Japan's 100 most popular Pokémon have been crowned

More than half a million Japanese Pokémon fans have weighed in: Greninja is the most popular Pokémon. The Pokémon Company crowned the water/dark-type in a live ceremony held earlier today, alongside 99 other beloved monsters.

Greninja garnered a little more than 15 percent of the overall vote, although with 721 other Pokémon to compete with, that represented a wide enough margin to take the win. Alongside the vaunted title of Most Popular, Greninja will receive a special Pokémon distribution campaign this summer. Attendees of the next Pokémon movie will be able to download the character into Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire; the contest launched as a promotion for that film.

Coming up behind the ninja frog and Super Smash Bros. combatant is a stranger choice: Arceus, the so-called god of all Pokémon that joined the Pokédex during Diamond and Pearl. It's followed by classic legendary Mew, series mascot Pikachu and pastel Eevee-lution Sylveon to round out the top five.

Here's the top 25. The full list of 100, in picture form, is here. Feel free to bicker over the placement of your favorites in the comments below; please note that this writer believes Charmander was robbed. (It's a better round-up than Japan's most handsome Pokémon, at least.)

1. Greninja
2. Arceus
3. Mew
4. Pikachu
5. Sylveon
6. Charizard
7. Genesect
8. Rayquaza
9. Meloetta
10. Zygarde
11. Mewtwo
12. Eevee
13. Jirachi
14. Darkrai
15. Lucario
16. Diancie
17. Hoopa
18. Keldeo
19. Victini
20. Manaphy
21. Reshiram
22. Kyogre
23. Kyurem
24. Magnemite
25. Shaymin