>>56143702>In Digimon you could have your Sobble or Quaxly turn into something that isn't an abomination.The point in Pokemon is that you cannot choose what your friend will become, if it has an evolution, because it is about growing attached to your creature for what it is and the memories you have with them, not to shape their appearance in every stage according to your will and taste.
When you get a baby pet you have no guarantee how exactly it will look like, or how its personality will be like once it has become an adult, but supposedly you'll love it anyway for who it is, because you have formed a bond with it that goes beyond appearance or what you personally find 'ideal'.
So many times I've grown attached to Pokemon I wasn't particularly fond of in terms of design, because I've battled side by side with them and I tied memories to them.
I may not like Quaquaval, but who am I to decide that a Quaxly should become something else, when it is in its nature to turn into that?
Preventing Pokemon from evolving, and branched/item evolutions are all the manipulation you should get, nothing more, because who the heck are you to control what your friend should become?
This is one of the reasons why the evolutionary system in Digimon is confusing and less enjoyable than the one in Pokemon, because it puts the focus on the player's will rather than the creatures' biology and calling.
There is no true sense of growth and accomplishment if the creatures can keep changing form back and forth at the snap of your fingers, given the necessary requirements.
