To Evolve or Not to Evolve?

[LegendChu]

Do u always Evolve ur Pokemon to their Final Stage (if they can evolve), or are there any u like to keep to their Basic/Second Stages?

Pika Pika :chu:

 

[Lunar]

I always evolve my Pokemon as much as possible, I'm not too bothered about getting moves earlier and more often than not the Pokemon becomes a lot more powerful once it evolves.

 

[MadHatter62]

It depends on the Pokémon and the situation. If I'm building a competitive team and a move I want can only be learned before evolution then I wait. If the move I need can be learned at any stage, via TM, or I'm filling out the pokedex, then I let things happen naturally.

 

[Lapis]

The only time I hold off on evolving for a while is if the Pokemon learns a certain move it can only learn in its basic stage and the Pokemon can only evolve by a stone. Other than that, I let my Pokemon go to their final stages.

 

[Mister Coffee]

There actually is one pokemon that I actually really liked a lot at one point that I never let evolve and even used it comfortably on a team. Back before fifth generation, before there were any fully evolved pokemon of the solid Dragon type (in other words there were no fully evolved Dragon pokemon that were only typed with Dragon and no dual type). I had built a really solid level 100 Shelgon that I played defensively using it's powerful solid Dragon type for coverage, and equipped it with an Eviolite.
That Shelgon is pretty much the only pokemon I had ever built specifically with the idea of never letting it evolve. It was unique and I liked having a powerful non-evolved pokemon that held its own against some hard battles.

Other than that one Shelgon, most pokemon I let evolve eventually even if I'm withholding their evolution for a special move.

 

[Flower]

The only time I hold off on evolving for a while is if the Pokemon learns a certain move it can only learn in its basic stage and the Pokemon can only evolve by a stone. Other than that, I let my Pokemon go to their final stages.

Seconding this, pretty much always evolve my Pokémon unless there's a certain move I really want only obtainable at a previous stage at a level past the level required to evolve. x'D Though some first stages (/middle evolutions) are pretty cute I gotta say. The Kanto starters in particular have some of the cutest/coolest, so the odd time I'll hold off on evolving those cuties ♥

 

[Firox]

Depends on what I'm using the Pokemon for. For Contest I might not. Most others I do.

The only one I do have trouble deciding whether to evolve or not is Purrloin, it's too cute unevolved, but at the same time I love Liepard a lot - tough decision at times.

 

[LegendChu]

I never Evolve my Pikachu, coz Pikachu + Light Ball = always better that Raichu (not that I don't like Raichu :)).

Pika Pika :chu:

 

[Maserati777]

I evolved all the Pokemon I used for battling to their final stages in Y, but in terms of my living dex, only one will be fully evolved to final stage, the others will stay in their pre final forms forever.

In terms of shiny pokemon, I rarely evolve the first one I get, usually I evolve the second one or third one.


Though pokemon that evolve via stones probably don't always need to evolve in order to be better.

In Black 2 I have a Magmar and a Magneton I don't plan on evolving just because I like their middle evolution designs, aka original final evolutions, better.

 

[Salamence_Shuffle]

Cubone... I don't know why, but I never evolve him.

 

[OuterTsuchinoko]

If it's a specific shiny I like I will not evolve that pokemon. Like say I got a shiny Fennekin then I would evolve it to Braixen but not Delphox. But for everything else I would just evolve them.

 

[Dracowyn]

For pok?mon in my team, I always evolve them.

However, for some shinies, I don't if I prefer the shiny forms of their earlier stages. For an instance, I never evolved my shiny Swinub and shiny Dwebble because of this.
I also don't evolve them if I already have the shiny of a later stage. For example, I have a shiny Cubone and a shiny Marowak. I recently caught 2 shiny Riolu so I'll evolve one and keep the other at its basic stage.

And also, because I keep a living dex in my box, I have tons of unevolved pok?mon.

 

[Kabocha❤]

I like letting them stay in their earlier stages for a few levels and then evolve them, just in case of a move or for dramatic tension.