Why Flareon Is Called “The Only King” in Japan: A Meme Born from Love and Disappointment

Why is Flareon called “The Only King” in Japan?
Is it respect? Mockery? Or maybe something strangely affectionate?

Welcome to the curious case of ブースター (Boosutā)—a.k.a. Flareon—and its transformation from forgotten fighter to ironic internet royalty. In this article, we’ll walk you through its origins as a meme, real gameplay struggles, and how the community both mocked and embraced this underdog.

👑 What Does “The One and Only King” Even Mean?

In Japanese Pokémon internet culture, “唯一王 (Yuiitsu-Ō)” translates to “The One and Only King.” It’s a nickname given to Flareon not because it was strong, but precisely because… it wasn’t.

Unlike western memes that highlight overpowered characters, this meme reflects the opposite: ironic reverence for a Pokémon known for being perpetually underwhelming despite its royal potential.

🌀 It’s a perfect blend of:

• Sarcasm — “King” of being useless
• Affection — Long-time fans genuinely wanted Flareon to succeed
• Community Lore — The name stuck around for more than 15 years

🧪 The Technical Root of the Meme: Game Mechanics

To understand how this all began, we need to dive into the actual game stats:

Now here’s the twist:

🔥 Flareon is a Fire-type…
But for a long time, it couldn’t learn a strong physical Fire-type move to take advantage of its high Attack stat.

Instead, it was stuck using Special Fire moves, which use the Special Attack stat—not its strength.

Imagine a weightlifter who can only compete in a typing contest.

This mismatch made Flareon essentially unplayable in competitive battles until much later generations.

📚 First Sightings of the Meme

The earliest confirmed use of “唯一王” dates back to Japanese forums and imageboards in the early 2000s. Some iconic phrases include:

「フレアドライブさえ使えたら…唯一王脱出できるのに」
“If only it could use Flare Blitz… it could escape being the Only King.”

「唯一王は今日も威厳を保ってる（最下位で）」
“The Only King maintains its dignity (at the bottom).”

Over time, the joke evolved:

• Other Pokémon got buffs or moves like Flare Blitz or Wild Charge
• Flareon remained stagnant, reinforcing its “Only King” meme status
• Fans started calling it “ブイズの恥” — ‘The Shame of the Eeveelutions’

Yet despite all this, the name “唯一王” stuck. Not out of pure mockery—but out of loyal love for the tragic hero of the Eevee family.

🧠 Expert Take: Why This Meme Lasted

According to Pokémon community experts (via pixiv dic), the persistence of the meme lies in its “layered irony.”

• Competitive players kept repeating the joke because they couldn’t justify using Flareon
• Game Freak, the developers, refused for years to fix the typing-stats mismatch
• Fans felt sympathy, not just sarcasm

This gave the meme a strange kind of warmth.

🧠 “Flareon isn’t just a failure—it’s our failure. We’ve watched it suffer.”

This combination of performance-based critique, gameplay frustration, and long-term nostalgia built a solid foundation for the Only King’s reign.

⚔️ When Game Freak Finally Listened

It wasn’t until Generation VIII (Sword and Shield era) that Flareon got access to strong Fire-type physical moves like Flare Blitz.

In forums like ぽけりん and ポケ徹掲示板, the reaction was dramatic:

「やっとフレアドライブきた！唯一王の反逆だ！」
“Finally, Flare Blitz is here! The Only King strikes back!”

However, the joy was short-lived.

• Flareon still lacked the Speed and Defense to execute combos
• Other Fire-types had better movepools and synergy
• The competitive gap remained

It was too little, too late. Fans began saying:

“The king was crowned with delay… and dethroned on arrival.”

🧩 Real Players’ Stories: Loving a Loser

Flareon’s meme status might have faded away if not for the deeply emotional bond fans had built with it.

Here are two representative voices:

1. 🧍‍♂️ Anonymous Commenter on ぽけりん:

“Even with Flare Blitz, it’s too slow to matter. I still use it because it’s mine. It was my first shiny. Let them laugh.”

2. ✍️ FC2 Blogger (Mugi85):

“Here’s my shiny Flareon… or should I say, the Only King. Maybe it’s not strong, but it’s beautiful. The meme is kind of comforting now.”

These aren’t jokes anymore. They’re emotional reframing—a way to turn disappointment into identity.

🎮 Attempts at Redemption: Can Flareon Ever Escape the Meme?

Despite the disappointment, some players refused to give up on Flareon. In recent years, with held items, team support, and creative movesets, a few brave trainers have brought Flareon into serious battles.

🧪 Example:
One user on note.com shared how they used Flareon in a 2025 City League tournament:

“Flareon was the most stable axis in my deck. The Only King, in the truest sense.”
(source: note.com/waha3131)

Even though this example refers to a TCG version of Flareon, the symbolism remains: people want the “Only King” to mean something again.

🗺️ From Japan to the World: Did the Meme Translate?

Not really. The phrase “唯一王” remained mostly Japan-specific for two reasons:

1. Language Play:
   The term “唯一王” literally means “Only King,” but carries a sarcastic tone that doesn’t translate smoothly into English without explanation.
2. Cultural Context:
   Japanese net communities love assigning exaggerated titles (e.g., “神ポケモン” = God Pokémon). This “ironic elevation” is less common in western meme culture.

However, western players did have similar sentiments—just expressed differently:

• “Flareon is the worst Eeveelution”
• “Can we talk about how useless Flareon is?”
• “Still waiting for justice for my boy”

🌀 So while the meme name didn’t cross borders, the emotion behind it—frustration, affection, and pity—definitely did.

🪞 What Does This Meme Reflect About Us?

The enduring joke of “唯一王” goes beyond Pokémon. It reflects how communities bond around failure.

🎭 Instead of abandoning Flareon, players gave it a crown.

This mirrors similar trends in gaming and fandom:

• “Dan Hibiki” from Street Fighter — A purposely weak character turned fan-favorite
• “Magikarp” memes — Useless at first, godlike later
• “Bottom-tier heroes” — Revered in Overwatch, League of Legends, etc.

These stories help us deal with real-life powerlessness:

• We laugh at the loser because we are the loser, sometimes.
• And we keep hoping that someone, somewhere, will finally win with them.

🏆 Where Is Flareon Now?

In-Game:

Flareon finally got strong physical moves, and in some niche formats, it sees occasional use with the right setup.

In-Meme:

The title “唯一王” has become:

• A badge of honor
• A nostalgic callback
• A template for other underdogs

You’ll now find posts like:

「◯◯は第二の唯一王だわ」
“This Pokémon is the second coming of the Only King.”

It’s no longer just about Flareon. It’s a label for any character that’s:

• Built to be strong
• But betrayed by the system
• Yet beloved anyway

❤️ Final Thoughts: The Power of Loser Loyalty

“The Only King doesn’t rule the meta.
He rules our hearts.”

Flareon’s journey is a bizarre but touching case study in fan culture, failure, and love.

It shows that sometimes, we stay loyal—not because something is great, but because we remember how it made us feel.

So whether you’re building your next Eevee team, diving into Japanese meme culture, or just loving something unpopular…

🔥 Remember the Only King.

And maybe, just maybe, build a team around him.
Because in a world full of meta slaves and optimized comps…

Sometimes it’s nice to choose the loser.

🔗 Sources

• 唯一王 – pixiv百科事典
• Flareon finally gets Flare Blitz – ぽけりん
• Origin of “Only King” and “Only God” – ポケ徹掲示板
• Flareon deck breakdown – note.com
• Shiny Flareon thoughts – mugi85 blog