Alola Variant Pokemon: Thoughts and Predictions

[Fairy Type Arceus]

Why are some people worried that their transferred Pokemon will suddenly change types? This is not a retcon like with the Fairy type. They're new variants that can be found exclusively in Alola because they adapted to a new environment. So if your Ninetales or Sandslash has been caught in a region other than Alola it's safe to assume they will retain their original typing.

Spoiler

Anyway, I've been thinking about the rumored Fighting-type Abra variation and I came up with the idea of Kadabra and Alakazam holding knives instead of spoons. MAKE IT HAPPEN GAMEFREAK!

Spoiler

No the one integral said that in his video about the forks for fighting alakazam

 

[Johtohfiller]

Anyway, I've been thinking about the rumored Fighting-type Abra variation and I came up with the idea of Kadabra and Alakazam holding knives instead of spoons. MAKE IT HAPPEN GAMEFREAK!

Marge: That's not a knife, that's a spoon.
Australian tough guy: Ah, I see you've played Knifey-Spoony before!

 

[Vyrron]

Spoiler

No the one integral said that in his video about the forks for fighting alakazam

Spoiler

Well, forks is an option but it doesn't make as much sense imo. I thought changing Alakazam's concept into a knife thrower would be a smart way to justify its Fighting type without changing its use of cutlery in battle. Whereas I'm not sure how they would justify it holding forks. Stabbing its opponents? Knives do that better.

Another idea: Alolan Slowbro and Slowking. Due to the absence of Shellder in Alola, a different Pokemon latches onto Slowpoke's tail/head, causing it to evolve into an alternate version of Slowbro or Slowking. Granted, this would require GF to make a different bivalve Pokemon native to Alola.

 

[Karamazov]

Here are some variants I'm hoping for

• Flying/Dark vampire bat Noivern, or a Poison/Dark Crobat
• Water-type Pikachu (Marill isn't enough, let's finally have Pikablu)
• Dragon Dunsparce
• Fairy/Flying Skarmory that didn't develop armor, and instead developed a cotton candy coat like Swirlix
• Water/Poison Seismitoad whose poison is much, much deadlier than the Unovan Seismitoad's
• Fairy/Electric Stunfisk based on an angel
• Normal/Grass Slaking that blends in with trees and has moss growing on it

 

[Johnny Boy]

(But, to waste all my time, I am pretty sure I saw a normal Exeggutor in a battle scene in one of the English or Japanese trailers. I cannot for the life of me find it now, but I was sure I saw it. In fact, the Alolan trailer doesn't show the normal Exeggutor, so I have definitely seen it. Just can't find it.)

Interesting. Assuming the leak about certain Pokemon is true, do you think that they might have put certain Pokemon in their normal forms in the trailers just to throw us off?

 

[p0pp1i0D3f3nd3r]

Spoiler

Anyway, I've been thinking about the rumored Fighting-type Abra variation and I came up with the idea of Kadabra and Alakazam holding knives instead of spoons. MAKE IT HAPPEN GAMEFREAK!

(shudders) you're quite the B100d-thirsty one AREN'T you?!??!!?!?!

 

[Arceus the Dragon]

I wonder if they going to do future variants in other regions later on or will if be an Alola thing only? We may get the original Vulpix/Sandshrew from an in-game trade from a trainer that came from Kanto or something.

 

[Vyrron]

(shudders) you're quite the B100d-thirsty one AREN'T you?!??!!?!?!

Lmao, I don't think it's too much for Pokemon though. I mean Gen 7 already has an

Spoiler

archer Pokemon

and a move called Solar Blade that according to the site can "mince up" the user's foes.

 

[Guzma]

If we're talking about hypothetical Alolan variants, I'll come up with a few.

• Water/Electric-type Tentacruel. Electric jellyfish are everywhere in media, and Tentacruel has good stats anyway so it'd have a good chance of being good.
• Flying/Steel-type Farfetch'd. The leek's turned into a flippin' katana.
• Water/Grass-type Tangrowth. It's made of kelp now!
• Fighting-type Kangaskhan. Get it? Fighting kangaroo?
• Normal/Dark-type Girafarig. It's basically what would happen if the Chomp took over.
• Fairy/Fighting-type Gallade. Come on, make his non-Mega relevant somehow...
• Rock/Fire-type Sableye. It's eaten lava rocks instead of gems.
• Grass/Ice-type Cacturne. It's moved from hot regions to cold regions.
• Water/Electric-type Whiscash. It's based on electric catfish.
• Water/Grass-type Gastrodon. Some sea slugs actually have a symbiotic relationship with algae.
• Fire/Poison Skuntank. I know we're getting Salandit, but the idea of a Pokemon centered around flaming gas is hilarious.
• Ice/Bug-type Crustle. It lives in an iceberg.
• Steel/Ghost-type Golurk. It's turned into a true mecha.
• Fire-type Clawitzer. It's a fire cannon.

Fairy/Electric Stunfisk based on an angel

You have no idea how much I want this now.

 

[p0pp1i0D3f3nd3r]

Really, anything to get rid of its blackface reputation.

Which is COMPLETELY false, Because Jynx isn't based off of Black people, She's Based off of the Ganguro Girls of Japan!!!!! There was LITERALLY no Way for us to have KNOWN about the Ganguro girls, Because They're ONLY found in Japan.

 

[Esserise]

Which is COMPLETELY false, Because Jynx isn't based off of Black people, She's Based off of the Ganguro Girls of Japan!!!!! There was LITERALLY no Way for us to have KNOWN about the Ganguro girls, Because They're ONLY found in Japan.

It's not really a matter of bring "true" or "false" (I doubt that anybody actually thinks that Jynx is "based on" blackface; its article on Bulbapedia makes some fair arguments that it could be based on ganguro fashion or on the operatic "fat lady"/Brünnhilde). The problem is that it does resemble blackface, so whether or not that was intentional (probably wasn't) doesn't really matter, because it still veers too close to offensive/uncomfortable territory for some, and that's not what the games should be. The games should be able to be enjoyed by all without making them feel insulted or discriminated against.

Which is of course why I don't expect Jynx to really see much action in the new forms or evolutions department. It's just a hornet's nest that they are probably better off not messing with.

 

[Garren]

There's a Japanese variant of the venus fly trap that's red and called like "Red Dragon", that was my idea for a Mega Grass/Dragon Carnivine but I'll also take that as an Alolan variant.

Spoiler

By the way, there's two classic Pokemon that rumor mentions we've seen in its regular form already---Arcanine and Butterfree. But I'm sure Game Freak probably could've have simply made previews before the variants were coded in so that probably shouldn't be a hard deconfirmation.

 

[BigDocFan]

Would be nice to have some more Alolan variants, can't wait to see them in the anime

 

[Zeb]

Spoiler

By the way, there's two classic Pokemon that rumor mentions we've seen in its regular form already---Arcanine and Butterfree. But I'm sure Game Freak probably could've have simply made previews before the variants were coded in so that probably shouldn't be a hard deconfirmation.

Oriocorio has different typings and designs by the islands; I don't think it's a leap too far to think something similar could happen with some of the older Pokemon and their Alolan adaptations too.

Also please use spoiler tags when mentioning specific things from the leaks outside of the leak/rumour thread.

 

[Psalmist]

Well, forks is an option but it doesn't make as much sense imo. I thought changing Alakazam's concept into a knife thrower would be a smart way to justify its Fighting type without changing its use of cutlery in battle. Whereas I'm not sure how they would justify it holding forks. Stabbing its opponents? Knives do that better.

Wouldn't knives fit better with Dark and not Fighting? Though, that might be a bit too Jack the Ripper-ish. It'd be weird if the knives were tipped with red. *shivers*

 

[Guzma]

I'd personally like to see it using a gigantic spoon as a bludgeon.

 

[p0pp1i0D3f3nd3r]

(probably wasn't)

DEFINITELY Wasn't!!

 

[Lone_Garurumon]

If we're only seeing Kanto alts, then I'd like to see Raichu finally getting some attention rather than its overexposed little sibling. Not sure what type it'd be, but Raichu just needs some love.

I'd personally like to see it using a gigantic spoon as a bludgeon.

Spoiler: Like this?

 

[bktan]

I really don't like these forms. I don't really get why GameFreak thought changing the designs and types of existing Pokemon was a good idea, but apparently the fans agree. I don't. I feel this is somehow disfiguring the earlier designs. It's like experimental fanart has become canon.

I was quite looking forward to S&M, but suddenly I'm not so much. I might not play the games. If I do, I'll try to ignore these forms.

It seems to me, that what with Mega Evolution's recent introduction and now this, the franchise is flailing around for novelty which they can tie to Pokemon from previous generations: brands which have already been established with the public. I don't like it, I think it's cheap.

Apparently the fans agree? Where? Vulpix, Ninetales, Sandshrew and Sandslash Alolan versions are pretty awesome. Exeggutor is dodgy, but it has design quirks that match the style of Pokemon. If anything, the Megas have been horrible for the most part and that's because unlike reinventing a line, which allows for uber cool things like igloo Sandshrew, all of them tried to outdo each other with ridiculous, unnecessary spikes and other extremities that showed no thought process whatsoever. Some have been inspired; Ampharos, Mawile, Swampert and Abomasnow (the latter which has an awful original design anyway) whilst most of the others have been trash Latios/Latias (look exactly the same), Aggron, Gardevoir, Tyranitar, Heracross, Gyarados, Pinsir, both Mewtwos, Aerodactyl, Alakazam, both Charizards, Blatoise (especially horrific), Slowbro, Steelix, Camerupt, Sharpedo, Altaria, Glalie, Salamence, Metagross, Lopunny, Audino and Diancie (all of the last three just look like bigger, fatter versions)

Anyway, I haven't played since RSE but more cool Alolan forms and I would be keen to.

It's not like they've done very well with designs for awhile (Gen 4 evolutions, many Gen 5 and Gen 6 ripoffs). Gen 7 has been pretty good so far, so I see where you may be coming from, but looking at the past 3 generations has not necessarily shown they have been any better with ideas with a large number of original Pokemon.

Interesting. Assuming the leak about certain Pokemon is true, do you think that they might have put certain Pokemon in their normal forms in the trailers just to throw us off?

Hmm...I don't think they intentionally throw us off. Who really knows how organized they are and how they choose/edit the trailers together? I'm not sure if they record random things as they play through for future use, or they simply "generate" a battle/scene when they need to.

 

[Lone_Garurumon]

Apparently the fans agree? Where?

Right here, many fans, as evidenced by many of the replies to this very thread, seem to like the concept of reimagining a Pokemon with new types.

If anything, the Megas have been horrible for the most part and that's because unlike reinventing a line, which allows for uber cool things like igloo Sandshrew, all of them tried to outdo each other with ridiculous, unnecessary spikes and other extremities that showed no thought process whatsoever. Some have been inspired; Ampharos, Mawile, Swampert and Abomasnow (the latter which has an awful original design anyway) whilst most of the others have been trash Latios/Latias (look exactly the same), Aggron, Gardevoir, Tyranitar, Heracross, Gyarados, Pinsir, both Mewtwos, Aerodactyl, Alakazam, both Charizards, Blatoise (especially horrific), Slowbro, Steelix, Camerupt, Sharpedo, Altaria, Glalie, Salamence, Metagross, Lopunny, Audino and Diancie (all of the last three just look like bigger, fatter versions)

I dunno, I kinda liked how quite a few of the megas turned out. The Megas weren't supposed to reinvent a Pokemon (at least not by my thought process), but the Pokemon just get pumped full of power and their designs gain new aspects to reflect that. They just seem to be the logical extension of what they'd look like if they evolved, but stayed the same species (If that makes sense?).