There are several areas where the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise and Pokémon can overlap. Several monsters from each franchise would easily find a home in the other. The idea of collecting monsters to duel against opponents who are also collecting these monsters is at the heart of both franchises. But what if they collected each other’s monsters?
Based on iconic cards associated with several characters in the Yu-Gi-Oh! world, we can confidently make an assessment on who the favored companion of several characters would be. Sticking with some of the most iconic characters in the games and anime, these would be the Pokémon companions of choice for ten characters from the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe.
10 Yugi Muto – Alakazam
Kicking off the list is the young boy Yugi Muto who possesses the mythical Millennium Puzzle. Using this puzzle, Yugi is able to tap into the spirit of the Egyptian pharaoh Atem, becoming an enhanced version of himself known as Yami Yugi. His favorite card in the series is the Dark Magician.
For a chosen type, we would have to think that Yugi would lean toward Dark and Psychic Pokémon. Because of the supernatural tone of his internal interactions, we feel that Alakazam is the best fit. For starters, Alakazam is essentially the Pokémon version of a magician. He embodies a silent and brooding visage and retains a clean and almost regal appearance.
9 Seto Kaiba – Reshiram
Seto Kaiba is initially one of the primary antagonists of the Yu-Gi-Oh! series. As the story progresses, his opposition to Yugi takes deeper roots through the reveal that he is the reincarnation of Priest Seto. Both Priest Seto and Seto Kaiba are primarily associated with the powerful Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
As much as we didn’t want to include legendary Pokémon, Reshiram shares too much in common with the Blue-Eyes White Dragon to ignore. Both are extremely rare and extremely powerful. Both are iconic in their eras. This coveted creature would easily be the goal of Kaiba’s aspirations.
8 Maximillion Pegasus – Ditto
Maximillion Pegasus is the true antagonist of Duelist Kingdom and the creator of the Duel Monsters game in the anime, which mimics the real-world Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. Pegasus is known for his use of Toon monsters in his deck and his use of the Millennium Eye. Because of his love for the Dark Rabbit card, it is tempting to say that Pegasus would identify most with the Pokémon Bunnelby or Diggersby, however, there is a darker card hidden beneath the whimsical Toon monsters Pegasus uses: Relinquished.
Relinquished copies opposing cards in order to battle opponents with their stats. Sound familiar? It should. While Ditto doesn’t remove opposing Pokémon from the battlefield, it does become a copy of them.
7 Joey Wheeler – Zekrom
Yugi’s best friend Joey Wheeler is a brash character who often gets himself into sticky situations through his actions. In their interactions, the only person Joey shows more support for than Yugi is his sister Serenity. Throughout his encounters, Joey’s signature card is the Red-Eyes Black Dragon.
While Kaiba is more often the opponent of Yugi than Joey, the two still have a bitter rivalry with one another. This dynamic in the Pokémon universe would prevail with Joey’s companion Zekrom. As Kaiba’s Blue-Eyes White Dragon inherently translates to Reshiram, so does Joey’s Red-Eyes Black Dragon translate to Zekrom.
6 Tea Gardner – Togepi
Tea is often viewed as the weaker duelist in Yugi’s group of friends. She typically serves as a motivational character, inspiring her friends by the power of friendship and reminding them of the ultimate bonds which have brought them together and preserve their friendship.
All of Tea’s deck is based around friendly cards which she thinks are cute. Placed in the Pokémon universe, Tea would easily fall into the same rhythm as Misty, seeing Togepi and finding herself incapable of refusing its cute charm. If roles were reversed, Togepi would easily be included in Tea’s deck.
5 Weevil Underwood – Vespiquen
Weevil Underwood is a bug fanatic. His entire deck is built around the interwoven dynamics of Bug monsters. His greatest tactic is to stall out players while his more powerful monsters such as Insect Queen make their way onto the battlefield. Haven't we heard of that before?
Weevil would definitely be a Bug Catcher in the Pokémon universe. Hands down, he would have an affinity for Butterfree, Beedrill, Scyther, and others. Based on the bugs we see him use in the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, it’s undeniable that Vespiquen would be his dream companion.
4 Rex Raptor – Tyrantrum
To say that Rex Raptor is a fan of dinosaur monsters would be an understatement. Just as Weevil has filled his deck with Bug monsters to achieve dominance, Rex has amassed a collection of powerful dinosaurs that topple foes with prehistoric might. When thinking of Pokémon, we can’t think of any more fitting than fossil Pokémon.
While Rex would likely employ multiple fossil Pokémon, the embodiment of power in the dinosaur world is definitely the Tyrannosaurus Rex. In the Pokémon universe, this dinosaur is embodied by the Generation VI fossil Pokémon Tyrantrum.
3 Mai Valentine – Fearow
Unfortunately, there aren’t any Harpie Pokémon, and Jinx doesn’t really fit the description of Mai’s signature cards. That said, we’ve gone ahead and analyzed her tendency toward the Wind type and translated that to Pokémon terms as Flying.
In looking for a fierce Flying-type, there are several options. Mai would likely fall in line with many of the Bird Keepers encountered throughout the Pokémon series. She would certainly employ Pidgeot and others, but her signature Pokémon would be the fearsome Fearow. This Pokémon is the embodiment of furious combat in the Pokémon world, just as the Harpie Lady is for Yu-Gi-Oh!
2 Mako Tsunami – Wailord
Mako Tsunami is a fisherman and duelist who specializes in the use of Water monsters. In the anime, we see Mako come extremely close to defeating the main protagonist Yugi early on. In his deck, Mako’s signature card, The Legendary Fisherman, is based on his father. His other significant card, Fortress Whale, is more translatable to Pokémon.
If looking for which Pokémon Mako could relate to, look no further than the gigantic Wailord. Just like Fortress Whale, Wailord is a massive companion that Mako could use in battle to devastating effect. Mako could easily find a home among the Fishermen of the Pokémon series, but Wailord is easily his ultimate goal.
1 Bandit Keith – Meowth
Bandit Keith is seen throughout the series as a minor antagonist and a pawn to the Rare Hunters. That’s sad considering that Keith was once the United States Duel Monsters Champion before the events of the anime. The Keith that we see in Duelist Kingdom is little more than a manipulative cheater.
Because of his penchant for wrongdoing, Keith strikes us as an easy mark for Team Rocket in the Pokémon universe. Keith would likely find a role as a reckless commander, conducting petty crime and seeking the further of some more powerful figure’s designs. In true fashion with the most iconic Team Rocket members, Keith would be accompanied at all times by a talking Meowth companion.