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Worst starter middle evolution

Worst starter middle evolution?


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In general, some of the designs that the design team puts the most effort into are the starters and the final starter evolutions. The starters need to be cute and marketable so the series can appeal to little kids, while the final evolutions are designed to be "cool" and more appealing to older kids. Because of this, many of these designs tend to stand out and are well remembered. However, that leaves the middle evolutions, which typically exist only to bridge the gap, and as a result there have been quite a few awkward transitions. So, which middle stage has the worst design?

combusken.gif


I'd say Combusken. I love Torchic and Blaziken, but this thing just looks awkward. Not to mention certain... undertones in its design.
 
I also dislike Monferno. HE's basically Undyne The Undying
 
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I've always thought grotle, prinplup, and pignite were pretty dumb looking. I like torterra and emboar, but empoleon doesn't look much better than prinplup.
 
Marshtomp looks weird and I was never too fond of it, though I don't mind Mudkip and Swampert. Similar with Charmeleon and Monferno though that's because I never liked their whole line to begin with.
 
Quiladin stands out like a very sore thumb. It even gets lampshaded at how bad it looks in the anime (thanks to Bonnie). Even among mid-stage Starters, it looks pretty bad. Sure, I get its origin and such, but still, that doesn't excuse that it looks like a cheap pinata from a discount store. At least Chesnaught makes up for it, but still, I almost feels sorry for it because it just looks that bad.

Second place goes to Prinplup, though the line as a whole is rather bad design-wise, but Prinplup stands out the most.
 
Wartortle and Croconaw. Both are fat and meaner version of the first stage. It does not help the other members on their families are cute or awesome.
 
Charmeleon for that thing on his head.

Wartortle for the ears, tail, and blush spots on its face.

Dartrix for its neat freak behavior to the point it won't battle. Logically how does it evolve?
 
Marshtomp. Derpy and the design isn't much at all.

I love Grovyle (one of my top favorite Pokemon of all time), Bayleef, Combusken (not a nice undertone to his design but otherwise I like it a lot), Prinplup (somewhere in my top 20 favorite Pokemon),

Braixen is a very popular design but it's not my thing at all. I do love Delphox's though unlike most people.
 
Brionne. For a fact you'd think Popplio was male-looking, but then this comes and it screams "FEMALE". Plus, it isn't a actual pop star but a "ballet star"?
 
I really do not like Dewott. It is cheesy and I'm so glad that the designers chose to go with Samurott for the final evolution instead of whatever Dewott was leading to... Because we could have had something as bad as Incineroar on our hands and instead I got my favorite final starter evolution.
 
Dartrix makes me never want to use Rowlet, which is a hell of a feat for a middle stage.
 
Often, the middle form is the "cool teenager" of the family to me. Quilava, Wartortle, Bayleef....

I don't like Braixen's design, but this is somewhat softened by its animations in Pokken Tournament being so amazing. Quilladin is a mess and there is just no saving Pignite.

Torracat. It's just a bigger Litten and it doesn't look charming at all.
Charmeleon. It's just a bigger Charmander and it doesn't look charming at all :p
 
Quilladin, it is really creepy and ugly. That being said, I also dislike Charmeleon for looking full of itself and arrogant, Croconaw for its caveman-like pattern, Combusken and Marshtomp for their goofy looks, Pignite for its body shape, Prinplup and Grotle for looking gross, Dartrix for seeming snobbish, and Brionne for its ruff-like things.
 
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