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Alola Variant Pokemon: Thoughts and Predictions

Favourite Alolan form so far?


  • Total voters
    38
Welp... this goes some way to fulfilling my pipe dream. Poison/Steel Nidoking & Nidoqueen let's GO!

I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened the trailer at my desk at work and saw that Exeggutor. Can't quite get my head around its Alolan design, but I fell in love with Ice type Vulpix/Ninetales and Sandshrew/Sandslash instantly (even more so after discovering their secondary types).

I certainly hope that Game Freak keep a sizable number of these new forms under wraps until the games are released, though unfortunately I feel that their policy continues to be showing as much as possible in the pre-release period.
 
There is another potential leak that mentioned these forms as early as a month ago. It is interesting since it mentions white Pidove and even
Rockruff and the final Alola starters
(don't read if you want to avoid a potentially major spoiler). Also, Arbok is purported to have a form for each region (one form is shared between Kanto and Johto, which is probably the form we know), so that throws out the "Alola only" theory out the window.

If the part about the Alola starters is true, which would explain the secret CoroCoro mentioned, then it is possible that every starter will get a new form eventually.
 
So I just got a bit disappointed. Flygon will likely not get an Alola form.

If you check the confirmed info thread, Flygon has already been seen in a trailer, no different than usual. No matter to me, I'd rather it get a Mega.
We get an Alola Garchomp though even though we've seen it in the trailer too

There is another potential leak that mentioned these forms as early as a month ago. It is interesting since it mentions white Pidove and even
Rockruff and the final Alola starters
(don't read if you want to avoid a potentially major spoiler). Also, Arbok is purported to have a form for each region (one form is shared between Kanto and Johto, which is probably the form we know), so that throws out the "Alola only" theory out the window.

If the part about the Alola starters is true, which would explain the secret CoroCoro mentioned, then it is possible that every starter will get a new form eventually.
I need this to be true for #6. They've also been talking about Arbok's regional variation for a long time and never implemented them so this will be good.

#10 is also interesting because this means that pure normal Jigglypuff and Clefairy are a Kanto/Johto variant, and all the +10 BST upgrades in Gen VI are Kalosian/Hoenn variants
 
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I would assume ash Greninja is actually just Alola Greninja. It would make sense.
 
I'm guessing Flying/Fighting Doduo might be based on the cassowary which is known for its powerful kicks (tbh I'd rather see an all new cassowary Pokemon though), unlike Kanto Doduo which has open fields to run through Alola Doduo would have to run through shrubbery and such, the cassowary evolving its clawed and strong legs to do just that I believe.

That being said I don't think every variant needs to be this deep and sensible---there's no biological reason, for example, I can think of for a Bug/Psychic Venomoth other than it feels like it should've been that from Day 1 based on its moves.
 
I would assume ash Greninja is actually just Alola Greninja. It would make sense.
As long as it doesn't have that hair. It wouldn't be too weird for the anime to treat a form as some weird Mega-like transformation after they did the opposite for Mega Mewtwo Y.
 
Oh man, I would love a Water-type Alola Magcargo with a shell made of coral.
 
Okay, tinfoil hat on here.
Eevee->Dragon
Vaporeon->Flying
Jolteon->Steel
Flareon->Ground
Espeon->Ghost
Umbreon->Poison
Leafeon->Bug
Glaceon->Rock
Sylveon->Fighting
Or something like this, not necessarily these types exactly, I haven't thought this through extensively, but it would be a cool way to finish off the eeveelution trend in one fell swoop and still acknowledge the old special/physical divide. That's why Eevee is dragon! It was the only physical "eeveelution" gen 1, now it's the only special!
 
If they have completely different types and abilities and probably movesets... what's the point in making them the same pokemon at that point?

It provides new way to play old Pokemon? Like, I didn't know that I needed an Ice/Fairy Ninetales in my life, but now I most certainly know that I did. Not only is it the most beautiful Ice Pokemon ever created, but it might be the first I ever really put in my team, with that nice secondary Fairy typing. (I don't play competitively, so I don't care so much about the weaknesses).

Plus, it's really neat from a world-building perspective. I love when they make Pokemon from that perspective. Like the Unown. They are such an awesome Pokemon to me, even though they aren't useful in-game.

I'm excited to see what other kinds of Pokemon they do this with.
 
Okay, tinfoil hat on here.
Eevee->Dragon
Vaporeon->Flying
Jolteon->Steel
Flareon->Ground
Espeon->Ghost
Umbreon->Poison
Leafeon->Bug
Glaceon->Rock
Sylveon->Fighting
Or something like this, not necessarily these types exactly, I haven't thought this through extensively, but it would be a cool way to finish off the eeveelution trend in one fell swoop and still acknowledge the old special/physical divide. That's why Eevee is dragon! It was the only physical "eeveelution" gen 1, now it's the only special!
I'd make a few changes to the types, but either way giving Eevee a form seems like a waste when it is meant to evolve. They should probably leave room for one final Eeveelution in the next generation.
 
250px-Crystal_Onix.png


Crystal/Alola Onix, please?
 
There is another potential leak that mentioned these forms as early as a month ago. It is interesting since it mentions white Pidove and even
Rockruff and the final Alola starters
(don't read if you want to avoid a potentially major spoiler). Also, Arbok is purported to have a form for each region (one form is shared between Kanto and Johto, which is probably the form we know), so that throws out the "Alola only" theory out the window.

If the part about the Alola starters is true, which would explain the secret CoroCoro mentioned, then it is possible that every starter will get a new form eventually.

This is extremely exciting, especially considering the probability is high, as it now checks out.
 
This is extremely exciting, especially considering the probability is high, as it now checks out.
I agree that it sounds pretty cool. For some reason I like the idea of
starter forms
more than Mega Evolutions. We need to see them first, of course.
 
I dunno, that rumor kind of gets the Variants right but at the same time sort of doesn't seem to get it as close as the Reddit leak does.
 
I agree that it sounds pretty cool. For some reason I like the idea of
starter forms
more than Mega Evolutions. We need to see them first, of course.

100%.

Considering the "secret" Rockruff and friends contain is likely not directly related to Z Moves (it would not be worthy of being considered a secret if every Pokemon had access to it like they do Z Moves), then these forms are the next best guess. Seems incredibly likely, as far as I can tell, regardless of even this leak.
 
I dunno, that rumor kind of gets the Variants right but at the same time sort of doesn't seem to get it as close as the Reddit leak does.
In what way? It doesn't mention new types for forms of old Pokemon, but that is implied by the part I put in spoilers, which does mention types.
 
In what way? It doesn't mention new types for forms of old Pokemon, but that is implied by the part I put in spoilers, which does mention types.

It just seems vague enough (apart from Doduo's thicker legs matching my idea for Flying/Fighting based on a cassowary, nothing about the ones revealed today---the other leak didn't either, correctly, but did have the bird) that I'm not sure I really take it as being related to the Reddit leak but a coincidence.

But who knows. I'm still not sure how much of any of the leaks I believe, this, the Reddit, and the Chinese leak have elements that seem likely and supported but ones that don't seem quite right. I'll be shocked if we truly have split evolutions for the Starters.
 
Can't help thinking the design for Alolan Exeggutor would have worked better as a Mega Evolution.

That aside, I'm pretty torn about these alternate forms. We've already got Pokémon that are based on different breeds and subspecies of the same animal, and through Pokémon like Archen we've got nods to Darwinian evolution already. I'm also curious to see where the line is drawn in-universe between the Alolan variants and actual new species.

One thing I've been wondering is if Alola is the native region of Corphish. Now I'm wondering, if I'm correct in guessing that it is, is if it and Crawdaunt are radically different in Alola.
 
Somehow, I love the Ice Vulpix even more than the Fire one. Definitely will be on my dream team!

I personally think that this is an interesting addition, and hope that is doesn't only apply to the Kanto Pokemon. Like, I'd love to see a Fairy Type Absol, the Gothita line in a Hawaiian theme, even a Lilligant with tropical flowers and leaves. I'd also love to see what Sigilyph could look like in Alola too...

But seriously: They made an Ice Vulpix. AN ICE VULPIX. I can't get the thought of training one out of my head! :oops:
 
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I love the new Alola variant pokemon. I think there might be more later on. Alola Exeggutor is my favorite.
 
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