Golem has a BEARD now?!

[Bolt Strike]

Mostly I'm just irritated that they apparently couldn't be arsed to give Golem's change an in-depth backstory like they did for the rest of the Alola Forms. Three more bios, Game Freak. That's all you had to do.

Raichu's was kind of a cop out too. Raichu's backstory was basically "Umm... pancakes I guess?".

But they seem to be based on pirates, which is an interesting idea. The beard is essentially the same joke that they made with Probopass (it's really iron filings that are attracted to their bodies via electromagnetism), which makes it a bit repetitive, but at the same time, I kind of like that there's a degree of consistency in how magnetism affects certain Rock-type Pokémon.

Pirates? I don't get "pirate" from these designs. They just seem to be magnetically charged rocks. Which really, isn't that what Nosepass/Probopass were supposed to be? How come they aren't Rock/Electric?

I think they are horrible. I also think all the other Alolan forms are horrible, with the exception of Vulpix/Ninetales.

But, I'd rather have had a new arctic fox-themed Pokémon which was Ice/Fairy than having a new Vulpix.

For me, the Alola forms were a great idea who was horribly designed and implemented and thus I don't think they should exist... Even if they add more forms in later games and they design them better, these ones from SM won't be erased from existence.

P.S.: I feel the same about Megas... some are so horribly designed that I'd rather have them erased...

I have to agree that Alola forms are a great idea with poor execution. The first couple we saw were really interesting, the Alola Forms then were pretty different from the original forms. The later ones though, feel more like mulligans, they assigned them types that already fit their respective concepts that they probably should've had to begin with, especially in the case of Meowth and Rattata. I get the feeling one of two things happened, either:

1. They had some good ideas from the beginning and just couldn't come up with any other interesting ideas as they went along.
2. They just used Alola Forms to compensate for the lack of new species, and some of them are more different from others because there's less Pokemon that could naturally obtain those typings (i.e. Ice).

The second one makes a little more sense as I think about it.

 

[Esserise]

Raichu's was kind of a cop out too. Raichu's backstory was basically "Umm... pancakes I guess?".

Yes, but the Pikachu line has a history of being used for such gags or gimmicks. It's at least as old as the Surfing/Flying Pikachu.

Pirates? I don't get "pirate" from these designs. They just seem to be magnetically charged rocks.

Granted it's not really there in Geodude, but with Graveler, you have the black crystals forming bushy eyebrows, sideburns, and forearm "hair" giving it a very burly appearance, while being decked out in gold-colored jewels. And then Golem has a huge Blackbeard-esque... well, black beard, and it attacks using cannonballs (which are fired from a railgun rather than a traditional cannon, which is where the idea intersects with them being magnetic rocks).

 

[Arceus the Dragon]

Rock/Electric works and it is one less 4x weakness to worry about for Alola Golem.

 

[Dizzard]

It seems like their answer to "change up an old rock type Pokemon" is to give it a facial hair. (or something that emulates it)

Case in point, Probopass, Mega Aerodactyl and now Alolan Golem.