979: Annihilape

We know Legends Arceus brought us handful, but man it feels like a while since a generation introduced some played-straight new evolutions for older Pokemon, and not as part of some regional variant or Pokemon implied to not be around anymore without time-travel shenanigans.

Ol' Primeape finally got some love in the form of this new evolution, Annihilape, which evidentially comes to being because Primeape just became SO fueled with rage that its heightened blood pressure finally claims its life and it's now a dead monkey. Indeed, Annihilape here is a Fighting/Ghost type, and gets to evolve by using Rage Fist one too many times. Way to go, trainer. You killed your ape. Are you satisfied with yourself?

Design-wise, Annihilape changes very little, the main feature of difference being that it has flowing hair, which is anime for "powered up", obviously. Its fur and skin are also more greyed out, and its eyes now blood-red as the one shot of any vibrant color in this thing. It's also covered with loads of anime "pressure points" or pulsating blood vessels.

Something about this feels like it heightens it above its linemates. Primeape, while we weren't a big fan of it, was still an effective design that was a unique take on a monkey and also was good at being the embodiment of pent-up aggression. As opposed to Annihilape here, which looks like anger properly unleashed. The hair flowing and bursting from the center, its shackles shattered, and of course the absolutely seething face it has.

It's not like Annihilape NEEDED to be here, at least not in the sense that it feels like a missing puzzle piece that the Mankey line always needed, but it is a neat way to cap the line off in a nice, angry bow.