Over the years, Pokemon have been based on all kinds of things. Usually, though, they're based on things that people would associate with existing plants or animals: cats, frogs, dogs, rabbits, flowers, that sort of thing. There are even food Pokemon like Gen 8's Alcremie or Pokemon Scarlet & Violet's Smoliv line. But some of the strangest ones are the ones that just look like googly eyes that have been slapped on an object.
Object Pokemon are often brought up in conversations about unoriginal Pokemon, or when talking about how the Pokemon team has run out of ideas. But sometimes object Pokemon are some of the most interesting - and they've been around since Gen 1. Interestingly enough, a lot of these object Pokemon are Ghost-types - inanimate objects possessed by spirits.
10 Aegislash - Royal Sword Pokemon
Aegislash is a cleverly designed Pokemon literally based on a weapon, so it makes sense that it's very powerful in battle. The final evolution of the Honedge line, Aegislash is a Steel/Ghost-type with two forms - shield and blade, depending on whether the player favors attack or defense.
The Pokemon also has some interesting lore - it was used as a protector of Kalosian nobility and is a symbol of royalty across regions. It once served a king and drained him of his life force, causing the king's kingdom to fall apart.
9 Rotom - Plasma Pokemon
Rotom is a classic object Pokemon, but it's more like an objects Pokemon! This Electric/Ghost-type was created by Team Galactic, the criminal organization of Pokemon Diamond & Pearl's Sinnoh region, making it one of the very few man-made Pokemon that exist.
Rotom is also unique in that it has the ability to transform into a variety of household objects. Each form - Heat, Wash, Frost, Fan, and Mow - retains the original electric typing, but changes its secondary type into one that matches the object. The original is also the only Pokemon with the Electric/Ghost-typing in the entire Dex.
8 Cofagrigus - Coffin Pokemon
Cofagrigus is a pure Ghost-type Pokemon first introduced in Pokemon Black & White's Gen 5. Based on a sarcophagus, Cofagrigus is the evolved form of Yamask, evolving at Level 34. It even takes the gold mask it held as a Yamask, and has it placed in the center of its forehead.
As a sarcophagus-based Pokemon, it's only natural that it has some strange lore. Apparently, it can take the deceased body of a human and turn it into a mummy!
7 Coalossal - Coal Pokemon
Coalossal is a Fire/Rock-type Pokemon originally introduced in Pokemon Sword & Shield. It's based on a pile of heated coal, which is fitting for the history of its Britain-based home region, Galar.
Its Japanese name, Sekitanzan may be a combination of sekitan (coal) and tanzan (mountain coal mine), which suggests that this Pokemon is the personification of the coal mine itself! Despite its size, Coalossal seems to be a peaceful Pokemon, but it becomes enraged if the coal mines it lives in are vandalized.
6 Drifblim - Blimp Pokemon
Drifblim is a haunting Ghost/Flying-type Pokemon based on a balloon. This Gen 4 Pokemon from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl is definitely more than meets the eye!
It's said that Drifblim contains the souls of those burdened with regret, rather than simply hot air. Not only that but there are rumors of Drifblim carrying souls to the afterlife. It's also strong enough to carry people, but it can't control the direction of its flight, simply going with the wind.
5 Polteageist - Black Tea Pokemon
Polteageist was introduced in Pokemon Sword & Shield, and the little Ghost-type immediately became a fan favorite. The Pokemon itself is the purple ghost, and it inhabits a teapot (or teacup in its pre-evolved form).
It can be a tricky Pokemon to evolve, as it requires a special item. Not only that, but the special item varies depending on the form - phony or authentic. Phony Polteageist requires the 'Cracked Pot' to evolve, and the authentic form requires a 'Chipped Pot'. The form can be verified through the stamp of authentification on the base!
4 Klefki - Key Ring Pokemon
Klefki is a Steel/Fairy-type that first appeared in Pokemon X and Y! Very clearly based on a keyring, Klefki goes one step further - it loves keys so much that it actively steals keys from people. This habit is possibly foreshadowed in the name, with the 'kle' coming from 'kleptomaniac'.
Kklefki takes an everyday object and turns it into something magical. Junichi Masuda, who designed the Pokemon, has said that Klefki's design specifically 'came from thinking of old mansions and secret keys and such'.
3 Garganacl - Rock Salt Pokemon
The newest Pokemon on this list, Garganacl is a Pokemon first introduced in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, making it native to the Paldea region. With a design reminiscent of Minecraft, Garganacl and its entire evolutionary line is actually based on rock salt crystals and sedimentary layers of bedrock.
Its name is a clever pun - 'garga' comes from gargantuan, and 'nacl', comes from the chemical formula for sodium chloride/table salt 'NaCl'.
2 Solrock & Lunatone - Meteorite Pokemon
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Solrock and Lunatone aren't known to evolve into anything, but they are considered each other's counterparts. There are a couple of options for the specific object they're based on, but they both seem to be meteorites shaped like the sun and moon.
Their base stats are nearly identical, with only the physical and special stats switched. Both of these Rock/Psychic Pokemon have mysterious origins. They seem to originate from outer space, having been discovered at the site of a meteorite crash.
1 Trubbish - Trash Bag Pokemon
What object Pokemon list would be complete without the Trubbish line? While not the original object Pokemon, it might be the most memorable - literally based on a pile of garbage. It was created as a way to represent city pollution!
Trubbish, despite its appearance, is shown to be a sweet and caring Pokemon. In the anime, it befriends a group of kindergartners and ultimately saves their lives. This is very sweet, but the Pokedex entry in Ultra Moon makes this a little concerning: "if a young Pokemon or child breathes in the toxic gas that Trubbish belches out, it could be a life-threatening situation."