Alola Variant Pokemon: Thoughts and Predictions

[Gard81]

Ok, Alola Raichu is definitely a nod to Puka.

 

[techitisJ]

Ok, Alola Raichu is definitely a nod to Puka.

Glad someone else noticed too. I'll definitly be namimy my Alolan Raichu Puka

 

[DoctorWhy]

I'm not sure I understand the reference? Or maybe I don't see it.

 

[Soki]

I'm not sure I understand the reference? Or maybe I don't see it.

In the first season of the anime, there was an episode about a man with a surfing Pikachu, called Puka:

Spoiler

The fact that Alolan Raichu seems to be surfing and has light blue eyes, seems to be a reference to it.

 

[Almonds]

Love Alola Raichu. This is on my team 100%

 

[GiraFragMich]

The new trailer seems to imply that a normal Ground Cubone evolves into the Alolan Fire/Ghost Marowak, which is confusing. I thought they would give Cubone a pure Fire typing instead.

 

[Dizzard]

To be honest I prefer Raichus original design. (Though I'll admit the surfing on it's tail is a neat idea)

I haven't really weighed in much on the Alola forms so far, my favourites are probably Alolan Exeggcutor and Meowth. Ninetails has a pretty cool attacking animation too.

I don't know if I'll end up using any of them though, since I always try to use Pokemon that are new to me (as in I haven't used them before, not just brand new Pokemon) and I've already used most of the Pokemon from gen 1 that interest me the most (Gengar, Starmie, Rapidash, Weezing, Golem, Golbat/Crobat, Magneton/Magnezone) and most of the Kanto Pokemon I haven't tried yet I'd rather use their original forms. (like Arcanine for example) So you can see with that kind of mindset it doesn't leave much room for Alola Forms, unless one appears that completely blows me away.

It doesn't help that I'm really in love with a lot of the new Pokemon designs. Game Freak are really knocking it out of the park with the new Pokemon designs. I could see myself using some Alolan forms if we get a second game in Alola though. (or if we get multiple save files, like that would happen)

 

[TouyaShiro]

If you showed me the Alolan Raichu design before its typing was known, I'd have said that it was an Electric/Fairy type, because the first thing I thought of was Valerie and Sylveon's glass eyes.

Also, shout-outs to the new Psychic animation. That's ballin'.

 

[Almonds]

I heard that Surge Surfer boosts speed in Electric Terrain. Is that true?

I was kinda hoping that Alola Raichu would get Levitate because it's floating using psychic powers and surfing in air. Levitate would be excellent because it would gain immunity to Ground attacks. Although, having the extra type made Alola Raichu gain a lot more weaknesses than Kanto Raichu

 

[Necrozma]

Even Pokémon researchers don’t know why Raichu’s form changed in the Alola region. The people of Alola seem unconcerned by the question. Their guess: maybe it ate too many sweet and fluffy round pancakes!

Yeah, they don't even care haha.

 

[Mitchman]

Okay, this kinda sucks. I like the idea of Alolan Pokemon, but why bother if its only for one of them? Like Pikachu is the holy cow and touching it is borderline marketing sacrilege, but at least give some cohesion between it and Alolan Raichu, this doesn't only bother me, right? I can understand just Raichu with Psychic, Light Ball Pika with Psychic STAB is a bit too OP I give em that, but design wise its bothering me.Not even gonna start on Marowak, it learned how to rub its bones together, that makes perfect sense to go from Ground to Fire/Ghost! Gamefreak, please don't screw this up TOO much...

 

[Garren]

I'm guessing the opposite probably won't be true---I can't see us having an Alolan Variant that evolves into its regular form.

With that in mind since it seems it's only Gen I Pokemon I don't think any Kanto Pokemon who got an evolution in Gen II or IV will have an Alola Variant. In terms of leaks

Spoiler

none of the ones I recall in the leak that first mentioned Alola variants were Pokemon who evolved post-Gen I

.

 

[The Outrage]

Not even gonna start on Marowak, it learned how to rub its bones together, that makes perfect sense to go from Ground to Fire/Ghost! Gamefreak, please don't screw this up TOO much...

Maybe Cubone evolves through spontaneously combustion and dying.

 

[Vyrron]

Umm the explanations for Raichu's and Marowak's new forms are awful. Raichu gained psychic powers because it ate too many pancakes? Please. And why is Marowak a Ghost-type again?

 

[TouyaShiro]

Raichu gained psychic powers because it ate too many pancakes?

The scientists kinda gave up on trying to explain it. Look at Tsu's post.

 

[Esserise]

Raichu gained psychic powers because it ate too many pancakes? Please.

That bit is clearly a joke. Nobody actually knows why it took the form that it did.

 

[bktan]

Why is Cubone still Ground? Dumb.

I hope Sandshrew and Vulpix lines weren't the pinnacle of Alolan forms.

 

[Vyrron]

The scientists kinda gave up on trying to explain it. Look at Tsu's post.

That bit is clearly a joke. Nobody actually knows why it took the form that it did.

Yes I am aware of that. I didn't mention it because "no one can explain it" is just as bad of an excuse. It makes it seem as if they just slapped an extra type on Raichu for the sake of creating a unique type combination without even trying to explain this change.

 

[Dieter]

gotta admit that adding Fire type to Marowak is a bit of a surprise (or would have been if we hadn't known about the Fire type specialist with a Marowak), but I love its new design. It looks gaunt, spooky, there are new markings on its skull and back and I'm really glad they kept the bone club. I kinda like how it's still fairly solid looking, as opposed to some of the more spectral Ghost types. Apparently the Fire typing was as defence against Grass types, the Ghost type explanation feels more random, but considering it;s always been associated with supernatural places, not too far of a stretch. I wonder how viable it will become in the metagame? With LR it can have a total of 3 immunities, but it gains some new weaknesses as well...

A-Meowth is a bit underwhelming, though I like its in-battle animations, it's so freakin haughty and spoiled. I think the nod towards an Alolan monarchy is interesting, I wonder if we'll learn more about that in the game (and considering it has a historical foundation, well, that makes it extra interesting)

And am I the only one who thinks A-Raichu is a little unsettling? It's the glassy blue eyes, which I know is a nod to Puka, but still. It's cute in a weird way... I doubt it will become a lot more popular, but it's nice to see it's finally getting some love

 

[The Outrage]

I just read the explanations. They went from trying to explain them in an ecologically valid way (i.e., their designs followed an explanation) but now it seems like they went with rule of cool and created an explanation after the fact.