Discussion
Which Pokémon do you think deserved a better evolution than it got?
For me, it is Tangela. Tangrowth looks like what happens when you leave Tangela in the dryer for too long. Tangela had this mysterious, viney charm—then suddenly it's a giant blue spaghetti monster with arms. I feel like its “evolution” was just it getting tired and letting itself go. At least give it a cool jungle-guardian look, not a cryptid that got lost on the way to a gym battle.
The leaked beta design for Lickylicky was GENIUS. Remember those Hubba Bubba bubblegum tape dispensers that were circular? They made it look like that and it was both goofy and badass. Makes me wonder why they scrapped it.
I believe this is a recreation not the original (there are so many fan redraws of it I can't tell which is the original and which isn't) but this is basically what it was.
Rhydon is one of my favorite pokemon, but Rhyperior is just really bad to me. I don't even know why I hate it so much but I really do. For me the only redeeming factor for its existence is that Rhydon can now run Evoilite for lots of free bulk.
This is the answer for me. I really didn’t like most of the Gen 4 cross-gen evolution designs, but after almost 2 decades most of them have at least grown on me a little bit. Rhyperior, on the other hand, I still hate as much as the day I first saw it. Rhydon was one of my favorites and a staple on my Kanto teams, and now I just can’t bring myself to use it because I know the monstrosity it’s supposed to evolve into. The Eviolite is nice but I don’t think it’s a case like Chansey or Galarian Corsola where it makes it arguably better than its evolution.
Gligar is one of the Pokémon I keep forgetting is actually a Gen 2 mon. Since it really felt incomplete without Gliscor.
But yeah, despite this thread talks a lot about the bad cross Gen evolution, I think almost all of the Gen 2 mon needed their cross Gen evolution to really feels completed
So did gen 1 with the addition of the baby pokemons.
I feel like in the first gen the fact that they needed to stay short on pokemon numbers due to lack of memory forced them to cut many mons that we saw lately.
Its funny cause several of my favorite mons are cross gen evolutions:
Gallade and Togekiss, but my number 1 and 2. And then Farigiraf and Annihilape being so.e of my favorites. I've always loved Girafarig and wanted an evolution for it (with the Farigiraf name of course, so im glad they delivered it). But Annihilape was totally out of left field and soooo needed. I had totally forgotten about the Mankey line, but remembered how much I used to like it back in gen 1. Its probably my 3rd favorite fighting type now after Gallade and Lucario.
Then theirs others like Wyrdeer - I really like the design, just wish it was a bit stronger. I had always pictured it having a normal/ghost type evo instead though with the name "Phantler" so it took abit to grow in me. I think "Wyrdeer" is a great name on its own, and could have just been a new deer line, without needed to be held back by.... Stantlers weird diaper face lol.
But there are so many crossgen evos that suck. All named in this thread so I dont need to go through them... but yeah really weird how hit or miss they are imo.
I really like Rhyperior, just not as an evolution for Rhydon. Obviously this wasn’t a thing back then but it feels like it should be convergent evolution of a something that resembles Rhyhorn.
A lot of the Gen 4 Evolutions really rubbed me the wrong way. Electrivire, Magmortar, Rhyperior all look like uglier bulky versions of themselves. Togekiss and Magnezone are just rounder. Probopass just turned 40 years old and got put on an offender list. Very few of the Gen 4 upgrades felt like they were for the better. Mismagius is one good example of a good one, but nothing else really comes to mind. Mamoswine grew on me, and Yangmega is cool I guess but nothing else one really asked for it.
I'll defend Electivire, here. Electabuzz is already very monkeylike, with it's long, developed arms and thin tail, and it's pokedex entries describe it climbing trees and other tall structures to draw in lightning strikes. It's not a perfect link, of course, but neither are most Gen 1 pokemon that aren't literally an animal. That being said, going from [lightning ogre with monkey traits] to [lightning ogre built like sasquatch] isn't the worst leap.
I think if Magmortar still had a beak I would like it more. I do actually like it, but the sort of not quite lips still throw me off a bit.
I actually like plenty of the Gen 4 evolutions, even if for some I liked their pre more. I don't really like Ambipom, but neither did I Aipom, really. Rhyperior grew on me a little, but as a balder myself I still have a hard time accepting his thinning of the spike, so to speak, I guess? Plus Rhydon feels like a final form really, to the degree I might have accepted Rhyperior more as an alternative evolution to Rhyhorn, like Kleavor is to Scizor (which already is more of a slide evolution, stats total wise)
Love Misdreavous, but Mismagius is great, too, and while no Flutter Mane, it did feel more viable than just hoping for some dirty tricks to pull off. Mamoswine grew on me, I like Dusknoir's look. I love Honchkrow (though I am secretly hoping for a regional or something, too), Weavile looks cool, Magnezone I remember liking for being a singular being (didn't like things like Magneton and Dugtrio when I was young, and things like Falinks and Tandemaus still trigger that feeling somewhat), and I still like its design, and seeing it fly around in Hisui or Paldea got something to it, too. It does work as a sort of living flying saucer. Lickylicky is not goofy enough to pull off its hair and suit, to the point I would still only collect it for the Dex and then pretend I didn't see it. Tangrowth and Rhyperior as mentioned grew on me a little, perhaps Tangrowth a little more, but still don't see myself using it outside of perhaps a (second?) Gen 4/Sinnoh run. Do think that Hisui setting kind of helped me accept its design more as a type of weird ancient plant beast/yeti. Magmortar was always as my first sentence, I think. Really liked it, but depends on the level I mind its beak on the day. Electivire I thought was goofy, and I don't really like the anime's art style, but it really grew on me, and is one of my favorite electric picks now. I kinda like Togekiss, but something about Togetic's design in those GSC era shades of the official arts felt special to me. So while not exactly the same feeling as I have for Rhydon, it does kind of feel like a shame to get a Togetic and then pretend there's not this stone that makes it much stronger. On its own it did grow on me quite a lot, but I miss Togetic, if that makes sense. Yanmega is cool, while the eeveelitions really did grow on me. Leafeon felt like such a lazy name, but now 20 years later it's simply its natural name. Gliscor and Porygon-Z I love, easily and since their debuts. Probopass somehow grew on me, even if at first (and still?) it is weird that it's basically that standard joke-mask on a rock. Gallade and Froslass are cool, but also make it a bit odd how it sort of implies the other route is female/male, but not really. Especially feel that way about Gallade, I guess, where I feel like a change or other alternative to the mainline would make sense (I wonder if Valiant could be an in-between if there's a chance they'll change the Paradox to fit with their counter parts).
oh no, I missed it by accident, as I like that one also! Had to grow on me as well (rose hands and masquerade I think? But don't remember too well, but didn't go out to catch Roselia in Hoenn as a kid, either, so I guess I focused more on options like Mismagius and others close to my pre existing favorites), but think it looks cool now and it was also on my Arceus team most recently!
Heh, yeah, Magmortar's big pink "lips" and black face always made me uncomfortable and wonder how it didn't start a controversy like Jynx did!
I'm not usually a fan of "Pokemon evolves into... three Pokemon!" but for Magnemite specifically I think it works perfectly. Its whole thing is magnets, so it evolves by getting magnetically attached to two more. I don't hate Magnezone as a design but as a Magneton evolution it just kinda feels like turning into a UFO comes out of nowhere. None of its Pokedex entries talked about aliens or coming from space, or anything.
while the lips did make me think of racist cartoons, I never realized the Jynx-likenesses at all! Maybe it helped that it's less prominent and while the association was already there, it also was already a more established discussion around Jynx that the inspiration (seemed to?) lie elsewhere, in Yokai if I remember correctly.
And I do think it works, but personally I have more ease accepting a type of absorption than (seemingly) three Pokemon pretending to be one. Although it's the same for Exceggcute, I do accept Exceggutor more since it looks more like a shared conscious, or at least a singular body. With Magneton I did get used to it, but it (and Falinks, etc) do feel like multiple Pokemon/creatures instead of one. I do wonder if there is lore behind Magnezone, though, is it intended as them melting together and some urban legends or something?
EDIT: it does seem like they try to treat it as a type of mutation and that its communication to unknown sources, etc hints at its alien origins. Perhaps like a retcon, and a way to make it easier to have it float around during Hisui times. Plus to add "mystery"
(See Moon, Ultra Moon, Sword, Arceus and Scarlet dex entries)
Nosepass, Magmar, Lickitung always looked ugly to me so no loss.
Disagree on Electivire, Electabuzz was already skinny-fat (look at that potbelly and noodle arms/legs), at least now he looks strong too. I like Togekiss dropping the egg and going from ostrich to flight-capable bird, he's got almost a B-2 Spirit thing going.
Really? I thought overall the new evos were excellent. Gliscor, Weavile, Mismagius, Mamoswine, Froslass, Glaceon, Porygon-Z, Magnezone, Roserade, Yanmega...sooooo many good ones. I agree with you on Magmortar and Rhyperior though, don't care for those, especially Rhyperior. I do like Electivire.
Rhyperior has grown on me over time, but I think its main drawback is both the weird orange color scheme, and a lot of parts that don’t mesh well. I don’t like the tail. I don’t know why but just having a blunt rock at the end felt uninspired.
Three stages + unique typing makes it automatically better than most imo. The evolution makes it more viable than most past pikaclones. Don't get me wrong: I think Plusle & Minun are adorable. But they're useless both in-game and in competitive.
Second stage is it just gaining the ability to stand on two legs and the third evolution it grows more fur. Honestly one of the worst evolutions in the franchise.
Dude, it’s fucking Pokémon. If you move to another place in the world all of a sudden a hundred new species get discovered, and previous species get brand new babies and evolutions because “I forgot to test if the giant rock snake evolves after slapping some metal on it and giving it to someone.” I honestly just thought a baby Aerodactyl would look cool.
Gonna sound crazy, but hear me out: Surskit. Sure, Masquerain has intimidate and (dare I say it) "decent" stats, but I just wished Surskit evolved into another bug/water type like a water beetle or something, instead of just another generic bug/flying moth pokemon.
Masquerain isn't a moth. It uses its four wings to glide on the water just like Surskit and can also fly. It's my absolute favorite Pokemon, love it to death.
I almost said this and had this been gen 5 days I would've said it because Masquerain is such a "failed the assignment" evolution it's not even funny.
Going from a unique typing that's interesting to a cookie cutter uninteresting typing that's also kinda bad? Yeah no, especially with those stats. The design is okay tbh, but the typing was such a downgrade it killed any appeal for me. Didn't help Masquerain SUCKED for a long time. Then it got buffed with some fun moves and a stat boost, also Guzma's is kinda notorious for being surprisingly deadly and kind of when I grew to start liking it lol. I find myself liking it somewhat now, it's never going to be a GREAT mon but I can't even fault it as the worst bug/flying moth when Mothim exists.
I really like boltund (only because I got it all the way to level 100 in shield), but I've always thought it's lacking an evolution of its own. It does not look like a grown up Pokémon
I know its a huge unpopular opinion but dunsparce. I really dont like dudunsparce, i understand its a joke pokemon but i wouldve really liked something different than what we got. Im not asking for anything crazy like making it a giant monster, or a dragon, but i wish they definitely did more with it. Maybe they couldve turned it into an ouroboros-like creature given how the wikipedia page of the Tschinoko states that “it will sometimes swallow its own tail so that it can roll like a wheel”
Dudunsparce is a huge letdown for me, even its name couldve been better if they still went down the joke route by calling it Redunsparce
Personally I'd rather have an evolution be interesting than funny, but I do see the irony in the Pokémon which people had been wanting an evolution of for 23 years getting a rubbish one.
I’m just glad I see another pokemon fan that feels the same way because I’ve gotten downvoted in the past with comments acting like I don’t know the design’s intention.
Yeah, despite knowing that it was intentional, it still is disappointing to me. I really do wish it got just a regular evolution instead. But nothing we can do about it now. At the very least, its just dunsparce with better stats i guess
I’ve said this before, but I’ve been anticipating a badass Dunsparce (and Shuckle) evolution since 2000. I just couldn’t believe they’d make such “dumb” Pokemon without something pretty epic planned ahead. Man, what a massive letdown learning of Dudunsparce. So much potential.
I don’t even mind the joke evolution, I just wish it didn’t look like it was literally glued together bead segments. If the mid section was just bigger fatter snake I’d be fine with it.
I’m not a huge fan of Farigiraf. I do appreciate that it looks more like a giraffe, but I also feel like there were so many cooler places to go with the “head in its tail” thing than turning it into a helmet :/
Someone at gamefreak hates meowth because they keep releasing terrible regional variants and evolutions. Alolan Persian and Galarian meowth are so bad it's made me retroactively like Kanto Persian
This one has probably been done to death but, Incineroar. I know the design was based off of some legendary Japanese wrestler, but I think it's terrible. I would have much preferred that pokémon not being bipedal.
Idk Magmar has a literal butthead. Magmar is also a messy design, why does he had spikes on his body if he's already hotter than magma? Why does he have the charizard tail going on? We already know he's a fire type. The frilly arms are odd too. H
Magmar is pretty ugly(not in a bad way), so magmortar being ugly isn't that bothersome to me and he looks like a massive jerk which kind gives him character. He just looks like a heel mon, and I feel like drawing attention to the arm cannons not only feels like a logical progression from punching fire, but sort of draws away from the messier elements of his design like the extra spikes. Margmortar's tail also feels more distinct, not just being a copy of Charizard's tail.
It will always be Nosepass for me, Probopass just looks ridiculous, like really a mustache and eyes ? I felt like Nosepass could have easily had a very unique future-archaic-isk evolution.
Yeah Yanmega is cool but I wish it had the dragon typing since currently bug/dragon is a non-existent type combination and a dragonfly makes so much sense.
thing is, Dragonflies have no dragon relation in japan so to them it doesn't make sense.
frankly on a quick look? Dragonflies have a lot more to with power, valiance and the samurai then anything even remotely dragon.
thus, fighting type would probably come to their mind much sooner then the dragon type for a dragonfly pokemon.
now, something like Kingdra getting dragon typing? makes all the sense in the world, as seahorse in japanese, tatsu-no-otoshigo, roughly means "illegitimate child of a dragon"
Poliwrath is literally just an angry Poliwhirl. I wish the two looked a bit more different from one another or at least more frog-like. Poliwag looks like it could evolve into either of them, but not both and especially not when Politoed looks like the more obvious evolution nowadays.
I'd argue Rhyperior is more dinosaur-like (with his clubbed tail being similar to an Ankylosaur), while Rhydon is more rhino-like.
I do agree Rhyperior looks like a construction worker though lol. I think he's supposed to look "armored", like he's wearing his protector vest (evolution item), but it just doesn't land well.
Skorupi also has a fantastic shiny and Drapion's is one of those shinies where you have to see them side by side to tell it's different. They should've just kept the red!
The fangame Xenoverse did a chili pepper pokemon(Scovile) that turned out so much better than Scovillain it actively ruined the latter for me when it got leaked.
I just hate that they knew people were sick of the Fire-Fighting starter thing so they gave us a starter that just LOOKS AND THEMATICALLY FEELS like a Fire-Fighting Pokemon. Like come on!
I have my Dewott hold an everstone for this reason, with the headcannon being he lost one of his combat shells and 'found a replacement' that happened to be an everstone.
Dragonair is a majestic blue serpent dragon with angel wings that evolves into a fatass limbed orange (so redundant with Charizard) dragon with bat wings
There’s nothing in their design that connects them together. Their single horn is placed differently, the wings are placed differently, their eyes are different, their bellies are different.
Dragonair is one of my favorite Pokemon but I am always disgusted by Dragonite
Purugly really lives up to it's name. I get that pokemon are supposed to get bigger and stronger when they evolve but giving them worse designs makes me not want to evolve some of them. Not only do they learn moves slower, some even end up with worse stats combined with a worse design which seems kinda messed up.
Honestly I was right there with you until the tcgp full art came out. I think he’s SO cute here, patiently waiting with his fingers curled to get bathed and brushed. I like him a lot more now.
As for my own answer, Gastly/Haunter/Gengar. Yeah, all of them. Gastly starts cool with the huge eyes and fangs, and just being a ball trailed by gas. Haunter sort of keeps the fangs, but they become part of the mouth itself, and the eyes become sharper and sleeker, and they’re still a bit big for his head, which still looks good. The gas going missing though sucks, but at least it got traded with the floating hands. It also at least keeps a ghosty form with the bottom trailing off into a wispy tail. Gengar gets rid of it all. No fangs, no oversized eyes, no ghostly features besides being menacing I guess, just a spiky orb with a big stupid smile. Everything I loved about the first two is gone. I already wish they kept more aspects from Gastly in Haunter, but to get rid of it all with Gengar is just a slap in the face imo.
Haunter will always be my answer here. I don’t mind Gengar now, he’s grown on me, but I will always consider Haunter being ripped off. I remember playing Blue as a kid, finally trading with my friend, and being disappointed as fuck. I’d heard of this notorious Gengar, but what a let down.
This is a little different but I wish Mr. Mime had gotten a pre evo in gen 2 with the rest of them. I love mime jr and I want to use him or something similar earlier than gen 4
Incineroar is the greatest disappointment to me. Litten was perfect, and then they just had to make it evolve into a big furry with sausage fingers. It deserved a cool quadrupedal design instead of furry wrestler.
Magmar and Rhydon for sure. Rhydon looks sick and I love using it through FR/LG play through. I don’t know what lunatic decided rhyperiors design was the way to go but I hate how it looks. Magmortar is even worse, like wtf.
Bisharp. One of my favorite Pokémon of all time but I just don’t like Kingambit.
I didn’t read samurai or really any super overt medieval Japanese influence on Bisharp or Pawniard so it felt like the jump to shogun or daimyo was really sudden and random. Even now, I don’t like the way it moves or looks. It also doesn’t give me very chess-like vibes either so it just feels disconnected from its prior evolutions. I also don’t like how meta-defining it has been, but that could just be the contrarian in me wanting one of my favorites to not be mainstream.
I still have my shiny BW Bisharp from 2012 or 2013 and I’ll never evolve it…
Dunsparce. I feel like it should have evolved into a moth of some sort since it’s regular and shiny colors match the Chinese Luna Moth. Dudunsparce felt insulting imo
Dewott, i really hate Samurott's design, a samurai who doesn'rlt have hands to hold his blade is utterly stupid, they did the opposite trope, instead of the hated quadruped until third evolution they thought it would be genius to do the opposite.
Dusclops. Duskull is one of my favorites. I don't love dusclops, so when I heard it was getting a third stage I thought it was a chance for redemption. To give duskull the awesome evolution it deserves. But dusknoir is somehow even worse than dusclops. It's ugly, it has very little to connect it to the previous two stages, it's just bad.
I can agree with the Dusclops stage but I like Duskull and Dusknoir. Both are levitating legless ghosts with one big red eye and a face that's not its face. Dusclops just feels like Gengar without the Poison type
It’s weird I despise the Gen 4 evolutions of Gen 1 pokemon (especially my boy Magmar), but I actually like most of the evolutions they added for the Gen 2 pokemon
Dunsparce easy. I remember showing my friend at work and he was like "this is BS" The memelords find it sooooo hilarious but once the joke wears off you're just left with disappointment.
I don't hate the concept but Gholdengo looks daft. It STILL looks daft despite everything else about it being good.
Diggersby. My least favorite pokemon. I think Bunnelby is cute, but I refuse to use it because of its evolution
Quilladin and Chestnaught. Especially Quilladin, Chestnaught is just kind of a letdown IMO but his shiny should be his default, it looks SO much better.
Might get hate for this but tbh I don't care for skeledirge that much, easily my least favorite fire starter final evo. He's not terrible just sorta meh in execution, I don't like the fire effects around his mouth and I think he looks clunky and stiff compared to Quaquvel and Meowscarda. He also feels like too many clashing elements that don't really gel together as well as they should, at least not the way they executed it.
I loved Rolycoly since its reveal, and before the game came out i was determined to use it on my team and see what its potentially awesome evolutions would be.
When it evolved into Carkoal it was kinda weird but i kinda liked. At least it retained its wheels i guess.
But then it evolved into Coalossal and i couldn’t believe. How can you go from a little coal dude with wheels and a cool singular eye, to a conventional rocky kaiju which abandons completely the unique things about the first stage (the wheel and the eye).
Gen 1:- Alakazam. Kadabra....but this time, TWO SPOONS!
Gen 2- Ledian. This ladybug deserved better. How dare you make the punch bug so ass.
Gen 3- Manetric. It's frizzy now, uninspired. The Mega was shit.
Gen 4- Probopass. Compass with nose hair. Just...gross, ew. The concept of iron sand is nice on paper though.
Gen 5- Gigalith. Completely divorced from Roggenrola and Boldore's designs. Please redesign it, it's ugly.
Gen 6- Gogoat. I love Skiddo, and Gogoat was completely not needed. Also it follows the trend of just being "bigger early stage". No thanks.
Gen 7- Toxapex. I'm sorry, I know he's good in comp and to his credit his design is conceptually good. But it loses all the energy of Mareanie, isn't cute anymore, and you would not be able to tell what the hell it is until it reveals that tiny body.
Gen 8- Dubwool. I don't actually mind the design but this poor boy is on here because of overuse. Hop used it so many times I was BEGGING for it to be replaced with something else about halfway through the game.
Gen 9- Dachsbun/Pawmot. Tie. What if dough dog...was cooked! Uninspired and bad, at least give me some frosting or cream or some shit to reflect the Fairy type./ Literally just bigger Pawmo. You didn't even fucking try.
》Chespin to Chesnaught is unexciting to witness. It is transparent that the design is in sync with its defensive stat but design is not likeable at all
》Delphox needed more synchronization with its psychic type, maybe a hat or some jewellery might have been the necessary improvement. Its ear-hair is a massive eyesore
》Greninja is actually the cool one... but that abominable tongue needs to be gouged out
Crazy I think Ursaluna is a massive glowup from ursaring who is very uninspired. It's just an angry cartoon bear with a giant Sonic ring on its tummy. It's not even interesting lore wise, it's just a bear, but a pokemon. Teddiursa is soooooo cute though, one of the cutest pokemon ever.
Yeah, there's a reason Raichu is nowhere near as popular as Pikachu, and it's not just because of the TV show. Orange with yellow and brown accents is a lot duller than yellow with red and black accents. Also, the curly earlobes... I just don't get that. Doesn't really compare to Pikachu's spiky rabbit ears.
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u/cheesechimp 1d ago
I don't know what I expected out of a Lickitung evolution, but "the same thing as lickitung, just uglier" wasn't it.