The prospect of evolving legendaries

[Freya]

Before I get someone in here to tell me this has already been done, I searched the forum thoroughly, and in no topic discussing legendaries did I find the incorporation of this topic, let alone one entirely dedicated to this sort of discussion.

Anyhow, Black and White is meant to introduce some very new concepts to the Pokemon world, as every generation has brought to the table. Ever since the first legendary capable of breeding came along(albeit its offspring is a different Pokemon), I've been wondering: would an evolving legendary be possible?

Since legendaries start out super-powered, how would you feel about having to work towards it? Also, could it be incorporated into the story? (Ex: The villian team could capture the legendary Pokemon in its first stage, and part of the plot concerns the team trying to force it to evolve. The Pokemon only evolves with a certain item, and the item is found at the climax of the story) Could evolving legendaries be the next innovation, or is it completely unnecessary?

Let us discuss.

 

[Sormeki]

I think it is the fact that they are so powerful without evolving that makes them legendary. Kind of like how Dragonite and Salamence aren't legendary because they evolve. Something that evolves into a legendary would ruin how the idea of being legendary. A legendary evolving into something more powerful would turn Pokemon into DragonBall Z and no one wants a Super Saiyan Ho-Oh. Unless you like things that are unrealistically overpowered and still capable of increasing in power. In which case, enjoy your PokeBall Z.

 

[master shake]

It won't happen.

 

[Gar]

I honestly couldn't care less. I loathe legendaries as it is. They're too overpowered, and too overused. Not even fun, in my opinion. Only the cute ones appeal to me, and those are few and far between. Shaymin and... Lati@s. All the others can die.

 

[Infinity Mk-II]

It could happen, if it's something that evolves only through an in-game event that only happens once for example. Or an alternate only-once evolution to an otherwise normal pokemon... or just an unique pokemon that evolves like an exaggerated Magikarp.

Then there wouldn't really be much of a difference from the other legendaries besides taking more space in the pokedex and give a nice cutscene.

 

[Ranger Jack Walker]

I remember something that Prof. Rown says in DPPt. Something about Legendary Pokemon being complete and so do not need to evolve.

 

[Spikeheila]

I am unsure, the idea of something in fables and legends being able to evolve isn't really as far fetched as one'd think. In-game, legendaries are classified soley by their strength... but I ,myself, do not think that is so, kind of like what GF was trying to show us with Arcanine's classification as a legendary pokemon,where as nowadays we're saying he's not strong enough. Since when does the term legendary mean powerful? In reality,it doesnt, but seeing as i guess GF saw how we associated with the term legendary being synonomous with power,they kind of stuck with it i guess and kept the string of what we call legendaries,as non-evolving super powerful pokemon

 

[V Faction]

I remember something that Prof. Rown says in DPPt. Something about Legendary Pokemon being complete and so do not need to evolve.

This sounds about right.

Also, for legendary Pokemon that are already quite rare, how would a human know about an evolution? The legends in the game have been around longer or even before mankind. What we see is what we get.

I think the ultimate disqualifier is how they give legendary Pokemon altered formes. It's sort of the way to get around giving the Pokemon something new without using evolution. If it really was okay to evolve legendarys, I'm sure they wouldn't have bothered with handing out different formes.

 

[Grave-E]

I don't like the idea of several legendaries having the ability to evolve, however, I wouldn't be opposed to one particular legendary's basis being the origin of pokemon evolution itself. We've got the first pokemon and the ancestor in Arceus and Mew, but we don't have the first pokemon that gained to ability to change via the standard evolution. That's something I'd like to see.

 

[tacotaskforce]

This would make completing the pokedex a nightmare. From Gen 2 onwards there has not been a single one time only pokemon that has evolved making its pre-evolution impossible to find in the same game.

 

[Paragon]

Manaphy/Phione, anybody?

 

[Rainbow]

Legendaries won't ever evolve. Giving them evolutions would make them way too powerful (an evolved arceus would end up having nearly perfect stats) and pre evolutions are pointless. Also if legendaries were to evolve then they wouldn't really be legendary anymore IMO.
Also, phione does not evolve into manaphy by any means.

 

[tacotaskforce]

Manaphy/Phione, anybody?

Oh? What do Manaphy and Phione evolve into?

 

[Omniplex]

I always figured that's what pseudo-legendaries are for.

 

[master shake]

Manaphy/Phione, anybody?

Phione doesn't evolve into Manaphy. And you can breed manaphy as many times as you want to get phiones.

 

[Joshawott]

We've had Manaphy, which can breed to produce Phione. So while it's unlikely, I wouldn't rule out a legendary that can evolve. Although to be honest, the whole concept of "Legendary" is that they are the things of legends. However, it would be cool if there is a legendary Pokémon that, depending on the version it's on, it evolves into a different legendary that is exclusive to that game. Like how in R/S, Groudon and Kyogre were interchanged without any change to the plot, and in D/P, Dialga and Palkia were simply swapped around. This time, they can keep the plot 100% the same in both versions; just have the main villain's goal evolve into something different in each game.

However, they could easily have a legendary Pokémon like Deoxys, that appears in a different form in the two versions, but make it have a different type as well, with its moves changing between forms (such as if it learns Dark Pulse on Black, it will learn Psychic in White).

 

[The Outrage]

I remember something that Prof. Rown says in DPPt. Something about Legendary Pokemon being complete and so do not need to evolve.

No, he was theorizing that to be the reasons, not that it is a fact set in stone.

As for Manaphy, it may be able to breed, but it still can't make more of itself.

 

[Paragon]

Oh. Then I was wrong. I thought that Phione evolved into a Manaphy at a certain level. :\
(Yeah, I looked it up. You guys are right :\)

 

[Enzap]

I think it would defeat the purpose of being legendary. Although i do liek the idea of a legendary having two formes that are toatally different pokemon with different movesets and everything (similar to shaymin but with different names as well). Maybe it could have a weak forme that under certain circumstances could become a super powerful pokemon (or maybe two).

 

[Falconwing]

I just don't like the idea. Legends make up most of the group of pokemon that don't evolve. This makes them seem special. Many of them are already powerful so they don't need evolutions. OR prevolutions. those are unnecessary.