The Legends: Arceus on the Nintendo Switch. It shook the franchise up by incorporating some gameplay elements from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the Monster Hunter series, and it's officially proven to become the foundation for other mainline games going forward.
The Pokémon Company unveiled the ninth generation last month with the Scarlet and Violet. And given that the games, as of late, have been using new regions to give older creatures new evolutions, there are older classic and cult favorites that could benefit from the same treatment this holiday season.
Eevee
Eevee has been a massive fan-favorite in the Pokémon franchise thanks to its charming design and generational evolution gimmick. Its branching "Eeveelution" Pokémon are beloved for their inventive designs and Type mixups. The last time Eevee received a new evolution, however, was in the gen six Kalos games X and Y on the Nintendo 3DS.
This was, of course, the famous Fairy-Type Sylveon, but it's overdue for a new form since there are still 10 Types yet to be played with. Many fans have been hoping for a Steel, Dragon, or Fighting evolution, and since Eevee has gotten multiple evolutions within the same generation before, Game Freak could cover more ground than on the 3DS.
Arbok
Ekans and Arbok from the original Kanto-region games are good examples of simple yet effective creature designs. The latter could even be argued as one of the underrated Pokémon from Kanto, but it's been sadly neglected when it comes to battle prowess.
The Poison-Type cobra doesn't have the stats or deep movepool to help it cover more competitive ground, so that's why another evolution would be more than welcome. Along with a new evolution, it could also add get a dual typing like Poison/Dark, which could widen its movepool and bolster its defenses.
Dunsparce
The Johto-native Dunsparce has long since been one of the enigmas of the Pokémon franchise, as it's a simple monotype Normal species with an endearing yet frail design and, unfortunately, the stats to match. Ever since its introduction in the second generation of games, many fans seemed to think it was a Pokémon prime for an evolution.
And now with Regional Forms being a new gameplay mainstay, it's even more baffling that Dunsparce has yet to receive anything. Longtime fans have been sketching up what an evolution, Mega Evolution, or regional form might look like for several years, with one of the more popular designs being a Normal/Dragon-Type evolution. Only time will tell if Scarlet and Violet will finally do it justice.
Druddigon
If Arbok is one of Kanto's most overlooked, then Druddigon is one of the underrated Pokémon from the Unova region. While the franchise has arguably seen far stranger, Druddigon's contrasting color scheme didn't impress many players. Likewise, it didn't help that it was a Dragon-Type Pokémon dwarfed by stronger alternatives like Haxorus and Hydreigon.
This dragon was a single-stage species, so Scarlet and Violet's late 2022 arrival would be a great opportunity for a boost in relevance via evolution. Aside from a new design and stat buff, a hypothetical evolution would do good to bring a dual typing as well.
Girafarig
The second-generation Johto entries are among the best mainline Pokémon games to many fans, so it was more than welcome to see Legends: Arceus show some of its creatures some retroactive affection. But while the likes of Stantler and Ursaring received new evolutions, Girafarig was still left out.
It's been a shame for some fans, as the dual Normal/Psychic-Type is one of the more wonderfully bizarre designs in the series, but still feels like there's untapped potential. Also a single-stage Pokémon, Girafarig could use a power buff through evolution and a typing mixup. Another popular fan request has been to make use of its darker half to become a Dark/Psychic-Type.
Komala
Moving further up into the seventh generation of Alola, Komala is one of the Pokémon that surprised fans the most in 2016 when it didn't get an evolution. It's a charming koala-inspired design and an entertaining gimmick, as it lives perpetually asleep.
The small koala somewhat feels like an incomplete design, as if it has more to offer with at least one more stage. Komala's dex entry states that it's always asleep and thrashes wildly if its log is taken away, so that could be a creative basis for a new evolution. Making a grouchier and awake second stage could be an excuse for becoming a dual Normal/Fighting-Type.
Kangaskhan
Kangaskhan is a classic gen one Pokémon that seemingly has an evolution already planned out with the babies that these marsupial-inspired creatures carry in their pouches. It doesn't look like a straightforward smaller Kangaskhan, rather, it appears different enough physically to justify being an original species altogether.
New "baby Pokémon" are harder to come by in the games, so Scarlet and Violet would have an easy way of introducing a new species. To make things more interesting, though, this pre-evolution could have a branching final stage apart from Kangaskhan, too.
Pinsir
Pinsir also feels like a bit of squandered potential, as it has a great design with equally impressive Physical Attack and Defense potential. But it, unfortunately, doesn't have the typing to match. It's a monotype Bug Pokémon with some impressive access to Fighting-Type attacks, which means Pinsir misses out on a lot of Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) potential.
ittedly, Pinsir did get a Bug/Flying-Type Mega Evolution, but since Game Freak effectively cast that mechanic to the wayside, a new evolution could be justified. With that offensive movepool, making a dual Bug/Fighting evolution is a no-brainer in a similar vein as Heracross.
Mightyena
When it comes to design, the Hoenn-region native Mightyena feels fully realized. It's a sleek hyena/canine-inspired Pokémon with a fitting dark edge to it, but it's hampered by its average to below-average stat spread. Pokémon games have always been generally easy, so players could make one work in a single-player setting.
Even still, the Dark-type species deserves some justice for its battle prowess. That would make a Regional Form another welcome option, but a final stage in Scarlet and Violet would be a great opportunity to give this neglected Pokémon a full-blown evolutionary line. It feels overdue, especially since its fellow Zigzagoon line got both a Galar Form and new evolution in Sword and Shield.
Pachirisu
The sweet-looking Pachirisu is one of the Pokémon that fall into the colloquially named "Pikachu clone" group. Despite the name, it's an affectionate one since many fans look forward to what the latest entry will be with each generation.
The reason why Pachirisu specifically should get an evolution is because of its rare dual typing. Flying/Electric types are a rare commodity, as only Zapdos and Pachirisu have it. A case could be made for a new evolution on that basis alone, as it could be an even stronger battler with a final stage that makes better use of that typing by bolstering its stats and widening its movepool.
