Potential Alolan Pokémon Evolutions for Generation 10

Highlights

Cross-gen evolutions can enhance the design and excitement of Pokémon games, and Alola has potential candidates for this feature.

Cross-gen evolutions could greatly enhance the battle capabilities and significance of Pokémon such as Gumshoos, Oricorio, Araquanid, and Minior. By establishing a connection between Minior and extraterrestrial organisms within the Pokémon world, Generation 10 could introduce an intriguing narrative and exciting gameplay opportunities.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are quickly approaching their one-year anniversary. While fans eagerly anticipate the arrival of Gen 10 Pokemon games in the near future, official announcements regarding the mainline series are yet to come. However, there is an abundance of material available for Game Freak to draw from for the next generation. The goal would be to surpass the achievements of Gen 9 while addressing any criticisms from fans. One effective approach would be to introduce more cross-gen evolutions, particularly utilizing the diverse creatures found in the Alola region.

Cross-gen evolutions offer a fantastic opportunity for the series to enhance the design of existing evolutionary lines and provide fans with thrilling new Pokemon to anticipate. Recent examples like Annihilape and Kingambit in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, as well as Kleavor in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, demonstrate the success of such additions for beloved species. While Alola is a relatively recent region, it boasts numerous Pokemon that could greatly benefit from a rejuvenation in order to truly shine.

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Ultra Beasts are not included due to their already very high base stats and powerful moves, which makes them more akin to Legendaries than regular Pokemon.

Gumshoos

Oricorio

Gumshoos, along with Alolan Raticate, is considered one of the weakest Totem Pokemon in Generation 7. It has struggled to find its place in Pokemon games due to its Normal-type and underwhelming stat distribution. However, if Gumshoos were to receive a cross-gen evolution, along with a new secondary type, improved stats, and a wider movepool, it could potentially become a more valuable choice. Currently, there is little justification for using Gumshoos in modern games unless it is part of a story team. Nonetheless, with some enhancements, it has the potential to surpass its current limitations.

Despite its potential for improved performance in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet compared to previous generations, Oricorio remains a relatively mediocre creature in battle. The existence of four different forms of Oricorio provides a fascinating opportunity for a cross-generational evolution in future Gen 10 Pokemon games. This evolution could involve either four distinct variations of Oricorio or four separate evolutions, each with its own unique name, type, and move set. Oricorio's design and battle gimmicks hold significant untapped potential, which could be fully realized in upcoming games.

Araquanid

Araquanid's type combination is fairly decent when compared to other creatures, but Bug-type Pokemon may benefit from improvements in Generation 10 due to their underwhelming offensive capabilities and vulnerability in terms of defenses. The primary issue with Araquanid is its intended role as a Special Defense wall, as its low HP and Defense stats hinder its effectiveness, particularly with a move pool that does not enhance its tanking abilities. Introducing a cross-generational evolution could rectify many of the weaknesses of this Water/Bug creature, and Generation 10 holds the potential for such a transformation.

Minior

Minior, a Pokemon that has yet to appear on the Switch, has sparked controversy due to its numerous forms and unconventional appearance, leaving some questioning its status as a complete Pokemon. A fascinating possibility for future Gen 10 Pokemon games would be to establish a connection between Minior and other extraterrestrial life forms within the vast universe, such as Eternatus, Beheeyem, or even the Ultra Beasts introduced in Gen 7. Given Pokemon's embrace of a multiverse concept, this idea could be easily justified, especially with the inclusion of a Minior evolution. Such an evolution would not only dive deeper into the lore but also offer a fresh perspective on gameplay, possibly introducing new Abilities.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is a franchise of the popular game series, Pokémon. It is available on the Switch platform and was released on November 18, 2022. The game was developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. It falls under the RPG genre and has an ESRB rating of E for Everyone due to mild fantasy violence. On average, it takes about 32 hours to complete the game. The Metascore for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is 72.