Pokémon Favorite Middle Evolutions

[chet_manley]

For the three-stage evolving Pokemon, which have your favorite middle evolutions?

Ivysaur, Haunter, Dragonair, and Metang specifically come to mind.

Don't say Pikachu, you cheaters.

 

[Halloqueen]

Charmeleon: I'm not sure why, I've just always liked Charmeleon. While it might seem plain, I guess I just like the name and think it looks pretty nice.

Haunter: I didn't have access to trading with people until Black & White, so I never really had much access to the trade evolutions back in the early days unless I traded with myself on the Pok?mon Stadium games. As such, I got used to using the middle evolutions, and Haunter's great. I love the design and name and, while I still like Gengar, I'd say Haunter remains my favorite Pok?mon of its evolutionary line.

Dusclops: Dusknoir is cool and I'll use it, but I prefer Dusclops aesthetically. I like the one cyclopian eye and the sort of mummy design Dusclops has. Nice Eviolite user as well.

Vigoroth: I like Slaking, but sometimes you just don't want to deal with Truant. A year or so ago I made a team and was trying to decide whether to use Vigoroth or Slaking and decided on just using both for their own different purposes. It's a nice contrast to Slakoth and Slaking.

Doublade: Say what one will about the design just being two Honedge slapped together, I like the stats, especially with Eviolite.

Dartrix: That hair is amazing. The Rowlet line is one of my favorite starter lines alongside Squirtle's (because of Blastoise), and birds are my favorite types of animals, so I just really like it.


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Other standout middle evolutions include:
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Electabuzz: I'm one of those people who is fine with Electivire, but Electabuzz is definitely my favorite of its evolutionary line. The design is memorable and it honestly would have been fine without an evolution, but it got one so here we are.

Magmar: Same as Electabuzz.

Dragonair: I like Dragonite, but it feels like too drastic a departure from the designs of Dratini and Dragonair and would probably be better as its own standalone Pok?mon, or the final evolution of a different evolutionary line. Dragonair looks elegant and it's not that bad with Eviolite.

Dewott: Definitely the standout of the Oshawott evolutionary line for me. I don't have much to say about it, the only starter I really like from Generation V is the Snivy line because of Serperior, so yeah. I just prefer Dewott's design over Samurott's.

Herdier: Just a good, simple dog.

 

[Mayor Jack]

I've never played any real pokemon games but before I played pokemon go a lot! I love Bulbasaur, he is my favourite by a mile but I also think Ivysaur is cool. Also, like the person above me, I like Haunter too. I don't really know of any pokemon that aren't in generation one.

 

[Vonny]

Floette. I wish she had the stats of her final evolution and that her final evo didn’t exist lol

 

[ILikeFroakies]

Dewott and Frogadier are my personal favourites. Special shoutout to Marshtomp as well

 

[Bread Kennedys]

Off the top of my head, Ivysaur (Ivysaur looks cool and it was my favorite Pokemon in Smash aside from Mewtwo), Charmeleon (Pre-evolution to one of my favorite Pokemon), Pidgeotto (I have a lot of nostalgia with the Pidgey line), Poliwhirl (I also have a lot of nostalgia with the Poliwag line), Haunter (This thing looks cool af seriously), Rhydon (It looks really cool even if it is bad), Bayleef (Because the anime), Dusclops (It has a very interesting design and I love it), Monferno (It's just a cool looking fighting monkey), Luxio (I also have a lot of nostalgia with the Shinx line), Gabite (It's a land shark and a pre-evolution to one of my favorite Pokemon), Herdier (It's just a simple and lovable dog like ZombifiedHorror said), Krokorok (Because the anime, again, that and Krookodile is another favorite of mine), Fraxure (This thing actually looks badass as hell, seriously), Braixen (I hate Delphox but Braixen is actually pretty cute, plus Pokken) and Doublade (Literally two swords possessed by a ghost, how is that not the coolest)

 

[Alienfish]

Dragonair always. Clean, beautiful design and nothing weird.

 

[xSuperMario64x]

One of my favorite middle evolutions of all time is Torracat.
It's strange because I'm usually not a fan of first stage starter evolutions, but Torracat just really appeals to me.

I also really like Metang, Flaafy, and to a slightly lesser extent, Ivysaur and Dewott.

- - - Post Merge - - -

OH WAIT I HECKIN LOVE BRAIXEN TOO

Ty NoUsernameHere for bringing her up. I absolutely love the whole Fennekin line

 

[WeiMoote]

If it was just regulated to Starters... It would be a cross between Croconaw and Braxien. Croconaw just looks like a caveman mixed with an alligator. Or crocodile. And Braxien? Who doesn't love a magical fox? ^_^

As for regular Pokemon? Gotta go for Steene; it's just so adorbs!

 

[buniichu]

My favorite are..


Alolan Vulpix: I thought it was really adourable and i loved the color/tone.


Dragonair: I think this is a very pretty pokemon, in my opinion. It has that pretty medium shaded azure-blue to it, and the blue pearls at the end of its tail, looks amazing! >u<

Sylveon: This pokemon was the most cutest thing i ever saw, in Gen. 6. It inspired me to even evolve my Eevee, to Sylveon. I love the ribbons! >3<

Pichu: It just cute! *^*

 

[Sweetley]

Braixen. Probably my favorite middle evolution out of all. It's not like that I don't like Fennekin or Delphox, it's just that Braixen has such a nice design that really appeals to me.

 

[Midoriya]

Pikachu.


In all seriousness, probably Monferno. It looks nice and actually looks well as a Pokemon that stays on two legs for its whole line (looking at Litten’s line here >.>).

 

[Halloqueen]

Charmeleon: I'm not sure why, I've just always liked Charmeleon. While it might seem plain, I guess I just like the name and think it looks pretty nice.

Haunter: I didn't have access to trading with people until Black & White, so I never really had much access to the trade evolutions back in the early days unless I traded with myself on the Pok?mon Stadium games. As such, I got used to using the middle evolutions, and Haunter's great. I love the design and name and, while I still like Gengar, I'd say Haunter remains my favorite Pok?mon of its evolutionary line.

Dusclops: Dusknoir is cool and I'll use it, but I prefer Dusclops aesthetically. I like the one cyclopian eye and the sort of mummy design Dusclops has. Nice Eviolite user as well.

Vigoroth: I like Slaking, but sometimes you just don't want to deal with Truant. A year or so ago I made a team and was trying to decide whether to use Vigoroth or Slaking and decided on just using both for their own different purposes. It's a nice contrast to Slakoth and Slaking.

Doublade: Say what one will about the design just being two Honedge slapped together, I like the stats, especially with Eviolite.

Dartrix: That hair is amazing. The Rowlet line is one of my favorite starter lines alongside Squirtle's (because of Blastoise), and birds are my favorite types of animals, so I just really like it.


---
Other standout middle evolutions include:
---

Electabuzz: I'm one of those people who is fine with Electivire, but Electabuzz is definitely my favorite of its evolutionary line. The design is memorable and it honestly would have been fine without an evolution, but it got one so here we are.

Magmar: Same as Electabuzz.

Dragonair: I like Dragonite, but it feels like too drastic a departure from the designs of Dratini and Dragonair and would probably be better as its own standalone Pok?mon, or the final evolution of a different evolutionary line. Dragonair looks elegant and it's not that bad with Eviolite.

Dewott: Definitely the standout of the Oshawott evolutionary line for me. I don't have much to say about it, the only starter I really like from Generation V is the Snivy line because of Serperior, so yeah. I just prefer Dewott's design over Samurott's.

Herdier: Just a good, simple dog.

In addition to all of the above that I mentioned before, I've recently taken a real liking to Torracat. Incineroar is nice and all, but I like the simplicity of Torracat compared to the over-the-top humanoid heel wrestler thing Incineroar has going for it.

Oh, and there's also Machoke. While I prefer Machamp overall, I like seeing Machoke hauling boxes for moving companies and such.

 

[rhinoo]

Middle evolutions look like puberty.

 

[HistoryH22]

Magneton is one of my favorite middle-evos. Despite its simplicity I love the design.

 

[koopasta]

Dartrix is an actual representation of me in middle school, so I appreciate the li'l guy for that. Also, Flaafy.

 

[LambdaDelta]

do baby line pokemon count as having a middle evo?

 

[Reckoner]

Maybe Brionne (i personally think it's cute enough that I squealed when I first saw it).

 

[SaltedKaramel]

I don't really like a lot of middle evolutions to be honest. Many of them look incomplete, kinda hard to explain but just think of a teenager going through puberty. I won't sugarcoat anything, I'm sure for many people as teenagers we look horrendous lol. However, we later grow into our bodies/personalities as adults. A lot of middle stage evos give off that vibe (which is a great subtle desgin choice imo!).

There are a few I do like a lot, more so than it's final. Many people love Dragonair more than Dragonite, and I do too! (Sorry Dragonite) Another one I like a lot is Grovyle! I love it's design, it had so much personality. Sceptile doesn't interest me at all. Explorers of Sky also made it one of my favorite characters in video game.

 

[Tri]

Bayleef and Grovyle vastly overshadow the rest of their lines for me, and Ivysaur's solid too.

Only time I've kept a mid-evo purposefully unevolved is Magneton in Moon. Magnezone doesn't communicate the fusion idea very well and it took me years to see it's red eye.