What’s your favorite Pokemon? A Big Ten Basketball Weekend Open Thread

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Thousands watched the Pikachu balloon and several dozen others being inflated during the annual balloon inflation for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan Nov. 26, 2025. | Seth Harrison/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One writer’s answer MAY SURPRISE YOU.

One of the most disheartening parts of this year’s Super Bowl—which, we should note, featured a winning quarterback from the Big Ten* and a Super Bowl MVP running back from the actual Big Ten—was this ad:


Now, I have two notes and a question based on this ad:

1. How absolutely DARE you be 30 years old, Pokemon. You have a lot of nerve.
2. It was a travesty that Trevor Noah (or someone) didn’t fall asleep and get colored on in permanent marker by Lady Gaga.

What’s your go-to Pokemon, writers?​

MNW: Mine was Chansey. No idea why. But it always has been. I wasted so much time on Pokemon Red/Blue trying to catch it. But some Minimize, Sing, Softboiled, and some random TM based on whatever I needed in my party, and that was a fun (and frustrating) Pokemon.

AlmaOtter: Hmm. I always loved Vulpix. But I’m probably more of a Psyduck IRL.

BoilerUp89: Rhyhorn.

MC ClapYoHandz: Arcanine gang rise up

BuffKomodo: Feraligator

Brian Gillis: I’m going to be honest. I don’t know the first thing about Pokemon.

[this then devolved into a 15-comment exchange in which LincolnParkWildcat, who is 45, told us he “Never got into Pokemon” and proceded to attempt to shame those of us had never seen a Star War (misdreavus, MNW) or a Lord of a Ring (BuffKomodo, MNW)]

MNW: @misdreavus79 the chat holds its breath…

misdreavus79: Gardevoir.

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Let us know your favorite Pokemon—OR, if you really must, your thoughts on Big Ten basketball this weekend—in the comments.

Big Ten Basketball Schedule​

Friday, February 13​

#10 Michigan State Spartans at wisconsin badgers
7pm | FOX | MSU -1.5 | O/U 148.5

Anna Howard Shaw Day​

UCLA Bruins at #2 Michigan Wolverines
11:45am | CBS | Mich -15.5 | O/U 151.5

Northwestern Wildcats at #7 Nebraska Cornhuskers
12pm | BTN | UNL -13.5 | O/U 143.5

Penn State Nittany Lions at Oregon Ducks
2pm | BTN | UO -6.5 | O/U 147.5

Did you realize Oregon was 8-16?!? Jesus.

#13 Purdue Boilermakers at Iowa Hawkeyes
4pm | FOX | Purdue -1.5 | O/U 141.5

#15 Virginia Cavaliers vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
7pm | FOX | UVA -4.5 | O/U 146.5 | they’re playing this game somewhere noteworthy like Madison Square Garden or something, but if I can’t be bothered to learn the differences between Hannes Steinbach and Wilhelm Breidenbach, well…

Minnesota Golden Gophers at Washington Huskies
8pm | BTN | UW -6.5 | O/U 137

Sunday, February 15​

Maryland Terrapins at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
11am | FS1

Indiana Hoosiers at #8 Illinois Fighting Illini
12pm | CBSW

Enjoy your weekend.

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