrio for Retreat support. It is very powerful with Pokecenter,however.
 
12. Mr. Mime
Comments: Invisible Wall and Mr. Mime just missed beating Sneasal to No. 11, as I rate them evenly.  The only problem is that Venusaur works with Nidoking, and Nidoking has an attack called Toxic, that can knock out a Mr. Mime in one hit.
Rating: 6.5
 
Nidoking isn't now played thst much now, bigger threats are Hitmonchan, Rocket's Zapdos, Jigglypuff, Electabuzz and Goop Gas Attack. Oh yeah, and Magmar. That's a LOT of threats.
 
11. Sneasal
Comments: I think that Wiggly is stupid, and yet I love Sneasal.  Beat Up to the maximum, or Fury Swipes if it's the first turn.  Good in so many ways.  Oh, yeah, free retreat too.
 
Sneasel, not Rocket's Squirtle, is (nearly) broken, IMHO, It only requires 3 heads to take down Wiggly or any of the major BBP's with one hit, if you're using Darkness Energy. 
 
Any Hate mail, suggestions, questions, comments, Letterbombs, or if you want to send me a NEO booster box, e-mail me at:
 
jameskey@madasafish.com
 
DarkArticuno