Pokemon Scarlet and Violet introduced a variety of new Pokemon, including some that brought new type combinations. There are still some new creatures that kept things simple and went the monotype route, including Cetoddle's evolutionary line. It is easy to fall in love with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's adorable Cetoddle, but it is a strange Pokemon because its evolved form is strikingly different, as though a middle evolutionary stage is missing.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players can find Cetoddle around Glaseado Mountain, which is a snowy region. There are plenty of other Ice-type creatures to encounter here, including Cryogonal and Arctibax. Players will need an Ice Stone if they wish to evolve their Cetoddle into Cetitan, albeit it will lose its iconic cuteness and become a much more menacing critter.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Evolution From Cetoddle to Cetitan Is Jarring
Many Pokemon evolutionary lines feature three stages, with the first stage featuring a "baby Pokemon," a middle stage with a slightly stronger Pokemon, and a final evolution where the creature has unlocked all its potential and might. This pattern is useful, as players can see a Pokemon's natural progression from being a small, adorable baby to being a mighty beast. This can be illustrated by looking at a Pokemon most fans are familiar with - Charizard.
Charizard begins life as an adorable Charmander that eventually evolves into Charmeleon, which loses some of its cuteness and begins to gain more dragon-like features. Finally, Charmeleon evolves into Charizard which is a mighty monster with huge wings and a flame on the tip of its tail. Each stage is important and if, for example, Charmeleon was left out, it would be odd to see adorable Charmander suddenly evolve into Charizard.
Comparatively, Cetoddle is a cute Ice-type creature that looks like a ball of snow. It has a jolly smile, and it looks like it is always ready for play. Cetoddle isn't particularly powerful, but it is worth training because when it is exposed to an Ice Stone, it evolves into a Cetitan. This is a strong Pokemon with good Attack and bulk, making it an asset to any team. Although the new form is great, the evolution from Cetoddle to Cetitan is a little jarring. While Cetoddle is cute and babyish, Cetitan has a grumpy face and looks like it is ready for war. Cetitan is also much larger than its pre-evolution, with Cetitan weighing in at 1543 pounds and Cetoddle weighing only 99 pounds.
Pokemon's History With Two-Stage and Three-Stage Evolutionary Lines
Historically, the Ice type hasn't been the easiest typing to work with, as it has a lot of weaknesses. Nevertheless, Cetitan is still a great Pokemon thanks to its base HP of 170 and its base Attack of 113. Cetitan is also aided by its access to the Ability Thick Fat which halves the damage it takes from Fire-type or Ice-type moves. This is useful because the creature usually has a 2x weakness to Fire-type moves.
The evolution from Cetoddle to Cetitan would feel a little more natural if there was a middle stage to bridge the gap between the two. Though Cetoddle's evolutionary line is a strange one, it's not the first time the franchise has experimented with drastic changes between evolutionary stages. Famously, Magikarp is an unassuming fish that eventually evolves into the terrifying tyrant of the sea Gyarados. While Dragonite's evolutionary line does have three stages, the dragon evolves from Dragonair which looks quite different from it.
The star of Gen 9's Ice-type Pokemon is the pseudo-legendary Baxcalibur. Not all Trainers are looking for the strongest dragon, and for players who value cuteness more, Cetoddle is unmissable. It is a great Pokemon to raise, though its evolutionary line would be improved with an intermediate stage.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available on Nintendo Switch.