Pokemon Fan Shares Interesting Substitute Evolution Concept

A Pokemon fan has designed a unique evolution for a Pokemon, imagining what could happen if the Pokemon forgot who they were due to using the Substitute move. The unique concept for an evolution has stirred up conversation and debate among Pokemon fans, who have mixed feelings on the implementation of this design in an actual game.

Pokemon evolutions have changed a lot over the years, creating new ways and methods for Pokemon to evolve. Some of the most unusual include Pokemon splitting when evolving, or achieving alternate evolutions depending on a variety of factors. This fan’s concept would definitely qualify as an unusual form of evolution, and one that could backfire for some players.

Reddit user and artist Matratzfratz shared their unique concept for a Substitute-based evolution called Substititan. The idea behind the evolution is that if a Pokemon used Substitute and was still hiding behind it when they leveled up, the evolution could trigger, turning them into another Pokemon entirely. Matratzfratz’s idea was that the Pokemon would forget who it used to be by hiding behind a Substitute, turning into something that looks like a full-grown version of the plush toy-like decoy that takes the Pokemon’s place while it’s using the move. This could result in a wildly different Pokemon, turning any creature with the Substitute ability into a green, quadriped dinosaur-like Pokemon.

Pokemon Fans Have Mixed Feelings About Substitute Evolution

Many players have commented on the artist’s post. While several have expressed interest at the idea of this concept, many have also shared their concerns at its drawbacks. Players point out that losing a valuable Pokemon to a random evolution like this could be devastating for a player, especially if they were a kid and didn’t know what was going to happen. While stopping the evolution would be a potential tactic to avoid having a Pokemon turn into Substititan, there would surely be some trainers who had no idea it was a potential outcome and could end up regretting it.

A possible solution proposed is having Substititan split apart from the Pokemon it evolved from, much like Shedinja. Players would need a free slot in their Pokemon line-up and an available Poke Ball. However, it’s not clear how this would play into the lore, as Shedinja is essentially an animated carapace. Perhaps the substitute plush would take on a life of its own, somehow. It could potentially make an interesting evolution for Ditto, as its inherent copying techniques could theoretically turn it into a creature like this in a moment of confusion. In any case, a Pokemon’s moves and choices made in battle just prior to evolving impacting the result would be a very interesting twist for a game.

Pokemon

Pokemon is a franchise that needs no introduction. One of the most successful media empires in history, Pokemon spans games, television, films, manga, merchandise, music, and more.
 

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Created by

Satoshi Tajiri