My thoughts on evolution in Pokemon and where it's going

So a friend of mine has been talking a lot about Pokemon Sun and Moon lately. He told me last night he’s 89% done with the Pokedex. And I’ve been perusing Bulbapedia and learning a lot about what the game is all about. There are a few things that bother me and my friends. One friend thinks that the removal of HMs was stupid. Another hates that most of the new moves are signature moves (I honestly find that pretty disappointing too). Personally, the biggest problem I have with the game is the fact that the legendary Pokemon on the box covers of the games, Solgaleo and Lunala have pre-evolutions. Not only that, but they have the same pre-evolutions. Cosmog evolves into Cosmoem at level 43, then into Solgaleo in Pokemon Sun or Lunala in Pokemon Moon at level 53.

I get it, Mega Evolution was introduced in Pokemon X and Y, and they did give some legendaries Mega Evolutions. Heck, Mewtwo (fittingly) got two. Latias, Latios, and Rayquaza also got Mega Evolutions in Generation VI. But unlike the case with Solgaleo and Lunala, Mega Evolutions are still the same species, just 100 base stat points more powerful (or 90 if you’re Alakazam). So I don’t think any lines were crossed in gen VI. But in Generation VII, we have legendaries evolving from a different species entirely. Wasn’t one of the rules of legendaries that they didn’t have an evolution? Sure, there are other criteria like one per game, has some kind of backstory, a base stat total above a certain threshold (oh wait, Cosmog’s is 200. That’s Magikarp level bad).... Okay, never mind, they’re just going to throw everything out the window. Gen VIII, Pokemon Brown and Orange, they’re going to reveal that Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres all evolve from Pidgeot or Fearow or something. Gen IX, Pokemon Pink and Purple, you’ll be able to buy a stone that can evolve any Pokemon capable of evolving. An all-purpose stone if you will. Gen X, Pokemon Rain and Snow, any Pokemon can evolve into anything else of your choosing at any level, making completing the Pokedex almost completely trivial. Gotta catch ‘em all! Or you could just catch a Pidgey on route 1 and evolve it like 98 times and boom, you’re 10% done already.

Well, that went a bit overboard. Just a bit.