>>55047252Three stage pokemon generally should have a reason to be three stages.
It's more common for grass types because it reflects plants growing and maturing. Bugs get a lot of three stages because IRL they change a lot in their life cycle. Dragons get plenty of three stages because they are meant to reflect the long arduous growth to your final prize. Trade evolutions get three stages so that last stage feels so much more powerful. Starter pokemon need no explanation.
In these cases the three stages make sense and are satisfying.
If there isn't a "reason" for three stages, why bother? you end up with issues like what
>>55051590said where the middle stage is unnecessary, forced or awkward.
Looking at the water types we have two frogs: irl multistage life cycles like bugs; a grass type, already explained; a pokemon that was originally two stages; and fucking spheal. This is what I'm talking about. Who the fuck gives a shit about sealeo? Why does it need to be three stages?
What justification can we even use for fire types? What the fuck justifies it for fire types? Magmar: a one stage that got its two evos to showcase baby and crossgens respectively.
The only other one is...showcasing light fixtures. It works I guess, chandelure the most popular gen 5 pokemon for a reason.
