#armored evolution

I'm very interested in these rumors about an "Armored Evolution". I was too keen on the Mega Evolutions, because they weren't permanent. However if these rumored Armored Evolutions are permanent, that'd be awesome (maybe they'll have something to do with the Metal Coat and the UK's Industrial Age). And of course there comes that fan art with the speculation and rumors. I would love a Knight-styled Golurk!!!!

I love the fact that it seems they're just implementing a basic principle of biology - that being divergent evolution - and running with it more than they had before.

DISCLAIMER: THE IMAGE ABOVE IS NOT LEGITIMATE; USE YOUR BIG PERSON BRAINS AND DON’T BELIEVE EVERY “LEAKED” IMAGE YOU SEE ON THE INTERNET.

The concepts discussed in this post are purely speculative and do not in any way confirm or debunk any details pertaining to Pokemon Sword and Shield.

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So let’s talk, everyone. As I’m sure a good few of you are aware, amid many a rumor and propagated “leak” has developed the idea of “armored evolution.” Though no one is 100% sure as to what it entails, “armored evolution” remains one of the most commonly-mentioned concepts in reference to potential mechanics that could crop up when the playerbase is finally introduced to the Galar region.

I, personally, think it’s bull. Here’s why:

Mega evolution was a gimmick. A failed gimmick, at that. Don’t get me wrong—it’s an interesting concept, but not interesting enough to continue exploring or building upon, as is made evident by GameFreak’s apparent abandonment of the mechanic. Mega evolution, first introduced in Gen 6, introduced new forms for 26 Pokemon—ten from Gen 1, five from Gen 2, eight from Gen 3, and only three from Gen 4. The newness and hype from the introduction of something completely unheard of carried the idea enough to prompt the release of a second wave of megas with Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire—20 more plus the Primal Reverted states of the boxart legendaries and Rayquaza. Despite this, taking into account each and every available mega released between the two installments, we find ourselves with a drastic imbalance between the number of mega-capable Pokemon between generations, with the vast majority belonging to Gens 1 and 3, a far less impressive total of five for Gen 4, and only ONE each for Gens 5 and 6.

Many fans greatly anticipated the introduction of new mega evolutions with the release of Gen 7, but instead were greeted with a different concept altogether—that of the Alolan variants of several Gen 1 Pokemon. No further advancement of the mega evolution concept was made, a fact which continued to carry to the Gen 7 sequels (where many believed against all odds and common sense that more would be released). The mechanics remained in place for existing megas (also applicable in the more recent release of the Let’s Go duo) because the existing mega evolutions were already a majorly-incorporated part of the meta and overall competitive battle scene. But by the time Pokemon Sword and Shield release in the latter half of 2019, it will have been five full years since the release of any mega evolutions. Going off of this and the fact that there exist only two Pokemon currently capable of achieving mega evolution between the most recent three generations, I personally believe it safe to assume that mega evolution has been abandoned as a mechanic.

Now onto what has been dubbed “armored evolution.” Though interesting in theory, it would literally be the exact same thing as mega evolution—perhaps not aesthetically, but conceptually. Some item or the fulfillment of an in-game condition would trigger a new and temporary form that would last only for the duration of the given battle and exhibit similar restrictions. Any other method of bringing about “armored evolution” would simply constitute a normal evolutionary form and necessitate a permanence which would either not make sense for existing Pokemon (fourth-stage evolutions, mainly, especially for those that were previously capable of achieving mega evolution) or would likely be considered a waste of time and resources by the developers (who could be creating new and exciting Pokemon and mechanics instead of stacking recycled features onto old ones).

Any leak that includes “armored evolution” is super fake.

“But the trade mark! But the Pokemon GO data mine!”

The trademark and data mine are for armored Mewtwo, something that has existed for over 20 years. Its the armor Giovanni put on Mewtwo to suppress his powers and make him easier to control. It appeared in the anime, and in the first movie.

Leaks regarding Pokemon GO, unless they’re a new Pokemon (like with Meltan) are HIGHLY likely to have nothing to do with gen 8