Hisuian Arcanine

[Blue_Cheshire]

So, with the announcement of Hisuian Forms in Legends Arceus, I want to focus on this good boy and speculate about his evolution.

Spoiler: Hisuian Growlithe

It has been confirmed on the offical website, that Hisuian Growlithe is Fire and Rock type. In addition to that I would like to focus on a bit of the information about it on the website "Hisuian Growlithe are highly vigilant and tend to be seen watching over their territory in pairs." I think its evolution, wheter that be Hisuian Arcanine or a new evolution like they did with Perrserker, will even more resemble a Shishi, which are the chinese Lion/Dog statues, that you often see guarding temples (and chinese restaurants). It just makes sense, they come in pairs, like the statues tend to do, and they are rock type. Now yes, Arcanine has always been based on the Shishi, but I think this evolution will look even more like the statues, hence the rock typing.

Spoiler: two Lion-Dog Statues

What do you think?

 

[Johnny Boy]

Hisuian Arcanine looking like a Lion-Dog Statue would be interesting. And I think this should be a thread for Hisuian forms in general.

 

[Silktree]

It should look like the scrapped design, but it won't with Hisuian Growlithe being what it is.

This might have been the original Silver mascot. Lugia didn't exist at the time, and Unown was sandwiched between Ho-Oh and this sprite. It wasn't even implemented into the Spaceworld build, though.

 

[SammyW27]

Yep, after seeing Growlithe, I'm expecting H-Arcnanine to look like a Dog-Lion/Shisa.

 

[blitzle stan]

I expect it to look similar to Shisamon from Digimon. It will definitely be Shisa dog based, and Shisamon has the single horn and the billowy fur thing going on like Growlithe.

 

[Daenerys]

It should look like the scrapped design, but it won't with Hisuian Growlithe being what it is.

View attachment 149161

This might have been the original Silver mascot. Lugia didn't exist at the time, and Unown was sandwiched between Ho-Oh and this sprite. It wasn't even implemented into the Spaceworld build, though.

That's neat. Where is that beta sprite from? I don't remember it from the Spaceworld leak and I thought that was the only GSC related demo game leak?

 

[Oriden]

I'll be so disappointed if they just make arcanine more cliche lion-dog-like... its design was already vaguely in that ballpark, I'd like to see something actually different rather than just caking on more obvious lion-dog inspiration to its design.

My hopes are that they'll instead go from the the lion-dog statue inspiration and evolve it into a dragon statue. Fire/Rock to Dragon/Rock isn't a stretch, and it'd be cool to get a big fluffy dragon dog.

 

[TheElderKing]

I'll be so disappointed if they just make arcanine more cliche lion-dog-like... its design was already vaguely in that ballpark, I'd like to see something actually different rather than just caking on more obvious lion-dog inspiration to its design.

My hopes are that they'll instead go from the the lion-dog statue inspiration and evolve it into a dragon statue. Fire/Rock to Dragon/Rock isn't a stretch, and it'd be cool to get a big fluffy dragon dog.

I’d quite like that (even though I won’t be disappointed otherwise), although at least partially because it’d mean it’ll change typing. 4x weakness to Water isn’t going to be pretty, expecially on a game with no abilities to sort of counter it.

 

[nickdt]

Everyone: What does Hisuian Arcanine look like?

Me: Who says Hisuian Growlithe evolves into Arcanine?

 

[Silktree]

That's neat. Where is that beta sprite from? I don't remember it from the Spaceworld leak and I thought that was the only GSC related demo game leak?

BMGf Thread

 

[Phosphene]

Me: Who says Hisuian Growlithe evolves into Arcanine?

Considering how popular Aracnine is (probably even moreso than Growlithe) and how popular an idea regional Arcanine is, I think Arcanine will also get a new Hisuian form. The only first-stage Pokémon that evolves into a new form rather than a regional variant of its evolution is Meowth, a Pokémon whose (most likely) less-popular evolution already has a regional form, and Yamask, a Pokémon with an evolution that isn't exactly popular.

 

[BigBadButterfree]

Growlithe will not evolve into Arcanine in this game.

It will instead evolve into a pokemon that is vastly superior in any way.

Arcaten.

 

[TheElderKing]

Growlithe will not evolve into Arcanine in this game.

It will instead evolve into a pokemon that is vastly superior in any way.

Arcaten.

It’s obviously not going to happen, but if it’d, I’d rename him Juubi.

 

[nickdt]

Considering how popular Aracnine is (probably even moreso than Growlithe) and how popular an idea regional Arcanine is, I think Arcanine will also get a new Hisuian form. The only first-stage Pokémon that evolves into a new form rather than a regional variant of its evolution is Meowth, a Pokémon whose (most likely) less-popular evolution already has a regional form, and Yamask, a Pokémon with an evolution that isn't exactly popular.

Galarfetch'd says hi.

 

[Phosphene]

Galarfetch'd says hi.

Eh, people wanted a Farfetch'd evolution, and they got it in Sirfetch'd. Even though it's technically only an evolution for the regional form, they still got their Farfetch'd evolution. On the other hand, many people want an Arcanine regional variant, not a new evolution for Growlithe.

 

[Oriden]

Galarfetch'd says hi.

Farfetch'd didn't have an evolution to replace, so it doesn't count here. Our focus is on pokemon whose evolutions were replaced.

That said- Hisui Arcanine doesn't have to be replaced, it could have a third stage instead. XD

 

[Ghost Diplocaulus]

Farfetch'd didn't have an evolution to replace, so it doesn't count here. Our focus is on pokemon whose evolutions were replaced.

That said- Hisui Arcanine doesn't have to be replaced, it could have a third stage instead. XD

Considering how Arcanine already has one of the highest BSTs of any "regular" Pokemon (as in, those that aren't Legendary/Mythical, UBs, or pseudo-legendary), an evolved form for it would be nothing short of insane in the power department... and tbh I'd be 100% on board with it so long as it's still a huge floofy doggo XD

 

[badwolf1234]

It could be that there is no hisuian arcanine like there is no galarian persian...

 

[Blue_Cheshire]

I'll be so disappointed if they just make arcanine more cliche lion-dog-like... its design was already vaguely in that ballpark, I'd like to see something actually different rather than just caking on more obvious lion-dog inspiration to its design.

My hopes are that they'll instead go from the the lion-dog statue inspiration and evolve it into a dragon statue. Fire/Rock to Dragon/Rock isn't a stretch, and it'd be cool to get a big fluffy dragon dog.

I wouldn't be disappointed if it "just" became more of a lion-dog statue, but your idea is also really cool

Everyone: What does Hisuian Arcanine look like?

Me: Who says Hisuian Growlithe evolves into Arcanine?

I mean I did mention exactly that in my original post xD.

It could be that there is no hisuian arcanine like there is no galarian persian...

...did anyone read my original post? xD

I’d quite like that (even though I won’t be disappointed otherwise), although at least partially because it’d mean it’ll change typing. 4x weakness to Water isn’t going to be pretty, expecially on a game with no abilities to sort of counter it.

Wait, are there no abilities in Legends? Did they confirm that somewhere?

 

[Oriden]

Wait, are there no abilities in Legends? Did they confirm that somewhere?

I don't think they've flat out said it but there's been no indication of abilities in the trailers that I know of and there was a suspicious lack of abilities mentioned for the starters on the Legends official website when at the same time the BDSP site wasn't shy about listing them for its starter pokemon. This has since changed so the BDSP side no longer seems to be mentioning them either, but they were there prior to the recent news drop.