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Pokemon Evolution Gimmicks have been around for a while now, and some of them like the Mega Evolution are a crucial part of every Pokemon title now. With the latest Pokemon Legends Z-A just around the corner, it would be interesting if we could move out of what we already know about these Evolution Gimmicks and step into the unknown with new mechanics.
In this article, we have explored five fresh ideas about new Pokemon Evolution Gimmicks that we would love to see in the franchise.
Note: This article is speculative and solely reflects the writer's opinions.
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Five new Pokemon Evolution Gimmicks that fans would love
After extensive brainstorming, here are five new Pokemon Evolution Gimmicks that could possibly make their way to Nintendo's next iteration in Pokemon Legends Z-A.
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1) Reverse Evolution
To start things off, some Pokemon might be able to de-evolve, under the right (or wrong) circumstances. If a Pocket Monster loses too many battles or is defeated several times by low-level critters, it stands a chance to de-evolve.
Reverse Evolution would also revert the stats and abilities of the critter to match its current form. However, the de-evolved Pokemon can gain the IVs of its higher evolved form if it holds a new special item - the deviolite.
This Pokemon Evolution Gimmick adds a layer of risk assessment for the trainer, where losing battles can potentially cause harm to their synergized teams. If a Gyarados suddenly reverse evolves in between a battle, the consequences can be - well - fishy, to say the least.
2) Mastered-move Evolution
Pokemon with exclusive moves can possibly only evolve after they have mastered their signature moves. Staying true to the age-old saying "practice makes perfect", by perfectly mastering a move, a critter can tap into its hidden potential. For example, Greninja can achieve a higher form of evolution by mastering its Water Shuriken move, and by using it to defeat enemies a minimum of 200 times.
This Pokemon Evolution Gimmick will cater well to competitive trainers, as mastering a move can potentially increase its accuracy stat, which is a significant advantage to hold in a Pokemon title.
3) Betrayal Evolution
You've heard of evolution by friendship, here we have evolution by betrayal. Betrayal evolution stems from the element of hatred against the trainer blooming in a Pokemon, but the mechanics extend far beyond that. Simply put, a critter will be eligible for betrayal evolution when it does not like its owner at all.
This can be because of poor play time, that is, the critter does not get enough time to battle as a member of the party. It can also be because of the trainer treating their Pokemon with cruelty. Factors like these evoke a sense of rebellion in the critter, which causes them to Betrayal Evolve.
This Pokemon Evolution Gimmick is exceptionally powerful, as the Pokemon boasts an insane boost in stats. The downside is, that it can choose to not listen to its trainer amid a battle. Every move has a 50% chance of triggering the "Betrayed Bond" passive, which if activated will let the Pocket Monster use any random move from its moveset pool, other than the one it was instructed to use.
4) Virus Evolution
A technologically advanced Pokemon Evolution Gimmick, the Virus Evolution requires injecting your Pocket Monster with a small dose of activated viruses. These viruses can have origins in three different locations - outer space, ultra space, and the distortion world. The origin location can severely impact the kind of evolution that would result from this.
Originally started by Team Rocket Leader Giovanni, to evolve a Pocket Monster with a virus, a Trainer needs to take it to the Pokemon V-Evolution Clinic located in the basement of Team Rocket's headquarters.
However, there is a severe risk contained within this technologically charged evolution - there is a 2% chance that your Pokemon might perish after being unable to adjust to a foreign virus in its biological system.
5) Status-effect Evolution
A rather situational Pokemon Evolution Gimmick, this trick allows a critter to evolve only when it has been afflicted with a particular status effect several times in battles. For example, a Croagunk will evolve into a Toxicroak only after it has been inflicted with the Poisoned status 50 times in different battles.
Similarly, a Munchlax will evolve into a Snorlax after it has been slept 50 times in different battles. On the 50th occurrence, the Pokemon will evolve mid-battle, and its secondary typing will be determined by the type of the status move.
Unlike the existing battle mechanics where status effects are only battle mechanics, this would add a new layer of meaning to them, with more Trainers encouraging these effects in their Pokemon's movesets.
