In Pokemon, it can be easy to think that the on🐷ly way to make your team stronger is by leveling them up and evolving them. Want Rattata to be stronger? 🌳Evolve it into Raticate! But that is not always the case because of a little item called Eviolite.

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Introduced in Black and White, Eviolite increases the Defense and Special Defense of a Pokemon 1.5x as long as they are not fully evolved. This allows some middle-stage Pokemon to fill in specific competitive niches and even be flat out better than their final forms! So let's take a look at some surprisingly fantastic middle-stage Pokemon!

10 Piloswine

Piplup flipping up Piloswines hair to look at its eyes

Piloswine is one of many Pokemon that got an evolution after it was introduced, like Magmar and Electabuzz. However, Piloswine sets itself apart from those other middle-stages by being a 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:defensive powerhouse.

While Mamoswine gets a much higher attack stat, both it and Piloswine have the same defensive stats. Thℱis means that with Eviolite, Piloswine becomes a great tank, perfect for setting up Stealth Rocks and sticking around. Plus, its Thick Fat ability essentially eliminates one of its main weaknesses! Mamoswine may look meaner, but Piloswine can take the hits.

9 Clefairy

5 Clefairy standing in a line outdoors in a forest

Clefable is easily one of the most dominant generation 1 Pokemon of all time, especially with its 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Fairy-typing and Magic Guard ability𒁃. This makes it very easy to forget about Clefairy, but it fills a very interesting niche in double and triple battles.

Instead of Magic Guard, Clefairy has the ability Friend Guard. This🐻 makes all attacks on your allies deal only 3/4 damage as long as Clefairy is on the field. Combine this with Eviolite and moves like Follow Me, Icy Wind, and Heal Pulse and you have a great support Pokemon for bulky teams.

8 Duosion

Duosion opening its mouth on a diagonal background

Duosion🅘 is the oft-forgotten pre-evolution of Reuniclus. And while it has lower stats than Reuniclus in HP, Attack, Defense, and Special Defense, the💛y share two of the same stats: an awful 30 base speed and an incredible 125 base special attack.

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This means that with Eviolite, Duosion can be slightly more defensive than its evolution. This lets it be the rarely seen defensive sweeper. With defense-boosting moves like Acid Armor and Calm Mind combined with Stored Power, a move that gets stronger with each stat increase, you can be eliminating opponents with no issue. Add on Magic Guard and Recover and Duosion won't be fainting any time soon.

7 Pikachu

Pokemon Pikachu Looks Surprised Outside On A Route

168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Everyone's favorite Pokemon has a ve♏ry unique distinction. Because of the various special forms and releases, Pikachu is at the same time one of the weakest fully evolved Pokemon and one of the strongest middle-stage Pokemon.

For once, this isn't because of Eviolite. Pikachu gets access to the unique item Light Ball which specifically doubles Pikachu's attack and special attack. This means that Pikachu now has an attack of 110 and a special attack of 100: both higher than its evolution Raichu. Maybe Ash was onto something...

6 Chansey

pokemon diamond pearl cheryl chansey

Chansey, and its evolution Blissey, has always been a wall, with a phenomenal special defense and the highest HP in the entire game. But what sets Chansey apart from Blissey is that when it holds Eviolite, its special defense goes all the way to 157. That's even higher than Lugia.

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Unfortunately, this means that it has one glaring weakness: its defense with Eviolite is only 7. If you're opponent hits this with Knock Off, it's done for. But you can't deny that a special defense that high is worth the risk.

5 Charjabug

Charjabug on a black background

Charjabug is a stout caterpillar that looks like a 9-Volt battery (or a double-decker bus in its shiny form).♌ It also has a higher defense than its evolution Vikavolt. That means that when equipped with Eviol♓ite, this little grub becomes a devastating wall. And a supportive wall at that!

Charjabug has great supporting moves like Sticky Web, Light Screen, Electro Web, and Thunder Wave. But what makes it most surprising is its unique ability Battery that increases Allies' special attack 1.3 times. This means that your powerful Kyogre is going to be hitting even stronger Water Spouts!

4 Dusclops

Dusclops in a wild battle in Pokemon Sword and Shield

Dusclops is yet another bulky Pokemon that has surpassed its evolution because of Eviolite. However, this time, Eviolite increases Dusclops' defensive stats to the ridiculous levels with both sitting at 195.

This combined with low speed makes Dusclops the perfect Trick Room setter, meaning the slower you're Pokemon is the sooner they'll act. Add on Will-O-Wisp, Pain Split, and Ally Switch, and you'll get one of the most irritating Pokemon in all of Doubles.

3 Doublade

Doublade in front of the sky

Even though it was ner🌊fed in Sword and Shield, Aegislas𝄹h is arguably one of the most broken Pokemon ever created with its alternating high attacking and defensive stats. But what if you had a Pokemon that could do both at the same time?

Doublade Has a great attack stat of 110 and an even better defense of 150. Add on Eviolite and you'll be sitting at an unbelievable 225 defense stat, a total only beaten by Shuckle. And with moves like Iron Head, Shadow Claw, and priority Shadow Sneak, Doublade can handle most opponents with no issue.

2 Magneton

Pokemon Magneton

Many great middle-stage special attackers came out of generation one🤡, like Haunter and Kadabra. While those two are famous for their speed, the biggest stand out nowadays is Magneton because of its bulk.

With a phenomenal 137 defense and 105 special defense (after Eviolite), Magneton can more than hold its own against fully evolved opponents. Plus, there are some great options for ability with Magnet Pull to prevent other steel-types from switching out and Analy🎶tic to increase special attack and take advantage of that low speed. Magneton may be simple, but dang is it effective!

1 Porygon2

Porygon2 on a starry background

To put it simply, Porygon2 is a beast. While Porygon-Z is the definition of a glass cannon, this cybernetic rubber ducky is a firewall with its defenses becoming 135 and 137 after Eviolite. What makes Porygon2 so great are all the different things it can do, focusing on either physical or special defense. It can take you down with powerful special attacks. It can set up Trick Room to aid its slower teammates. It can slowly drain an opponent's HP with Toxic and take care of itself with Recover. Plus, its abilities adapt to your opponent. Download will increase its attack or special attack depending on which defensive stat your opponent is lacking. Meanwhile, Trace flatout copies your opponent's ability.

Porygon2 is the perfect wall because of its bulk, versatility, and adaptability. And that's why it is the best middle-stage Pokemon.NEXT:Pokemon: Ash Ketcham's Most Underrated Pokemon