5 best middle-child Pokemon evolutions of all time

Modified Jun 24, 2024 04:38 GMT

Pokemon evolutions are a fun mechanic. Almost every Pocket Monster has at least one evolutionary form. While watching your favorite creature evolve once is cool, watching them do so twice is double the fun. With the branched evolutions, the first-stage Pokemon often gets neglected or slip under the radar. Thus, they often fail to leave a prominent impression on the fans.

However, there are some extraordinary middle-child (first-stage) Pokemon evolutions, some of which this article will be looking at.

Note: This list is not ranked in any way, and solely reflects the writer's opinion.

Five best middle-child Pokemon evolutions to have ever existed

1) Loudred

The Hoenn region has a wide array of branched evolutions. A lot of the first-stage evolutions are worthy of being on this list but we feel that Loudred is the most fitting contender.

Whismur is a cute little rodent-like critter with ears that look like headphones keeping the outside world from getting in. Upon evolving, Whimur becomes more confident and grows speakers for years. Loudred has an excellent mini-character arc across the series and it is also an excellent attacker, thanks to its amazing move pool.

Loudred could be a Pokemon with no evolutionary line, but it manages to link something as timid as Whismur to Exploud, which is a massive pipe organ-like beast.

2) Dragonair

A good first-stage evolution should have the potential to bridge the gap between the base form and the final evolution. No one could do it as good as Dragonair. Dragonair is a great continuation of what Dratini brought to the table.

As majestic and gorgeous as Dragonair is, it has the potential to be a standalone beast. It looks powerful and amiable at the same time. The Pokemon Company, in a strange turn of events, made something as eccentric as Dragonite that does not bear any resemblance to its previous stage.

(We are not saying that Dragonite was unnecessary). But we feel that Dragonair could have been more prominent in the series.

3) Braixen

Fennekin is an adorable fox-like Pokemon while Delphox, the final stage of its evolution, is a magical monster that has an innate ability to play with fire. Braixen fit in the middle perfectly, linking these monsters on either side of the spectrum.

Braixen looks like a bipedal fox and is a great bridge that allows a smooth transition from Fennekin to Delphox. It would be bold if we were to say that Braixen catches the essence of what The Pokemon Company had in mind much better than Delphox.

4) Rhydon

Rhydon has been a fan favorite for decades. In fact, Rhydon was the first Pocket Monster to be designed by the franchise. It is the only monster on this list that was the final evolution in its family for a very long time till TPC decided to give it another branch. However, we feel that Rhydon should not have been made a middle child even though it does not take away from its character.

Besides being a better-standing Rhino than Rhyperior (the latter does not contribute to how things end in Sinnoh or gel well with what Rhyhorn stands for), Rhydon is a very powerful monster.

5) Bayleaf

Bayleaf is one of the best middle evolutions in the series. Chikorita made its debut in the second generation and people have always had a soft corner for this cute white critter with a leaf on its head.

However, being cute is not enough and Chikorita will never be as cool as Bayleaf. After evolving, Bayleaf becomes bigger and sharper and its overall design becomes much more appealing. It has an air of authority that seems to vanish when it evolves into Meganium. Even the leaf on Bayleaf's head looks a lot more intimidating compared to Meganium's antennae.

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