Thoughts on single stage Pokemon?

Excluding legendary pokemon in this group. The majority of people I've notice prefer Pokemon that evolve. Though the single stage pokemon range in a wide variety in battle and design, I personally like most of them.

I don't mind them. One of my favorites to use is Spinda, and last time I played through emerald with Torkoal.

They are great and need more love. The only problem is the vast majority aren't great competitively. I would say half deserve evolutions and half are perfect as they are.

noa said:

They are great and need more love. The only problem is the vast majority aren't great competitively. I would say half deserve evolutions and half are perfect as they are.

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What single stage do you think is a good example of needing an evolution?

Most single stage pokemon are underwhelming in the late game. At the beginning they cool and powerful, but after a while they just cant carry their own weight. Of course there are some really strong one stage pokemon, but I just prefer other pokemon.

Ironically some of them are some of the most creatively designed Pokémon in the game imo (Absol, Spinda, Farfetch'd, Unown, Girafarig, Ditto, Minior, Mimikiyu), but I still tend to not use them too much because they don't seem to hold up much past the early game. I have gotten some really powerful ones before though - Farfetch'd is almost always my Kanto ace, and twice have I used a powerful Absol as a sweeper. Maybe I should be trying out some of the different ones too

strangerhypno said:

What single stage do you think is a good example of needing an evolution?

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I would say Jynx. I think everyone thought she would get one after Electabuzz and Magmar did, since she got a baby form with them but who knows why they didn't do it.

I like them a lot. A lot of my favorites don't evolve like Snorlax, Lapras, Heracross and Mimikyu has become a new favorite.

bouffalant, hawlucha, girafarig, tauros, skarmory, basculin , druddigon, dhelmise are awesome imo
relicanth, pkykumyuku, maractus, zangoose, seviper, solrock and lunatone, farfetch'd have pretty great designs too.
(heracross and sableye are sweet, but do they count with their mega evos?)

Sigilyph, Hawlucha, and Mimikyu are some of my favorite Pokemon from their respective generations, and if you don't count mega evolutions or other forms, then Absol, Heracross, and Rotom are right up there as some of my favorites as well. I honestly don't think that all Pokemon need an evolution to be good, though there are definitely those out there (first few that come to mind are Farfetch'd, Qwilfish, and Luvdisc) that I'd never think of using just because I know they won't get any better.

Qwilfish isn't that bad, it has a nice typing and later generations intimidate which makes it decently defensive + a tolerable attack stat and a good support movepool. Definitely better than Farfetch'd and Luvdisc in battle.

Skarmory, Smeargle and Heracross are definitely my favorite single stages, Mantine was too before it got a pre-evolution.

Rainbow said:

Ironically some of them are some of the most creatively designed Pok?mon in the game imo (Absol, Spinda, Farfetch'd, Unown, Girafarig, Ditto, Minior, Mimikiyu), but I still tend to not use them too much because they don't seem to hold up much past the early game. I have gotten some really powerful ones before though - Farfetch'd is almost always my Kanto ace, and twice have I used a powerful Absol as a sweeper. Maybe I should be trying out some of the different ones too

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Same, basically. Many are super interesting because they have to be interesting off the bat instead of relying on evolving in order to become cool. But my Zangoose and Skarmory held their own throughout Ruby so there are definitely good unevolving pok?mon too <3

There are a few here and there that have their place on even in-game teams, but for the most part some unevolved Pokemon are seen as underwhelming and underpowered in contrast to other Pokemon that evolve.

Although interestingly enough, there are Pokemon like Miltank, Tauros, Kangaskhan, Skarmory, Absol, Klefki, as well as others that can definitely stand out among the crowd of single stage Pokemon.

Wether a Pok?mon evolves or not has no relevance on wether I like it and/or use it. That said, Farfetch'd, Lapras and Aerodactyl are some of my favourites in this category.

Lapras is definitely among them. Then there's Mawile, Aerodactyl, Drampa, Klefki, Sableye, Spinda, Kekleon and Komala!

Do I like some of them? Of course yes. Do I use them? Sadly, no? There is a satisfaction with having your Pokemon evolve.

But I have to say, I do play with a Furfrou on Ultra Sun, and I loved it. In the beginning f the game it was strong. I'll probably breed one for a battle team.

I care if a Pokemon is good, not that it evolves.

Single stage Pokemon are actually great to have at the very start. They can handle even the big boys way better than a stage 1 or 2.

I'm not generally fond of the execution overall, since too many I personally dislike (or used to dislike) are those that ends up being too gimmicky or weak to me for reliably use.

It makes sense why single-staged Pokémon exists; they serves as "pre-promotion" for early game or mid-game and aren't made to catch up to lategame, encouraging players to swap around accordingly. In practice, many people ends up being too attached with the ones they caught, but there are many that ended up disappointing, which indeed encouraged them to swap out.

A look onto a Smogon Forums' Orange Island thread on in-game popularity will speak volume on how much people are not really willing to give single-staged Pokémon a chance, with only Laprass, Snorlax (in Gen 1 and the remakes), Heracross, and Mimikyu managed to reach the top ten. Many of the single-staged Pokémon ended up among bottom ten (or less depending on the game) for various reasons.

And even if the single-staged Pokémon are barely more appealing to the audience due to being new, same cannot be said with returning Pokémon that remained single-stage, causing the audience to become increasingly unhappy with them. And while each Pokémon has their fan, popularity is an important factor on if the Pokémon is welcomed with open arm or if it is just a hopeless filler no one asked for a return or focus unless they are expending upon it.

Not even later generations are safe from getting detested single-staged Pokémon either, with Bruxish and Stonjourner being the worst of them all.

The existence of too many single-staged Pokémon that are way too gimmicky for their own good, in example Castform, Spinda, pre-Gen 5 Ditto, or flat-out duds, with Volbeat and Illumise being by bottom two amongst them, even than Luvdisc, overshadow the goods among them like Zangoose vs Seviper, a good amount of Gen 7 single-stages like Oricorio, Aerodactyl caused me to have a very negative opinion about single-stage Pokémon, especially weak-looking ones, due to overall awful execution. If you wholeheartedly disagree, more power to you.

Many single stage Pokémon are pretty good in my opinion. Sigilyph is probably my favorite out the bunch. It's such an unique-looking, underrated, and barely mentioned Pokémon. I also love Tauros too, as well as Druddigon because they're fun to use with Sheer Force. Also, they're both quite underrated. Mimikiyu is one of the best Pokémon you can use hands down, and Ditto, of course, is perhaps the best revenge killer in Pokémon. However, a good amount of them also aren't the strongest Pokémon, but it makes sense when you consider the fact that you don't have to work to level them up.

Some of single stage Pokémon are my favourites. For example Audino, Snorlax, Pyukumuku or Heracross.

I think single stage Pokémon have overall good design and can usually hold their own throughout the whole game. But lately, l feel like they either have interesting gimmick or don't stand out.

Janp said:

Some of single stage Pokémon are my favourites. For example Audino, Snorlax, Pyukumuku or Heracross.

I think single stage Pokémon have overall good design and can usually hold their own throughout the whole game. But lately, l feel like they either have interesting gimmick or don't stand out.

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I am assuming that you are referring to the older games such as generations I-III, as Snorlax evolves from Munchlax.