Summary
Not allPokemonare created equal, and the sad truth is that a lot of them fail in their execution. Whether it’s because of a boring design or a poorly thought concept, every single generation has its fair share of Pokemon that most people would rather forget ever existed.
But that’s exactly where one of this franchise’s strengths comes into play.Every single generationis a new opportunity for the designers atGame Freakto fix or redeem a disappointing Pokemon from the past. And nowadays, there are a lot of amazing, fan-favorite creatures that wouldn’t have come to fruition if not for their bland pre-evolution from a previous generation.
Zubat&Golbatareinfamous Pokemon from Generation 1since they often plagued dark caves and annoyed the player in the process. Maybe most of them would’ve forgiven this if they were interesting creatures to catch and train, but the truth is that they have ugly designs and an uninteresting concept, especially Golbat.
This would thankfully be fixed in the very next generation whenCrobatwas introduced. With higher stats and a slick design (mostly thanks to its four wings), it manages to keep everything that made this line unique, while being a better bat Pokemon at the same time.
2Farfetch’d (Generation 1)
Evolves Into Sirfetch’d In Generation 8
Longtime fans had been asking for aFarfetch’devolution for many years. This is a funny Pokemon based on a Japanese saying, but it was also forgettable and weak. It needed an improvement that could take such a unique idea and turn it into something special.
ComeSword & Shieldand the introduction of regional evolutions, and now Farfetch’d had a Galarian form with an evolution of its own, known asSirfetch’d. This is an imposingFighting-typePokemon with a giant sword and shield combo that is made out of the leek it was holding. The fans approved, as it finally felt like this little duck had reachedits full potential.
3Tangela (Generation 1)
Evolves Into Tangrowth In Generation 4
As beloved and nostalgic as Generation 1 is, most people would struggle to rememberTangelaexists in the first place. It’s a weird and confusing Grass-type Pokemon, in a sea of better Grass-types, that never sticks out in any way.
Generation 4 was well received because it introduced so many new evolutions for old Pokemon, giving them a chance to shine. And Tangela was one of the lucky ones, with the introduction ofTangrowth. While its design didn’t change much, this evolution hasa lot more personality to it. Not to mention, it’s a bulky Pokemon that can do quite well in battle.
4Seadra (Generation 1)
Evolves Into Kingdra In Generation 2
Seahorses are beautiful animals with a lot of potential for some unique Pokemon. Sadly, the first time Game Freak tried this, it led to the creation ofSeadra’sevolutionary line. WhileHorseais rather cute, its evolution left a lot to be desired, since it just looks like an angry and spiky seahorse.
One generation later, andKingdrawould be introduced, finally redeeming this entire family. Not only did it have an elegant and imposing design that captured the beauty of a seahorse, but it also had a secondaryDragon-type, meaning it was one of the most powerful Pokemon in the game.
Generation 2 introduced a concerning number of small, weak Pokemon that seemed to be destined to receive a cross-gen evolution later down the line. Such was the case ofYanma, an adorable but dull Pokemon that just looked like a dragonfly. It wasn’t really worth catching or training.
ButGeneration 4 delivered once againwith the introduction ofYanmega. The idea was brilliant: take a generic dragonfly Pokemon into a faster and stronger creature that is based on a Meganeura, a prehistoric species of dragonfly. The only disappointment is that it’s not even aDragon-type.
6Misdreavus (Generation 2)
Evolves Into Mismagius In Generation 4
In another odd design choice, Generation 2 introduced just one new Ghost-type Pokemon in the form ofMisdreavus. While it certainly has a cute appearance, it was quickly forgotten by most fans, especially since it paled in comparison to the popularGengarevolutionary family.
Years later, Generation 4 introducedMisdreavus’ cross-gen evolution:Mismagius. This fix was rather simple since giving this evolution solid stats and a creative new design based on witches was enough to make it one of the most memorable new Pokemon in theSinnohregion.
7Stantler (Generation 2)
Evolves Into Wyrdeer In Generation 8
There are few things in this franchise that are as disappointing as a Pokemon with wasted potential.Stantlerwas such a case. While the concept of a creature that can create illusions with fake eyes on its antlers was interesting, it ended up being a forgettable deer. And the worst part was that it wasn’t even aPsychic-type.
To the surprise of most fans,Pokemon Legends: ArceusintroducedWyrdeer, a brand-new evolution of Stantler. While its appearance didn’t change all that much, it was enough to show off this amazing concept. On top of that, it had way better stats, and it finally gained the Psychic-type it always deserved.
8Qwilfish (Generation 2)
Evolves Into Overqwil In Generation 8
Similarly to Yanma,Qwilfishis another case of a small and weak Pokemon that was introduced in theJohtoregion. And, to make things even worse, it was quite difficult to find, meaning that maybe most players knew nothing about its existence. Qwilfish’s situation didn’t get any better in over twenty years.
That was untilPokemon Legends: Arceusintroduced Hisuian Qwilfish, and with it,a brand-new evolution for this linenamedOverqwil. Brilliant name aside, this is an intimidating Pokemon that made use of how dangerous both puffer fish and naval mines truly are, with better typing and stats on top of that.
The group of Pokemon known by fans as“Regional Rodents”is a mixed bag. While some of them, likeRaticateorFurret, are extremely memorable, many others are just uninteresting. And, for many years,Linoonefrom the Hoenn Region was a perfect example of the latter. It didn’t have an awful design, but it looked like a mere weasel with nothing unique added to it.
Pokemon Sword & Shieldfixed this, not only by adding a regional form of Linoone but also with a new regional evolution:Obstagoon. This giant badger with a creative design based on the band KISS is one of the most beloved Pokemon of the Galar region, and it finally brought its evolutionary family into the spotlight.
Even thoughPokemon Black & Whiteareoften praised as the best installments in the entire franchise, they were also guilty of introducing some truly mediocre Pokemon.Basculinis considered to be one of the most boring creatures in theUnovaregion, and Ken Sugimori even admitted that it was created just because they needed more fish Pokemon. Basculin is the definition of filler.
That’s whyBasculegionfromPokemon Legends: Arceuswas such a breath of fresh air and one of the most beloved cross-gen evolutions. This generic little fish was turned into a gigantic monster from the deeps, a creature that carries the souls of its brethren, is way more powerful, and gained the Ghost-type. Who would’ve thought that such a boring Pokemon would later evolve into one of the most impressive ones?
