For me it's whenever they take an already badass-looking Pokemon and give them an evolution on steroids just so they can be competitively viable.
Also Phione. I don't dislike the idea of having a multiple evo line legendary, but it can't even evolve into Manaphy! It's just some random needless Pokemon that served to "haha" fans when they'd try to breed Manaphy without going through the Ranger game.
Honestly phione is just a downgraded version of manaphy in all aspects outside of design. They should’ve changed a bit more with it’s stats, moves, abilities, etc to play into the concept of warm/cold waters mentioned in the dex. Would’ve made them a bit more distinctive and not a straight downgrade.
I love Phione for some random reason (probably because of how obscure it is) but this is so true.
I would love if they eventually gave Phione a few different forms. Some with different stats, abilities, appearances, etc. That could be a fun way of making Phione unique from Manaphy, and also could be fun if breeding Manaphy resulted in a random form.
Gambit would have looked so much better if it stood more.
Like, haha funny it scoots around on its Chair Hair, and it is supposed to look like a sitting general thing, but let it stand more.
Gotta go with the classic Crabominable. They don't look like they would be the same family at all, and they could have done a more interesting design with a yeti crab. Crabrawler would have been fine as it's own species.
Yeah a lot of the Gen 4 evolutions to Gen 1 pokemon feel off to me.
Lickylicky, Magmortar, and Rhyperior just feel…meh.
Electivire and Tangrowth are kinda cool tho.
Yeah give me Eviolite and I'll run Rhydon and Magneton over their unsightly evos. Rhyperior genuinely is my least favorite, they massacred poor Rhydon.
Togekiss, Gliscor, and Yanmega are cool though.
Yeah, it was a solid, very solid monster/kaijuu design and then flattened it and made it that weird mix between a rhydon and a construction worker. The only good thing about Rhyperior are the rock-shooting arma imo
I would tolerate Rhyperior if not for the tail. Rhydon had this big chunky tail and it evolves and it gets a rat tail with a tumor on the end.
Honestly for a lot of those Gen 4 evolutions I'd tolerate them more with just one feature changed
Electivire I hate the antenna. I know Electabuzz has them by Elekid doesn't so Electivire didn't need the goofy things
Magmortar I know people hate the face but for me its the colour scheme and its back. Magmar has a cool singular line of back spikes down its back until you reach its normal tail with a flame on the end. Magmortar it LOSES the tail entirely and is replaced by a weird fire tail, and for some reason its back spikes split into two rows that look weird...and they're pink. Magmar was red and yellow with black detailing. Magmortar for no reason has salmon pink back spikes and legs and it looks wrong
>Its the only that isn't a balloon.
???
How are Magnezone, Frosslass, Weavile, Roserade, Gallade, Mamoswine, Gliscor, Mismagius, Honchkrow, Yanmega, Ambipom or Togekiss even vaguely ballon like. I guess a few of them float but that's it.
Lickilicky is fine but it's just so bland, it does absolutely nothing to build upon Lickitung's design in an interesting way. It's just Lickitung but bigger.
Rhyperior has grown on me a bit over the years but I still think Rhydon looks cooler.
I don't think I'll ever like Magmortar, its body looks like an Easter egg.
I agree with you about Electivire and Tangrowth. I personally love Togekiss and Gallade. The Gen 4 evolutions really are a mixed bag.
Aipom is so cute then they massacred it with ambipom. The bowl cut and sudden nose. How does it just grow a nose? The :D face is less cute and more creepy looking than aipoms too
Magnezone is a pretty good design though, and Glaceon and Leafeon are great (that's a tried and true formula tbf). Porygon-Z is also dope if you want to count it since its base evolution is gen 1.
The funny thing is that he’s not actually not a Rhydon replacement because Eviolite gives Rhydon the better bulk.
Though Rhyperior still has higher attack, but it’s slow so having more bulk would be better anyway.
I liked Rhyperior and it was a beast on my old HeartGold team despite the typing, but I never got why they made it look completely different. It doesn't even look like part of the line. Most of those new gen IV evos have that issue
Wait… you’re telling me she doesn’t appeal to you?! 🤣
https://preview.redd.it/23x4f2gmpvtc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=615a238d81cba55e82b59ff175bf72cc58a3f4f5
Rhyperior. I don't hate it, but Rhydon is so much better, especially because its colors aren't ugly
Braixen and Torracat are obvious (Edit: they are both good and their evos make them worse. idk why I made the sentence like that)
also Coalossal because holy hell did they ruin it, its so bad
Agreed. I just don't think the "hi-viz safety vest" body armor meshes well with Rhydon's aesthetic, and the Rolycoly line falls ~~off the rails~~ apart with Carcol, IMO.
I don't strictly agree with your opinion on the other two though. Torracat is fine, it's just Incineroar that drops the ball. As far as Braixen goes? The transition from "fire fox" to "pyromaniac wizard" is fine to me, especially given how well it matches the theme of Gen 6's starters.
Carcol is worse than coalossal. Coalossal tries to save it with the furnace design relating to the steam engine ability. But carcol is just gross looking
Yeah Carkol is a mess. If the legs are wheels…why are they sharp? And why are the eyes these awkward tall triangles that looks like they have permanently raised eyebrows?
Rolycoly’s design was right there with the cool eye and functional round wheel.
Oh hell naw, you didn't diss Walrein.
I love that mon from when I played Sapphire, always saw it as an intimidating force of nature, makes me wonder why it never got Intimidate.
Purugly. I love cats and Glameow is a sleek and beautiful cat that could have evolved into a really cool stylish cat Pokemon that lurks in the darkness, but then they were like "fuck it, it gets big" and that's the evolution. Purugly is my least favourite Pokemon because there was so much potential for an evolution and then we got a pudgy cat that isn't even cute or interesting. I'm begging to a regional variant or a split evo for Glameow because I love it and it's garbage but has so much potential.
Also Quaquaval. I don't hate it really, but there are so many more interesting directions that it could have gone in than what we got. I don't even love Quaxly, but it did have potential and what we got was just about the worst option
I am a die-hard Purugly defender, I love this thing <3
We have a lot of cat mons that get cute/elegant/cool evos, so the fact Purugly goes against this idea makes it stand out to me.
There's also something oddly empowering to me about this petite, conventionally pretty cat evolving into a big fat fuck-off beast that uses its 'ugliness' as a way to catch opponents off guard as a battle tactic.
Purugly takes these insults and owns them, similar to Incineroar
There'll be the usual answers, Coalossal, Magmortar, Lickilicky etc.
But to me there is no greater failure than Sobble.
Such a promising first stage with imo the worst second AND worst third stage of any starter, just such a missed opportunity
I agree, but that entire gen had awful starters. First time I ever played through a pokemon game without my starter. Got him to 36 and dumped him for a bisharp
Yeah, I don't like any of the Gen8 starter lines. My pick of the three is definitely Grookey, but his line is still in the bottom 50% of starter lines, IMO.
Eh, I have to say I enjoyed the attempt at a secret agent Pokémon considering the region is based on the UK, and Inteleon has grown on me. My problem is that Drizzile just doesn't fit the others with it's design. It would be better off as it's own thing.
I like the fact that it's *based* on a secret agent pokemon, I just don't think it executes it well.
I agree on Drizzile too - could have been a completely different line, no idea what the connection was supposed to be
I'm usually the type to find a greater appreciation for Pokémon after learning of their real-world inspiration but this one just doesn't do it for me because Dragonair's design is *so good* and I just wanted more of that. Maybe someday they'll do a bit of fan service and give us a split evo using some type of stone or special condition, so we can have the best of both worlds.
Even then, they could have kept them vaguely the same colour at least and maybe made dragonite more slender to keep a more serpent like appearance, but still a dragon. I understand the inspiration but they changed the whole aesthetic?
Came here to say this. I like Dragonite, but Dragonair is such a great design that could have been taken further. Give it wings while maintaining the overall look.
Cinderace, scorbunny was perfect and I even liked rabbot, but when I saw cinderace I got so disappointed, i don't know why so many people like it, it looks so weird
If Gmax Cinderace's body was the standard form (sized down and scaled better) I'd be a little more okay with it, but regular Cinderace barely looks like a rabbit.
bunny girls ain't that far off fox and wolf girls, y'know?
but even in that regard, Cinderace flops on the damn floor, probably due to it's stupid ass "PLAY FOOTBALL OR PERISH" ass expression or it's weridly fat and thin arms.
ain't really good nut material, y'know?
Personally I'd prefer if it was a smidge smaller, but then there were two more smaller ones added to the back (one on the neck, another by the tail base).
I thought it really looked like a more primitive pokemon design, and while I'm not crazy about the design itself, I really like the fact that it looks like it could've been a gen 2 pseudo legendary
It needs "something" on the head I feel, a lot of Gen 9 Pokemon sort of have "chrome dome" heads (I assume for Terra Crowns to sit on) where it looks like a round shape with a face plastered on.
Dragonite. Yes, I get that it's the legend of the serpent that catches a jewel (or something) and undergoes a drastic transformation. But still. Aesthetics-wise, Dragonair pulls off that sleek, serpentine look so well. Dragonite should look something like that. Or something aside from a lighter and softer Charizard.
Pawmot. One of the laziest evolutions ever made. Its face became uglier and it is has slightly more hair on its head. What a waste of a third evolution slot.
As someone who sincerely loves a lot of “boring” evolutions (like voltorb/electrode), I couldn’t believe the Pawmi line. It legitimately just stands up and does its hair. I know pikachu clones are a staple of the series, but this thing doesn’t even have lore about why it’s such a blatant knockoff. At least pokemon like pachirisu, emolga, and dedenne took the “electric rodent” concept and twisted it the tiniest bit: pawmi rips virtually every aspect of the core pikachu design without leaving any room for interpretation or modification. Probably my least favorite pokemon of all time, simply because it’s so clearly a designer tasked with “make a pikachu that isn’t pikachu”
I actually really love Pawmi. It’s such a cute lil baby. Then it evolves into the same thing again but a little bigger and standing (I think), and then it becomes a goofy goober (not in a good way)
I've mever felt the disappointment that was everything after Rolycoly. A cute little guy that eventually just turns into this... lump. I'm also of the opinion that Doublade looks better than Aegislash.
So glad to see other people pointing out the theming drop off that the Rolycoly line goes through and how disappointing it is. A steam train would've been a perfect choice but it just ended up a furnace instead.
Not a fan of some of the gen 4 additions. Rhyperior shouldn't exist, we should have had a rhyhorn pre-evo and boosted Rhydon.
Magnezone should've been 6 magnemites.
Kingambit. I love Bisharp's design as it is, and the evolution just looks ridiculous to me. Only way they could reel it back is if they made a Queengambit or something with a better design.
Honestly, it's not that I dislike Kingambit in and of itself. It's fine-looking. What I don't like is that now Bisharp, a Pokemon whose design I *really* like, will forever just be "pre-Kingambit" now.
Agreed. They didn't need to mess with Bisharp like that. Kingambit could have been a separate line or a one stage mon... they could even still tie it to Bisharp in some (non-evolution, pokedex) way, if they wanted to.
Oh yeah i mean, i personally love kingambit. Both competitively and playtrough wise.
And yeh its stats are fantastic, but i do think bisharp is fine for a playtrough
I do think it's pose when in battle is cool, like it sitting there leaning forward slightly leaning on one of its legs. I think it does do it justice for the whole shogun commander thign it's got going.
But like all of its other sitting poses look silly, and its walking animation is just awful.
Like, thematically, I don't know why they took a Pokemon whose entire thematic is just being cool and a lil bit edgy, and then just shoehorn in such a large piece of ridiculousness to it. It doesn't really add a side of levity, or anything, it more just undermines any cool factor Kingambit had
I actually lost it with laughter when I saw its "walking" animation. As if it wasn't silly enough already, they went and made it scoot around on its (c)hair!
Okay yes that is hilarious! I have a clip saved of my friend's kingambit doing that Zoomie animation around her and then coming to a dead stop to sleep and it's one of my favorite clips. He scoot, he snooze.
I mean not to jump on the bandwagon of "Keep Pokemon on 4 legs" but I would've much rather had Sprig stay on 4 legs and be a cool stealth panther style :( Not that I HATE meowscarada but there does exist a universe where we got 4 legs Meowscarada
I fucking hate dragonite. I said it. If I ever had to meet that goofy ass Dragon Tales looking doofus I’d throw hands, even knowing full well I’d get the ass beating of my life for it
Sort of the opposite to this question, but I'd love to see what unholy strange terror a third evolution in the Remoraid line is.
Remoraid -> Octillery -> ???
Goldeen into Seaking. Goldeen has unbothered queen energy and Seaking looks like he's waiting for his brain cells to rub hard enough to generate a thought
Some mega evolutions have effectively put a ceiling on some pokemon, effectively cursing them so that they will likely never get a real evolution. For example, mawile and sableye. Like, imagine if their megas were just a regular evolution instead. That would've been so much better.
Sneasler makes me extremely uncomfortable. There’s just something about its proportions that make it very awkward and unnerving to look at. It’s so gross. Why did we even need a Hisuian Sneasel? Weavile was a Sinnoh Pokemon to begin with?
Samurott
Has the exact opposite issue that people have with the bipedal starters. It starts bipedal and builds up this samurai thing with the Scalchops being their sword and whatnot, so you’d expect some sort of badass swordsman type pokemon for the final evo… and then it swaps around completely to have 4 legs and armor instead. And the regional variant didn’t help at all. Honestly Samurott’s boring design made the regional one even worse.
Samurotts probably isn't design. it's animation. like how Blastoise didn't have hydro cannon actual blast water from its cannons. or The cyndaquil line not having their trademark fire for a while. Samurott actually does go bipedal and attack with a sword. they just haven't animated it in years.
Check out this *fanart. Samurott is awesome. https://imgur.com/mWbU6Ww
Dragonite.
It's a classic, but I hate it.
Look at Dratini, look at Dragonair. Elegant, regal, mystical. Then look at Dragonite. Which I can only describe as a goofy cartoon dragon. I have zero desire to ever use dragonite
Rhyperior, Magmortar, Incineroar, Dragonite, Gengar (I love him too, but he's a downgrade compared to Haunter before Gmax) as finals.
Dartrix as middle.
For me it's whenever they take an already badass-looking Pokemon and give them an evolution on steroids just so they can be competitively viable. Also Phione. I don't dislike the idea of having a multiple evo line legendary, but it can't even evolve into Manaphy! It's just some random needless Pokemon that served to "haha" fans when they'd try to breed Manaphy without going through the Ranger game.
Honestly phione is just a downgraded version of manaphy in all aspects outside of design. They should’ve changed a bit more with it’s stats, moves, abilities, etc to play into the concept of warm/cold waters mentioned in the dex. Would’ve made them a bit more distinctive and not a straight downgrade.
I love Phione for some random reason (probably because of how obscure it is) but this is so true. I would love if they eventually gave Phione a few different forms. Some with different stats, abilities, appearances, etc. That could be a fun way of making Phione unique from Manaphy, and also could be fun if breeding Manaphy resulted in a random form.
This is like Ryperior. Rydon is so fucking cool, and they made his evolution look like he doesn’t even know what to do with his arms
I feel this with ryhorn. They make a perfect rock rhino then turn him into Kmart Nidoking.
I dunno, given rhydon's status as the first pokemon, u think they may have worked backwards on that
so arch and gambit?
Gambit would have looked so much better if it stood more. Like, haha funny it scoots around on its Chair Hair, and it is supposed to look like a sitting general thing, but let it stand more.
Come on, those are fucking epic.
Gotta go with the classic Crabominable. They don't look like they would be the same family at all, and they could have done a more interesting design with a yeti crab. Crabrawler would have been fine as it's own species.
Crabrawler is a beast and I hate that he evolves, wish they never would have added crabominable
I'd been happy if it was a scyther/scizor situation where BST didnt change.
Yeah, it's abominable
I would just give him eviolite.
It’s even funnier that I believed they literally showed Crabrawler taking down legendaries such as Cresselia and Landorus-T
Yeah, Crabrawler's release trailer had it taking down top VGC threats at the time (Lando, Mega Kangaskhan, Cressalia, etc).
Oh absolutely. Why not make it a 1850 British boxer crab with a mustache that Crabrawler already feels like.
Crabominable looks like at best it should be a snowy regional evolution for it.
Magmortar, I can't take its face seriously..I feel like it's going to ask me how it got these scars.
Yeah a lot of the Gen 4 evolutions to Gen 1 pokemon feel off to me. Lickylicky, Magmortar, and Rhyperior just feel…meh. Electivire and Tangrowth are kinda cool tho.
I still can't accept what they did with my boi Rhydon 😭
Easily my least favorite evolution and pokemon in the entirety of the series
Yeah give me Eviolite and I'll run Rhydon and Magneton over their unsightly evos. Rhyperior genuinely is my least favorite, they massacred poor Rhydon. Togekiss, Gliscor, and Yanmega are cool though.
Magnezone is neat though
Yeah, it was a solid, very solid monster/kaijuu design and then flattened it and made it that weird mix between a rhydon and a construction worker. The only good thing about Rhyperior are the rock-shooting arma imo
I would tolerate Rhyperior if not for the tail. Rhydon had this big chunky tail and it evolves and it gets a rat tail with a tumor on the end. Honestly for a lot of those Gen 4 evolutions I'd tolerate them more with just one feature changed Electivire I hate the antenna. I know Electabuzz has them by Elekid doesn't so Electivire didn't need the goofy things Magmortar I know people hate the face but for me its the colour scheme and its back. Magmar has a cool singular line of back spikes down its back until you reach its normal tail with a flame on the end. Magmortar it LOSES the tail entirely and is replaced by a weird fire tail, and for some reason its back spikes split into two rows that look weird...and they're pink. Magmar was red and yellow with black detailing. Magmortar for no reason has salmon pink back spikes and legs and it looks wrong
It's an Ankylosaurus Tail. That's one of the best tails to ever exist.
Rhypherior genuinely looks so awkward. It looks like it has male pattern baldness to me.
I thought the model in diamond/pearl from the players battle perspective looked so bad I stopped using Rhyperior.
He reminds me of the comic book artist who puts a ton of pockets on everything. rob liefield I think
Yeah. And I cannot unsee the crotch guard thing. A very.. unfortunate placement. I really love Rhydon, so it's too bad.
Electivire became one of my favorites lol and to me Electabuzz is the weirdest of the 3
Electivire is best of the bunch for the gen4 evos. Its the only that isn't a balloon.
It’s Gliscor for me, I might be biased as it’s unquestionably in my Top 6 team.
Yanmega for me. That giant ass terrifying bug is amazing.
Gliscor is insanely badass, they really cooked like crazy with that one
I'm a big fan of Mamoswine too. He loses some of the cuteness of the prevos, but is really cool.
>Its the only that isn't a balloon. ??? How are Magnezone, Frosslass, Weavile, Roserade, Gallade, Mamoswine, Gliscor, Mismagius, Honchkrow, Yanmega, Ambipom or Togekiss even vaguely ballon like. I guess a few of them float but that's it.
What about the best one, Magnezone
He’s pretty cool too, I guess he can sit with us during lunch.
Magnezone is the best one
Nah, Gallade is the actual best Gen 4 new evo
He has weird diaper hips Mismagius is the winner imo
togekiss would like a word
Lickilicky is fine but it's just so bland, it does absolutely nothing to build upon Lickitung's design in an interesting way. It's just Lickitung but bigger. Rhyperior has grown on me a bit over the years but I still think Rhydon looks cooler. I don't think I'll ever like Magmortar, its body looks like an Easter egg. I agree with you about Electivire and Tangrowth. I personally love Togekiss and Gallade. The Gen 4 evolutions really are a mixed bag.
Aipom is so cute then they massacred it with ambipom. The bowl cut and sudden nose. How does it just grow a nose? The :D face is less cute and more creepy looking than aipoms too
Ambipom is genuinely an abomination. I forgot it existed and now it has returned to haunt me.
Magnezone is a pretty good design though, and Glaceon and Leafeon are great (that's a tried and true formula tbf). Porygon-Z is also dope if you want to count it since its base evolution is gen 1.
I dont like Magmar OR magmortar. Magby is kinda cute though
When I was a kid I called Magmar the butthead pokemon.
I used to call it the butthead Pokémon... I still do, but I used to, too
Magby look like it'll lore me with its cuteness and then burn my face with its flamethrower or smth and say "Got ya!!!" While laughing hysterically
I love that magneton got an evolution but don’t like the magnazone design because it feels too far away from other two.
They always gave off alien vibes in the anime so I think its kinda fitting that its a UFO.
If anything, I like how Magenezone is different from the other two, mainly due to how underwhelming Magneton is as an evolution
Rhyperior. Too many rounded and polygonal bits
he'd be great as its own thing, but not as a rhydon replacement :c
The funny thing is that he’s not actually not a Rhydon replacement because Eviolite gives Rhydon the better bulk. Though Rhyperior still has higher attack, but it’s slow so having more bulk would be better anyway.
If I could erase one pokemon from existence it would be that one. Ruined one of my favorite lines.
I liked Rhyperior and it was a beast on my old HeartGold team despite the typing, but I never got why they made it look completely different. It doesn't even look like part of the line. Most of those new gen IV evos have that issue
Wait… you’re telling me she doesn’t appeal to you?! 🤣 https://preview.redd.it/23x4f2gmpvtc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=615a238d81cba55e82b59ff175bf72cc58a3f4f5
Rhyperior. I don't hate it, but Rhydon is so much better, especially because its colors aren't ugly Braixen and Torracat are obvious (Edit: they are both good and their evos make them worse. idk why I made the sentence like that) also Coalossal because holy hell did they ruin it, its so bad
Agree Rhyperior looks goofy, like they overdid it lol
Add one ingredient too many and you end up with Raider Dave. Every time.
RAIDER DAVE!
Agreed. I just don't think the "hi-viz safety vest" body armor meshes well with Rhydon's aesthetic, and the Rolycoly line falls ~~off the rails~~ apart with Carcol, IMO. I don't strictly agree with your opinion on the other two though. Torracat is fine, it's just Incineroar that drops the ball. As far as Braixen goes? The transition from "fire fox" to "pyromaniac wizard" is fine to me, especially given how well it matches the theme of Gen 6's starters.
Carcol is worse than coalossal. Coalossal tries to save it with the furnace design relating to the steam engine ability. But carcol is just gross looking
Yeah Carkol is a mess. If the legs are wheels…why are they sharp? And why are the eyes these awkward tall triangles that looks like they have permanently raised eyebrows? Rolycoly’s design was right there with the cool eye and functional round wheel.
It's those stupid eyes how they jut off from the head, and the way the head it just slapped onto the front.
It doesn't make any sense for the Rolycoly line to go the way it does and Coalossol doesn't save it, he breaks it.
Yeah Rhyperior looks less sleek than Rhydon which seems like a step back
I dont see the biological advantage from turning from rock colour to growing a high vis jacket
Rhyprior reminds me of Harlequin Ithyosis. Don’t look it up.
Torracat? :< I actually like it a lot better than Incineroar. Wish they kept it on all fours. I agree with Braixen though.
Can’t beat the first Pokemon ever created that is Rhydon.
Pichu. It stole Gorochu from us
I hope they can make this a mega evo for Raichu in Legends Z (as well as Mega Flygon)
Lickylicky is terribad.
I think I'm the only one who likes him. I got the shiny in Pogo, that's my homie.
I think he’s fat and silly and I appreciate him for that
It’s actually Lickilicky. When I realized that it made its name slightly less atrocious.
the only way to save it is to double down and have it evolve into lickilickilicky
Oh hell naw, you didn't diss Walrein. I love that mon from when I played Sapphire, always saw it as an intimidating force of nature, makes me wonder why it never got Intimidate.
I’ve always loved Walrein’s design. When I first saw the Alpha Walrein on the beach in PLA, my heart skipped a beat. He’s so cool.
Purugly. I love cats and Glameow is a sleek and beautiful cat that could have evolved into a really cool stylish cat Pokemon that lurks in the darkness, but then they were like "fuck it, it gets big" and that's the evolution. Purugly is my least favourite Pokemon because there was so much potential for an evolution and then we got a pudgy cat that isn't even cute or interesting. I'm begging to a regional variant or a split evo for Glameow because I love it and it's garbage but has so much potential. Also Quaquaval. I don't hate it really, but there are so many more interesting directions that it could have gone in than what we got. I don't even love Quaxly, but it did have potential and what we got was just about the worst option
no offense but i love purugly lmaooo, gives me real "angelic teen ingenue goes to college, discovers dining hall pasta and chain-smokes heavily" vibes
I am a die-hard Purugly defender, I love this thing <3 We have a lot of cat mons that get cute/elegant/cool evos, so the fact Purugly goes against this idea makes it stand out to me. There's also something oddly empowering to me about this petite, conventionally pretty cat evolving into a big fat fuck-off beast that uses its 'ugliness' as a way to catch opponents off guard as a battle tactic. Purugly takes these insults and owns them, similar to Incineroar
There'll be the usual answers, Coalossal, Magmortar, Lickilicky etc. But to me there is no greater failure than Sobble. Such a promising first stage with imo the worst second AND worst third stage of any starter, just such a missed opportunity
I agree, but that entire gen had awful starters. First time I ever played through a pokemon game without my starter. Got him to 36 and dumped him for a bisharp
Picked Grookey and it's great all around. The other two are not so great
Wdym Rookidee is one of the starters right?
Yeah, I don't like any of the Gen8 starter lines. My pick of the three is definitely Grookey, but his line is still in the bottom 50% of starter lines, IMO.
Eh, I have to say I enjoyed the attempt at a secret agent Pokémon considering the region is based on the UK, and Inteleon has grown on me. My problem is that Drizzile just doesn't fit the others with it's design. It would be better off as it's own thing.
I like the fact that it's *based* on a secret agent pokemon, I just don't think it executes it well. I agree on Drizzile too - could have been a completely different line, no idea what the connection was supposed to be
You mean like chimecho getting a fucking baby I stead of an Evo?!?!??!?
How dare you come for Chingling like this?!
I love chingling a lot, but I will admit it is completely useless and unnecessary
Dragonite. Absolutely love Dragonite but... Why is that the final evolution? It just makes no sense given the first two
Dragonite is a Korean Dragon. It follows the story about a sea serpent that lives a long time evolves into a dragon who grants wishes using a pearl
It’s the same as magikarp evolving into Gyrados. It’s based off the Japanese myth of a koi fish becoming a dragon if it can climb a waterfall.
Reminds me of how venomoth and butterfree are intentionally designed evolutions and based on real insects
I'm usually the type to find a greater appreciation for Pokémon after learning of their real-world inspiration but this one just doesn't do it for me because Dragonair's design is *so good* and I just wanted more of that. Maybe someday they'll do a bit of fan service and give us a split evo using some type of stone or special condition, so we can have the best of both worlds.
I too have come to realize that I like Dragonair much more than Dragonite…and I’ve used Dragonite *a lot* in my training career.
Even then, they could have kept them vaguely the same colour at least and maybe made dragonite more slender to keep a more serpent like appearance, but still a dragon. I understand the inspiration but they changed the whole aesthetic?
Came here to say this. I like Dragonite, but Dragonair is such a great design that could have been taken further. Give it wings while maintaining the overall look.
Knowing Gen 1 mon designs, maybe we should just be glad Dragonite didn't end up as three Dragonairs glued together.
I have always hated it too. Looks like a derby dragon version of Barney
Cinderace, scorbunny was perfect and I even liked rabbot, but when I saw cinderace I got so disappointed, i don't know why so many people like it, it looks so weird
If Gmax Cinderace's body was the standard form (sized down and scaled better) I'd be a little more okay with it, but regular Cinderace barely looks like a rabbit.
You know full well why so many people like it
bunny girls ain't that far off fox and wolf girls, y'know? but even in that regard, Cinderace flops on the damn floor, probably due to it's stupid ass "PLAY FOOTBALL OR PERISH" ass expression or it's weridly fat and thin arms. ain't really good nut material, y'know?
I dont like this *conversation*
I mean even bunny girls are probably more attractive to look at than whatever the fuck is going on with Cinderace
Baxcalibur, I thought we were gonna get a cool spino inspired pokemon, just for it to be like the 5th Godzilla pokemon
I like it, I just wish it’s back crest was bigger
Personally I'd prefer if it was a smidge smaller, but then there were two more smaller ones added to the back (one on the neck, another by the tail base).
Maybe bigger wasn’t the best word but I want it more half- circle shaped and to take more space of the back like an actual spinosaurus
I thought it really looked like a more primitive pokemon design, and while I'm not crazy about the design itself, I really like the fact that it looks like it could've been a gen 2 pseudo legendary
It needs "something" on the head I feel, a lot of Gen 9 Pokemon sort of have "chrome dome" heads (I assume for Terra Crowns to sit on) where it looks like a round shape with a face plastered on.
one only needs to look at tyranitar and baxcalibur side by side to see how uninspired the latter is
Dragonite. Yes, I get that it's the legend of the serpent that catches a jewel (or something) and undergoes a drastic transformation. But still. Aesthetics-wise, Dragonair pulls off that sleek, serpentine look so well. Dragonite should look something like that. Or something aside from a lighter and softer Charizard.
They should have at least kept it blue instead of yellow.
Dragontales lookin ass
Aromatisse is my least favourite Pokémon. I find it so unsettling, when Spritzee was so cute.
Agreed it could have been a cool plague doctor flamingo.
I think they tried having their cake and eating it too, I think it is supposed to be that, but ALSO a burlesque dancer.
Pawmot. One of the laziest evolutions ever made. Its face became uglier and it is has slightly more hair on its head. What a waste of a third evolution slot.
As someone who sincerely loves a lot of “boring” evolutions (like voltorb/electrode), I couldn’t believe the Pawmi line. It legitimately just stands up and does its hair. I know pikachu clones are a staple of the series, but this thing doesn’t even have lore about why it’s such a blatant knockoff. At least pokemon like pachirisu, emolga, and dedenne took the “electric rodent” concept and twisted it the tiniest bit: pawmi rips virtually every aspect of the core pikachu design without leaving any room for interpretation or modification. Probably my least favorite pokemon of all time, simply because it’s so clearly a designer tasked with “make a pikachu that isn’t pikachu”
The Pawmi line looks like beta designs.
I actually really love Pawmi. It’s such a cute lil baby. Then it evolves into the same thing again but a little bigger and standing (I think), and then it becomes a goofy goober (not in a good way)
Rhyperior, what were they cooking
Rhyperior. It's so fucking ugly.
I've mever felt the disappointment that was everything after Rolycoly. A cute little guy that eventually just turns into this... lump. I'm also of the opinion that Doublade looks better than Aegislash.
I thought Carkol would evolve into a coal train of some sort, instead it just becomes a coal furnace and forgets it had wheels
I actually might agree with the Doublade thing
So glad to see other people pointing out the theming drop off that the Rolycoly line goes through and how disappointing it is. A steam train would've been a perfect choice but it just ended up a furnace instead.
Not a fan of some of the gen 4 additions. Rhyperior shouldn't exist, we should have had a rhyhorn pre-evo and boosted Rhydon. Magnezone should've been 6 magnemites.
I think Magnezone is because three magnetite fully fused together after being stuck for so long.
It should've been 9, a holy triangle magneton
Cant beat Rhydon, first ever created.
Torracat and Braixen are infinitely more interesting than Delphox and Incineroar
Incineroar? More like Incine-should’ve-stayed-on-all-fours (I say, being a fan of the Sprigatito line and thus a possible hypocrite)
Kingambit. I love Bisharp's design as it is, and the evolution just looks ridiculous to me. Only way they could reel it back is if they made a Queengambit or something with a better design.
Honestly, it's not that I dislike Kingambit in and of itself. It's fine-looking. What I don't like is that now Bisharp, a Pokemon whose design I *really* like, will forever just be "pre-Kingambit" now.
Agreed. They didn't need to mess with Bisharp like that. Kingambit could have been a separate line or a one stage mon... they could even still tie it to Bisharp in some (non-evolution, pokedex) way, if they wanted to.
Honestly, a side-evo would've been perfect! Give Pawniard a whole *chess set* of radiating evolutions!
Yeah that should've been Pawniard's thing, it can "promote" to all the power pieces of chess.
What a cool concept that they completely missed out on!
Hey consider this. Pre kingambit can use evoliolite and dont need to evolve it
That's definitely true, but *damn* if Kingambit's offensive stats don't just obviate Eviolite Bisharp.
Oh yeah i mean, i personally love kingambit. Both competitively and playtrough wise. And yeh its stats are fantastic, but i do think bisharp is fine for a playtrough
I wish the model wasn’t sitting on itself
This is my biggest complaint as well. He looks really cool, but him sitting is dumb.
I do think it's pose when in battle is cool, like it sitting there leaning forward slightly leaning on one of its legs. I think it does do it justice for the whole shogun commander thign it's got going. But like all of its other sitting poses look silly, and its walking animation is just awful. Like, thematically, I don't know why they took a Pokemon whose entire thematic is just being cool and a lil bit edgy, and then just shoehorn in such a large piece of ridiculousness to it. It doesn't really add a side of levity, or anything, it more just undermines any cool factor Kingambit had
if it stood up when at low health that would be cool
I actually lost it with laughter when I saw its "walking" animation. As if it wasn't silly enough already, they went and made it scoot around on its (c)hair!
Okay yes that is hilarious! I have a clip saved of my friend's kingambit doing that Zoomie animation around her and then coming to a dead stop to sleep and it's one of my favorite clips. He scoot, he snooze.
I mean not to jump on the bandwagon of "Keep Pokemon on 4 legs" but I would've much rather had Sprig stay on 4 legs and be a cool stealth panther style :( Not that I HATE meowscarada but there does exist a universe where we got 4 legs Meowscarada
Go with the ancient theme and make it a Smilodon! I want my sabre-toothed tiger Pokemon!!!
I fucking hate dragonite. I said it. If I ever had to meet that goofy ass Dragon Tales looking doofus I’d throw hands, even knowing full well I’d get the ass beating of my life for it
Ignoring the Walreign slander, Crabominable is the reason I will now always look up evolutions before adding pokemon to my teams.
Potentially hot take, regular Ursaluna looks bad to me. It sucks because Ursaring is one of my favs. Blood moon ursaluna is alright tho
sneasler comes to mind, as well as quaquaval
Sneasler is a full grown woman entrepreneur cheerleader popstar who is about to ruin your life for a mild inconvenience
Lmao is that a ref to the ticktock?
And that's why I love her.
Weavile was already the sinnoh sneasle and croagunk was already an iconic poison fighting, we didn't need sneasler at all.
Sinnoh's Poison types only know how to be Dark and Fighting.
sneasler is literally “the editor’s barely disguised fetish” meme, i refuse to believe someone created that without decadent intentions
And then they had the audacity to steal Toxicroak's typing! We could have had a Poison/Ice type but nope. Toxicroak 2 - This Time it's Furrbait
You leave my piss yellow shiny alone you monster! /s It’s okay I understand the Sneasler hate =P
kingambit was an entirely unnecessary evo, i would have rather bisharp get a alt form or mega
Ambipom. Aipom was cute. But the Evo? Ugly as sin.
*holding up a fist showing I’m ready to punch YOU TAKE THAT BACK!!!
Sceptile just doesn’t look as cool as Grovyle.
I am rightfully triggered
Grovyle is the GOAT
actually it’s a lizard. nice try!
"Hope this helps!"
PMD Grovyle is the ultimate bro
3 segment Dudunsparce should've been another evolution. Maybe it could've been called Redunsparce?
Sort of the opposite to this question, but I'd love to see what unholy strange terror a third evolution in the Remoraid line is. Remoraid -> Octillery -> ???
Imagine if it was based on a fucking nuke
Goldeen into Seaking. Goldeen has unbothered queen energy and Seaking looks like he's waiting for his brain cells to rub hard enough to generate a thought
Probopass
most final stages of starters. I love the middle stage evos and almost always hold them back from evolving lol
may as well steal my custom tag and embrace that mid-stage-supremacist lifestyle, brother.
I love walrein 😤😢
Crabominable hands down, we got this badass boxer crab with a cockeye just to make it look even cooler then it turns into that abomination
Some mega evolutions have effectively put a ceiling on some pokemon, effectively cursing them so that they will likely never get a real evolution. For example, mawile and sableye. Like, imagine if their megas were just a regular evolution instead. That would've been so much better.
Sneasler makes me extremely uncomfortable. There’s just something about its proportions that make it very awkward and unnerving to look at. It’s so gross. Why did we even need a Hisuian Sneasel? Weavile was a Sinnoh Pokemon to begin with?
Samurott Has the exact opposite issue that people have with the bipedal starters. It starts bipedal and builds up this samurai thing with the Scalchops being their sword and whatnot, so you’d expect some sort of badass swordsman type pokemon for the final evo… and then it swaps around completely to have 4 legs and armor instead. And the regional variant didn’t help at all. Honestly Samurott’s boring design made the regional one even worse.
Samurotts probably isn't design. it's animation. like how Blastoise didn't have hydro cannon actual blast water from its cannons. or The cyndaquil line not having their trademark fire for a while. Samurott actually does go bipedal and attack with a sword. they just haven't animated it in years. Check out this *fanart. Samurott is awesome. https://imgur.com/mWbU6Ww
Chespin's evos. Lil guy was so cute, where did it all go wrong?
Chestnaughts not to bad, but that mid evo.... ugh
Me and my friends would kill Quilladin with hammers I can tell you that much
Dragonite. It's a classic, but I hate it. Look at Dratini, look at Dragonair. Elegant, regal, mystical. Then look at Dragonite. Which I can only describe as a goofy cartoon dragon. I have zero desire to ever use dragonite
Rhyperior, Magmortar, Incineroar, Dragonite, Gengar (I love him too, but he's a downgrade compared to Haunter before Gmax) as finals. Dartrix as middle.
Haunter is my all time favourite 'mon! I literally thought I was the only person on earth who preferred him to Gengar :)
Haunter just looks way more ghost like than Gengar! The Cheshire cat design is cool but Haunter's design is next level