Summary
Evolution is one of the signature elements of thePokemonseries, as these wonderful yet strange creatures are constantly growing and transforming into entirely different beings with new abilities. However, and despite its importance, not every Pokemon benefits from evolution as much as players might believe.
Because of gameplay mechanics like typing, abilities, moves and/or items, there’s a fair share of popular Pokemon who are infamous for being surprisingly good in battle despite not being fully evolved. Some of them are even better than their respective evolutions. The following creatures are undeniable proof that evolution is not always necessary in order to stand out in this franchise.
8Pikachu
Utilize The Light Ball
As the face of the franchise and one of the most recognizable fictional characters in the entire world, it only makes sense that Game Freak would givePikachuspecial treatment when it comes to items, moves, and abilities. But this means that it’s usually better than its evolution in a lot of ways, which is unfortunate becauseRaichuis also a solid Pokemon in and of itself.
The Light Ball item (which doubles a Pokemon’s Attack and Special Attack stats), only works on Pikachu, and not on Raichu. On top of that,the mascot of the franchise was graced with other generational mechanics, like its own Z-Move and Gigantamax form, making it more special and viable in battle. Even the special Partner Pikachu fromPokemon Let’s Go, Pikachu!can learn a few unique moves and, since it can’t evolve at all, no Raichu is ever going to be able to use them.
7Clefairy
A Better Hidden Ability
When it comes to appearances, most fans tend to prefer the iconic PokemonClefairytoClefablebecause it looks friendlier and cuter, despite both of them having similar designs. But that’s not the only reason that makes most players use the unevolved form of this evolutionary family — Clefairy also has a significant advantage in battle.
Clefairy’s Hidden Ability is Friend Guard, which reduces the damage done to allies during double battles. It loses this when it evolves into Clefable. Since Double Battles are one of the most popular formats in competitive Pokemon battling, Clefairy is usually preferred by professional players.Its usage was boosted by the introduction of the Fairy Type in Generation Six, since it also gave Clefairy some solid resistances to other types.
6Rhydon
Eviolite Makes Rhyperior Unnecessary
For years,Rhydonwas an iconic, fully evolved Pokemon with an impeccable design.Most fans didn’t feel like it needed to evolve even further. However, and much to their surprise,Rhyperiorwas added in Generation 4, and it has gotten a mixed reception ever since. A lot of people feel that, despite its admittedly good-looking appearance, Rhyperior was an unnecessary addition that looks over-designed.
On top of that, Rhyperior was further undermined by the introduction of the Eviolite, a held item that boosts both the Physical and Special Defense of any Pokemon that isn’t fully evolved. When holding this item, Rhydon bame a resilient defensive tank that could still deal a fair amount of damage. After all, it spent years as the fully evolved form of its evolutionary family, so it was able to keep its popularity thanks to Eviolite.
5Chansey
Another Great Eviolite User
Back in Generation 1,Chanseywas the quintessential support Pokemon because it had a lot of HP, solid bulk, and could even heal itself with its signature move, Soft-Boiled. However, its evolution,Blissey,was introduced just one generation later, and remained the superior choice for plenty of years.
But Eviolite completely changed this dynamic once again. Its incredible improvements to defensive stats mean that Chansey can now become even bulkier than Blissey, so it was naturally launched to the top of competitive battling. It’s important to clarify that Blissey is still a very solid support Pokemon that sees a lot of usage, but Chansey is featured in tournaments more often, and for good reason.
4Murkrow
Honchkrow’s Hidden Ability Isn’t As Useful
Generation 2 introduced a fair share of small and/or weak Pokemon that felt like they should evolve, but sadly couldn’t. In the case ofMurkrow, it was eventually blessed with an intimidating evolution namedHonchkrowin Generation 4. However, the later implementation of Hidden Abilities changed everything when it came to the balance between these two.
Murkrow has the Hidden AbilityPrankster.This ability gives priority to status moves, and it’s highly valuable in competitive circles. Honchkrow, though, loses it in favor of Moxie, another solid ability but nowhere near as useful as Prankster. Because of this difference,Murkrow can often be seen using moves like Tailwind or Taunt in tournaments, which can completely change the outcome of competitive battles.
3Porygon2
Better Stats All Around
Special sweepers are a dime a dozen in Pokemon. So, despite how impressively powerfulPorygon-Zis, there are many other similar creatures who can fulfill the same role. But bulky defensive tanks are not quite as common, which has led to its pre-evolution,Porygon2, becoming even more viable.
Eviolite has done it once again. Due to its significant boost to Porygon2’s defenses, it can tank a lot of powerful moves that Porygon-Z would never be able to withstand. But even without this item, the total base stats of these Pokemon of the same evolutionary family are not all that different — Porygon2 even has better defensive stats by default. They’re both excellent when it comes to battle, but they succeed in different areas, and Porygon2 fills a much more needed niche.
2Vigoroth
Doesn’t Skip Turns Like Slaking Does
It’s not common for an unevolved Pokemon to be significantly better than its evolution that was introduced in the same Generation, but this is exactly what happened withVigoroth. Its evolved form,Slaking,is one of the most powerful Pokemon in the entire franchise, thanks to its diverse move pool and incredible stats. However, it is ultimately hindered by one thing: its ability.
Slaking is infamous forhaving the Truant ability, which prevents it from acting on every other turn. Vigoroth lacks this ability and has Vital Spirit instead, so, even if its stats are nowhere near as strong as its evolution, it can be way more useful and active in battle. This results in a lot of seasoned trainers preferring to use Vigoroth over Slaking, whether on regular playthroughs or within the competitive scene.
1Dusclops
Eviolite Wins Out Again
Many considerDusclopsto be the poster child of Pokemon that are better than their evolved forms. Because, despite how strong and intimidatingDusknoirmay seem, this classic Ghost Type from the Hoenn Region has become much more popular and competitively viable since Generation 5. This is mostly thanks to one item that has come up again and again on this list: the one and onlyEviolite.
Dusclops and Dusknoir have almost the exact same Defense and Special Defense stats,but the former can use Eviolite to boost these defenses even further, which gives it a huge advantage over its evolution. Because of this, Dusclops is one of the most prominent bulky walls in competitive battles and, in turn, has overshadowed Dusknoir for many years. Not to mention that its lower Speed stat means that it can become a huge threat on Trick Room teams. Of course, the Gripper Pokemon is not weak in any sense of the word, but it is not as useful or effective as its pre-evolution. Because of this, some fans have forgotten that Dusclops even has an evolution in the first place.
