Pokemon Scarlet and Violet introduced the largest number of new pocket monsters ever since the release of Gen 5, and while this is a great milestone that bodes well for the future of the franchise, there are also some critters that don't stand out much. For example, not all Gen 9 players were happy with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Paradox Pokemon, which can feel like yet another convoluted way to bring back older pocket monsters with a different attire, which regional forms have done many times in the past.
Still, there's a bigger pet peeve that some Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players have with Gen 9, and that's the fact that it features several evolution lines where the final stage is not too different from the base form. This is not uncommon in the Pokemon franchise as a whole, but there are a few perfect representatives of this logic in Gen 9, which is seen by some as a design flaw. It is possible that this is actually due to how many new Pokemon are included in the games, however.
Dudunsparce's Wasted Potential
A major gripe that Dunsparce fans have with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is that Gen 9 finally included an evolution for this critter, and then missed the mark by just making it a bit bigger. Many suggestions that were shared over the years for Dunsparce's hypothetic evolution mentioned that the Pokemon should gain Ground as its secondary type due to its digging, whereas others hoped for it to become a Normal/Dragon hybrid that goes ham in terms of design. None of these options were the real thing, and Dudunsparce barely changes from its base form, instead.
Houndstone is Just a Bigger Greavard
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Another Pokemon that doesn't change much when it evolves is Greavard, as its evolution, called Houndstone, retains the same themes of its base form and slightly tweaks them. Although Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Houndstone was banned from competitive tournaments for being too strong, its aesthetic wasn't blessed with the same level of detail. The Pokemon gains a tombstone in place of Grevard's candle when it evolves, and its hair becomes longer, with the main difference being that Houndstone is a bigger skeletal dog.
Finizen and Palafin's Strange Case
Finizen and Palafin may very well be the weirdest Pokemon in the history of the series due to the final form only gaining a heart-shaped mark on its chest when it evolves. For every other intent and purpose, Finizen and Palafin are identical to one another. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Palafin only differs significantly from its base stage in its Zero to Hero special form, which makes it a big, Superman-like dolphin.
Bramblin and Brambleghast's Lack of Personality
Bramblin is a tumbleweed Grass/Ghost Pokemon that players encounter in Gen 9, and it evolves into Brambleghast through Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's walking feature, called Let's Go. While the evolution method perfectly matches the critter's being a tumbleweed, Brambleghast is barely different from its base stage, as it just becomes bigger and highlights the eyes more than Bramblin's design does.
Why Pawmi's Evolution Line Shows Game Freak is Self-Aware
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Even though Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Pawmi changed Nuzlocke runs forever due to its signature moves and base stats, the same can't be said about its appearance and how it changes across its three stages. Pawmi evolves into Pawmo, which is slightly bigger, stands on two legs, and has a different hairstyle. Then, Pawmo evolves into Pawmot, which repeats the same steps as its pre-evolution, ultimately becoming just "bigger Pawmi." Even these Pokemon's names don't change much, and that's probably Game Freak being self-aware.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.
