this will be a long post, but it's mostly data, so bear with me.
Flavor, unlike competitive, is an art which relies largely on precedent. If we want our mon to look like a hollistic "pokemon," then while it is perfectly fine to make novel concepts, we must respect that there are some patterns Nintendo follows that we must also conform to. As such, this will be a post based entirely on respecting precedent. If your sole concern with Syclar is to do something "original" then i highly suggest you reconsider your philosophy. Precedent is key.
I went through and found all one-evo pokemon where the last evo had a dual-type. Note: this list will be very useful for like 7 more CAPs so know it well. I got:
Code:
Parasect
Venomoth
Tentacruel
Slowbro
Dodrio
Dewgong
Cloyster
Steelix
Exeggutor
Starmie
Scizor
Jynx
Gyarados
Omastar
Kabutops
Ledian
Ariados
Lanturn
Xatu
Yanmega
Quagsire
Honchkrow
Forretress
Gliscor
Weavile
Magcargo
Mantine
Houndoom
Swellow
Pelipper
Masquerain
Breloom
Ninjask
Probopass
Medicham
Sharpedo
Camerupt
Cacturne
Altaria
Whiscash
Crawdaunt
Claydol
Cradily
Armaldo
Froslass
Bibarel
Bastiodon
Wormadam
Mothim
Vespiquen
Gastrodon
Drifblim
Skuntank
Bronzong
Lucario
Drapion
Toxicroak
Abomasnow
Swoobat
Excadrill
Crustle
Scrafty
Carracosta
Archeops
Swanna
Escavalier
Amoonguss
Jellicent
Galvantula
Ferrothorn
Golurk
Bisharp
Braviary
Mandibuzz
Volcarona
that's a lot of mons, wow. as you can see, this post took time, so if you don't read it i will personally stop liking you forever.
Now, I decided to separate this list of mons into three distinct groups: Mons that keep both types from their prevo, mons that gain a secondary type upon evolution, mons that switch a secondary type on evolution
*Wormadam will be on two of these lists since it's weird
Mons that keep both types:
Code:
Parasect
Venomoth
Tentacruel
Slowbro
Dodrio
Exeggutor
Jynx
Omastar
Kabutops
Ledian
Ariados
Lanturn
Xatu
Yanmega
Quagsire
Honchkrow
Gliscor
Weavile
Magcargo
Mantine
Houndoom
Swellow
Pelipper
Medicham
Sharpedo
Camerupt
Cacturne
Whiscash
Claydol
Cradily
Armaldo
Bastiodon
Wormadam
Vespiquen
Drifblim
Skuntank
Bronzong
Toxicroak
Abomasnow
Swoobat
Crustle
Scrafty
Carracosta
Archeops
Swanna
Amoonguss
Jellicent
Galvantula
Ferrothorn
Golurk
Bisharp
Braviary
Mandibuzz
Volcarona
Mons that gain a secondary type:
Code:
Cloyster
Dewgong
Starmie
Gyarados
Forretress
Breloom
Probopass
Crawdaunt
Froslass
Bibarel
Gastrodon
Excadrill
Escavalier
Mons that Swap their Secondary Type:
Code:
Scizor
Masquerain
Ninjask
Wormadam
Drapion
Mons that swap their primary type:
Now, i'm not just going to point at the numbers and say the first list is much bigger and let that be my whole argument, because otherwise we'd have a bunch of same-typed prevos and this isn't always the best-case scenario. I will point out a couple things though:
Things which pertain to three-stage families as well:
- There is no Pokemon that starts off with a mono-typing which proceeds to become its secondary typing. This precludes mono-bug as a possible typing for Syclar.
- The only Pokemon in the game which swaps its primary type is Onix->Steelix. However, this is a very extreme scenario in that Onix evolves "between gens" and Steelix's primary typing was made after Onix was. For our purposes, there is no precedent for a mon switching its primary typing, so if Syclar is half-something, it has to be half-ice.
- There is no mon in the game that switches the order of its primary and secondary typings upon evolution. If Syclar is bug and ice typed, the order is Ice/Bug.
Things which don't necessarily pertain to three-stage families as well, but are rather Syclant-specific:
- The only primary ice-type pokemon on that list which grows a secondary typing is Snorunt. Shellder, while not a primary ice, gains an ice typing. Only seel gains an Ice type and evolves by level. Both of these Pokemon evolve via stone. This is a soft requirement, unlike the three mentioned above, but flavor precedent would /like/ Syclar to evolve by stone if it is mono-ice. Probably a Leaf Stone idk.
- No ice-type pokemon swaps its secondary typing upon evolution. IN fact, five pokemon period do this. It's uncommon.
- Every Bug Pokemon that is not in the first list is primary-bug. Syclant is secondary-bug. Every secondary-bug (read: Armaldo) maintains the typing from its prevo.
- The vast majority of Pokemon /do/ maintain both types, and while this is not even close to a requirement for all of our prevos, it does mean that established precedent is not to change types unless there's actually a good reason to. Syclar has no real good reason to. It has an icicle, in its butthole.