Decidueye/Typhlosion/Samurott
Let’s start with the starters!
I think regular Decidueye is really awesome, and the Hisuian form keeps all of that awesomeness but in a different way. It looks a bit like a scarecrow… and it is an owl. Does that make it a Scarecrowl? I like how it is hiding its eyes for extra coolness. The color scheme is great, red makes it stand out a bit compared to regular Decidueye which is green.
Typhlosion is my favorite Johto starter, but I think the Hisuian form is actually an improvement. It looks so cool. It has a very interesting facial expression which makes it looks evil, sad and lazy at the same time. The flames around its head and neck are just awesome in every way.
Samurott is quite similar to its original form, but it is still awesome. The darker color scheme is great and the helmet has a different design which is cool. The moustache is awesome as always. It was also the one I picked as a starter, I used it when I played through the game and I had great success with it.
Growlithe/Arcanine
Boring and uninteresting old Kanto Pokémon which are in dire need of being spiced up? Check.
They are given new forms which make them interesting again? Check.
I am not the biggest fan of the original Growlithe/Arcanine, they have always felt boring to me. I think they are missing something to make them stand out, especially compared to other dog-like Pokémon. Thankfully, their Hisuian forms are a great improvement. Growlithe looks so adorable and cozy! I just want to snuggle with it forever (and I really dislike dogs IRL, so this is saying a lot). Arcanine looks pretty cool with the gray fur surrounding most of its body, which also gives the illusion that it is wearing some kind of rock-like armor.
Electrode/Voltorb
Sadly, these are my least favorite Hisuian forms. They are still okay though, I like how they look like old Apricorn Balls instead of modern Poké Balls. Unfortunately, they don’t really change much from their original boring design. The Voltorb line is pretty much a lost cause when it comes to improving their design. If you change too little, it won’t make them better, and if you change too much, they will just turn into completely different Pokémon. Still, they did what they could and I approve of that.
Kleavor
I never thought Scyther would get a second evolution, but that’s okay. Kleavor feels a bit more primitive compared to Scizor, it is Rock while Scizor is steel, and that’s cool. I also think it looks a bit more similar to Scyther than Scizor does. The giant axes are great and I like the spikes on its body. I ended up using a Kleavor as the honorary 19th member of my in-game teams during the last moments when I played the game, and it was great.
Qwilfish/Overqwil
Qwilfish was a Pokémon that really deserved some attention. Like getting a new form or an evolution. It really lucked out as it got both! Congrats!
Hisuian Qwilfish isn’t that different apart from original Qwilfish, the only differences being that the color scheme different and the spikes seem to be a bit smaller, but that’s okay. Overqwil really spiked up to the extreme, it looks a bit ridiculous with those large spikes but I think that’s okay because they make it look awesome and terrifying, definitely not a Pokémon you want to meet when you go out swimming! I also like how it has spikes for eyebrows.
Sneasel/Sneasler
I like Sneasel. When I was a kid, there was one point when I liked Sneasel more than any other Pokémon, but that was a long time ago. Hisuian Sneasel isn’t too different from regular Sneasel in terms of design, the only real difference being the colors. But that’s okay since it is still great. Sneasler is cool since it sort of feels like an opposite to Weavile in every possible way. Compared to Weavile, it feels like a more “natural” evolution of Sneasel, so to say. The long ear is really great.
Ursaluna
Bear with me while I explain why this is a great Pokémon. Ursaring is one of many Pokémon which is good but not quite great and sadly often forgotten. Giving it an evolution was a great idea. It goes from a big bear to an even bigger bear! I really dig its design and how it sort of builds upon Ursaring. As someone else pointed out, the full moon on its head and the placements of its eyebrows makes them look like clouds covering the moon, which is cool. Overall a great Pokémon, I used it on one of my teams in L:A and it was quite good, a bit slow but really strong. I could always count on it to land a KO.
Wyrdeer
Hello forgotten Johto Pokémon which finally got some time in the spotlight thanks to getting a new evolution! I was very happy when I first saw Wyrdeer in the reveal trailer for L:A. Stantler really needed more attention and now it finally got that by getting an evolution! I like how Wyrdeer’s mane resembles a beard. That is great as beards are awesome and any Pokémon which has one automatically gets a point in my book.
Origin Dialga/Palkia
Those two are just plain… weird. I remember that when Palkia/Dialga were originally revealed back during the pre-D/P days, many fans thought they looked like Digimon. I wonder what those people would say if they saw the Origin forms? Jokes aside, I think they are good even if I have yet to get over their weirdness. I guess they just feel a bit “unnatural” compared to Giratina’s Origin form. Or I might just have gotten used to Giratina-O since it has existed for so many years.
Lilligant
The dance queen is back in a new shape, and she is adorable as always! I love Lilligant and I love Hisuian Lilligant too. It got a bit slimmer (or maybe it just removed the dress?) in order to perform faster dances… or something. And the flower on its head got smaller. I used a Hisuian Lilligant on one of my teams and it was great, I love it!
Basculin/Basculegion
I really like this new form of Basculin. I think it is better than both of the previous forms. They took an already good Unova Pokémon and made it even better!
Basculegion is great since it further helps Basculin get some extra spotlight, and it is a great Pokémon too! A giant fish which got possessed by dead Basculin? Insane. It is also notable for being my favorite of the ride Pokémon in L:A, yet another reason as for why I like it. I'm not sure why they decided to give it a gender difference, maybe to reference the various form differences of Basculin? It is great either way.
Zorua/Zoroark
The Zorua line has always been cool, and giving them a new form with an edgy design and a new unique type combination was great. The colors are really great and I love the hair of Zoroark. Hisuian Zorua looks a bit melancholic compared to the regular Zorua looking more mischievous, while Zoroark is giving off a very dangerous look.
Braviary
In the past, Braviary had Psychic powers! Who would have guessed? Braviary is always cool no matter what. I like how the fluffy feathers on its head are similar to Rufflet’s, and the Psychic “eyes” are really cool.
(I used the official art here because the image on Serebii had the wings cut off and it looked awkward)
Sliggoo/Goodra
The Goodra line is my least favorite pseudo-legendary. But I like the Hisuian forms of Sliggoo and Goodra better than the originals. I think one contributing factor is the shell. Sliggoo and Goodra just look a lot better with a shell. I also like how they went from looking happy and cheerful to a bit melancholic, I think it suits them better.
Avalugg
Combining Ice with Rock, does that make Avalugg harder? It does at least make it weaker to Steel and Fighting, unfortunately. Avalugg is a cool Pokémon that is sadly often forgotten… which isn’t strange since it never really had any big impact in the games, or in the fandom (from what I know). Now it finally got some more attention in the form of a new boss and being one of the Nobles in the game as well! I like the plates it has around the head. Overall a good design.
Enamorus
Last but definitely not least, my favorite out of the new Pokémon introduced in L:A, and one of my top favorite Pokémon from all generations. I have absolutely no idea why they decided to create a fourth member of the Forces of Nature. As if that wasn’t enough, they decided to make it a Female Fairy-type which follows the pattern of having an Incarnate and Therian form just like the others. But no matter the reasons, I am a big fan of Enamorus. Everything about it is great. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. The lovely pink color scheme, the snake it has around its body, the heart on its head. It was the definite member of my legendary team in L:A and it worked well there… when Springtide Storm didn’t miss, at least. I really hope I will be able to transfer it to S/V and use it there!
