Sun & Moon has been a hit among Pokémon fans, and one particular triumph for the game has been the inclusion of Alolan-form Pokémon. These Pokémon are re-imaginings of Kanto Pokémon that developed differently on the Alolan islands, such as the Ice/Fairy-type Ninetales and Electric/Psychic-type Raichu. We couldn’t have enough of these awesome new forms, so we decided to make a list of Alolan Pokémon we’d like to see!
1. Psyduck/Golduck – Water/Psychic
There’s sometimes a misconception that Psyduck and his evolved form, Golduck, are Water/Psychic types. Despite naturally learning several Psychic-type abilities, having numerous Pokédex entries referencing its Psychic abilities, and even having “Psy” in its name, neither Psyduck nor Golduck are typed as Psychic, but are instead Water-types. Perhaps as an Alolan-form Pokémon, the species would be able to develop more control over its Psychic abilities and reach a more enlightened state. The mental image of a more serene, headache-free Psyduck is too cute to pass up.
2. Kangaskhan – Normal/Fire
Kangaskhan is another “Original 151” Pokémon that already appears naturally in Alola, but it’s lacking a new form. For years, a popular fan theory has held that the baby from Kangaskhan’s pouch becomes Cubone after its mother dies. Tragic, we know. Seeing as how the evolved form of Cubone, Marowak, got an Alolan Ghost/Fire typing, it would be awesome to see Kangaskhan mirror that by gaining a Fire typing of its own as a subtle hint towards that fan theory being accurate. Also, it would open the door for some amazing nicknames such as “KanGasCan.”
3. Nidoking – Poison/Rock
Nidoran♂ was the first non-starter I ever caught in Pokémon, so I have a soft spot for the guy and his fully evolved form Nidoking. None of the evolutionary forms of this line occur naturally in Alola, but bringing them over would be an interesting way to explore some new Poison-type combinations we’ve rarely seen. Seeing as Alola is a very mountainous region, Nidoking picking up Rock as a subtype instead of Ground would be exciting!
4. Nidoqueen – Poison/Steel
But let’s not leave out the female version of the Nido-line. I find it difficult to believe that the male Nidos would migrate to Alola without their female counterparts. Additionally, Sun & Moon takes a lot of influence from real-life biological evolution, as seen in the frustratingly unique way that Salandit evolves. Making Nidoqueen evolve into a Poison/Steel typing would be a completely new type combination as well as a cool showcase of sexual dimorphism!
5. Bellsprout/Weepinbell/Victreebell – Grass/Electric
A Grass/Electric-type combination is something we’ve only seen once before, in the bizaare Lawnmower Rotom. With both the plentiful sunlight as well as the many potential bug predators in Alola, it would make the best kind of sense if the evolutionary line developed a way to turn sunlight into electrical energy for self-defense.
6. Venomoth – Bug/Psychic
Venomoth was a victim of the over-abundance of Poison typing in the original games. Similar to Psyduck, Venomoth learns more Psychic moves than Poison moves, yet retains Poison as its secondary typing. Perhaps the tranquility of Alola’s islands can affect Venomoth like it affected Pysduck in our thought experiment, releasing latent Psychic energies and gracing us with the first ever Bug/Psychic typing.
7. Tauros – Normal/Rock
Non-evolving lines from the “Original 151” have always felt a bit lacking. Evolving and growing stronger has always been one of the central themes to Pokémon games, so it comes as no surprise that the vast majority of non-legendary, non-evolving lines from the original game have gained new forms or evolutions in later titles. Baby Pokémon and Mega Evolutions have been added to alleviate this lack of progression for several Pokémon from this generation, but several are still lacking anything new! That’s why we give Tauros, who already plays a big role in the beginning of the game, an additional Rock typing. Rock-hard horns and hooves make his ability to smash boulders even more believable.
8. Lapras – Ice/Dragon
Another Pokémon without any progression love is Lapras. Lapras already possesses the Dinosaur-esque features commonly seen in other Dragon-types, so pairing it up with its already existing Ice typing seems fitting. We’ve also only seem this typing once before, and it’s in the legendary Kyurem. It makes more sense than the Grass/Dragon Alolan Exeggutor at least.
For all of your Pokemon Sun and Moon needs, stop by Bulbapedia and check out their Sun & Moon Pokedex here.
Bryan Herren
Pairing a love of DOTA 2 with traditional sports statistics, Bryan previously worked as a statsman for internationally renowned gaming tournaments. He then joined the Beyond the Summit crew to help design and develop several features for the game, such as Teamfight Recap. Now, he lives in Alabama with his wife and works as a freelance production assistant and writer.