Pottery Wheel Method

The Pottery Wheel Method of Pokemon evolution is a specific type of evolution sequence closely related to the type-based sequences and mostly exclusive to Rock and Ground-type Pokemon. It involves the Pokemon becoming surrounded in clay, with only their feet exposed (for Rock-types) or with nothing exposed and them being completely covered (for Ground-types). From there, the evolving mon, inside of a larger-on-the-inside room of blue light, molds their body into that of their evolved form. The method is so named due to the cue for the method-- the sudden appearance of a glowing blue pottery wheel, which the Pokemon can either step on to activate the evolution or break if they do not wish to evolve yet.

Methodology and caveats

The evolution sequence always begins the same way: with the sudden appearance of a glowing blue pottery wheel at the Pokemon's feet. If the mon does not wish to evolve at all (or if they do wish to evolve, just not via the method) they can choose to smash or break the pottery wheel by stomping on it with a single foot or via some other method, which will explode the pottery wheel to bits. If they do decide to evolve via the PWM, however, the mon is free to step onto the pottery wheel. Shortly afterwards, they will be covered by clay initially resembling a formless mass; if the mon is Rock-type their feet will be exposed, as was the case with Saura; however if not Rock-type their entire body will be covered by clay with nothing showing, as was the case with Gwana. Similarly, only non Rock-types will spin on the pottery wheel. While on the outside any observer will just see a formless lump of clay on a pottery wheel regardless of whether it spins around or not, the inside is a lot larger than it appears, containing a blue, mirror-surface-esque room that is conformed initially to the shape of the Pokemon's current form and expands as the Pokemon shapes itself into its new body.

While the specific methodology depends on the Pokemon, the general rule of thumb is that PWMs usually begin with a self-performed growth spurt, followed by a usually minute-long slow and often dramatic reshaping of the Pokemon's body from head to toe done to the mon by the mon themselves. Quadrupedal mons usually have to rely almost solely on strength alone to form their new bodies, save for leg reformation (where they are free to stretch out and modify their legs into their evolved form's shape), while bipedal mons tend to form their own body parts themselves by molding them via their own appendages. After the formation of the mon's body, during which from the outside the formless mass of clay takes on the shape of the evolved mon, the blue mirrored room conforms to their new shape before collapsing in on them, with the pottery wheel underneath them glowing brightly. Within seconds both the room and the pottery wheel break and explode off into bits of blue material, revealing the Pokemon's newly-evolved form.

Interestingly, the pottery wheel method only allows a mon to transform major specific body parts, such as the shapes of their head, body, neck, arms and legs (if any), tails (if any), or any other major physical attributes. Cosmetic changes, such as color or patterns, are done automatically and not by the Pokemon themselves-- for example, while Gwana did draw in the lines that are present on a Marowak's belly onto her own with the bone she was carrying during her evolution, the subsequent spacing of those lines was entirely automatic. That being said, however, certain things can also be done automatically-- Gwana fused her skull to her head by pushing on and squeezing the sides of said skull, but the subsequent closing of all cracks and general smoothing of the skull itself was automatic.

The general methodology as to why and how the pottery wheel method works has only been revealed off-screen thus far by Chasmo IRP, with Gwana questioning and subsequently being amazed by the fact that it worked multiple times during her evolution. According to the method's originator, Goldenheart388, however, the reason as to why the PWM works is based on the fact that during it, the mon's body essentially gains the properties of a putty-like substance, with basically every interior organ (such as bones, brain, and other organs) except for the (protected) lungs and voice box being converted to pure energy. As such, the mon is able to reshape their bodies freely into the shapes of their evolved forms without having to worry about any permanent or lasting damage. The general feeling of a PWM has been compared to both a post-workout high and freely letting loose contained power, and despite any uncomfortable feelings one might have from hearing about the method or from experiencing said method themselves from the outside, the method is completely pain-free. All organs promptly re-materialize as soon as the evolution is over.

In the RP

In the RP, the PWM has thus far been associated with Owen Edmundson's Pokemon. Off-screen, Nautilu, Crina, Chasmo, Teryx, and Eurypedis have all been confirmed to evolve via it; on-screen, both Saura and Gwana have done so. Beyond just the physical evolutions, however, the method has been discussed multiple times. Upon initially meeting Anomalo and learning that he was blind, Chasmo mentioned that due to Anomalo's complete blindness it would be rather difficult for him to go through the Pottery Wheel Method. Anomalo, who had only lived for 2 days in prehistoric times and never got to go through the method himself, questioned what it was; he was told that the team would explain it later. Later on, after Saura herself evolved via the PWM and told everyone about it after the Maylene battle, Chasmo took the opportunity to tell the new mons about his first time evolving and what the Pottery Wheel method was; of them only Eurypedis was previously familiar with it due to having evolved via it himself. Steggy was confused as to why he didn't evolve via it; Cephalo expressed slight disgust but still enjoyed it; Anomalo was terrified by it; and Gwana expressed disgust and suspicion of it actually working-- disgust and suspicion that was later alleviated once she evolved via the PWM herself. Saura also told Anomalo that she would personally help Anomalo evolve himself via the PWM, to which Anomalo was very much grateful (according to Goldenheart388, Teryx was helped by Nautilu in a similar fashion when he first evolved). Later on during Gwana's evolution, Stipax internally questioned explaining to Gwana the above-aforementioned science as to what made the PWM actually work (see "Methodology and caveats" above).

While mainly associated with Owen's Pokemon, Laurie Hitoki is also somewhat associated with the method; D'Autry evolved via the PWM offscreen and Draiman has evolved via it once offscreen and is currently capable of doing it again.

Pokemon capable of evolving via the PWM

The following Pokemon are all capable of evolving via the PWM:

• All Ground-types that don't evolve with an item (Onix, Gligar, and Rhydon are exempt from PWM methodology due to this)
• All Rock-type Pokemon
• All mons that evolve into a partly Rock or Ground-type Pokemon (such as Grotle or Mudkip)
• All Fossil Pokemon capable of evolution
• All prehistoric Pokemon capable of evolution (Yanmega can evolve via the PWM)
• All Hisuian form Pokemon capable of evolution
• Riolu

Pokemon confirmed to have evolved via the PWM in WAAPT

Onscreen

• Saura (evolved during battle against Maylene's Breloom)
• Gwana (evolved during battle against Crasher Wake's Gyarados)

Offscreen

• Joel (time of evolution unknown)
• D'Autry (after defeating a wild Drapion that had made their way to Eterna City)
• Draiman (during Laurie's capture battle for Zoltan)
• Nautilu (twice, once after calling out his parents in the 1300's and then again during Owen's battle against Blaine post-revival)
• Crina (during Owen's battle against Sabrina post-revival)
• Chasmo (twice, once at an unknown date MYA and then again during Owen's battle with Janine post-revival)
• Teryx (during Owen's battle against Sabrina post-revival)
• Eurypedis (during his samurai training in the 1600's)

Trivia

• Saura was the first mon in WAAPT to evolve via the PWM onscreen, while thus far the earliest to evolve via it chronologically is Chasmo.
• Currently the PWM is exclusive to the mons of the characters played by Goldenheart388 in WAAPT; however, it is open for use by all WAAPTers and can theoretically be used by any of them in the future.
• The PWM was initially supposed to apply to Steel-types along with Ground- and Rock-types, which is the reason why Riolu is listed as a capable mon (it evolves into the half-Steel Lucario). However, the Steel-typing was eventually dropped; ultimately, the only Steel-type mons still capable of evolving via the PWM are Hisuian Sliggoo and Shieldon, both for non-type-related reasons (they are a Hisuian mon and a fossilmon, respectively). Riolu, however, was kept for unknown reasons.
• The PWM originates with a method of evolution that was initially supposed to be present in Goldenheart388's fanfic Pokemon Carnegie; it involved the mon similarly reshaping their own bodies, but applied to every mon, did not involve a pottery wheel or any form of clay, and was not a method of evolution, but a law of it (the Third Law of Evolution, to be precise). This law, in turn, was based on interpretations of anime evolution animations done by Goldenheart388 that made it seem as though the mon was forcibly reshaping their own body parts, which Goldenheart later on likened to pottery being shaped on a wheel, hence the later name and association with Rock and Ground-type Pokemon.
• As was shown during Saura's evolution into an Aurorus, the blue mirrored clay room that the mon is in during the evolution method is not soundproof; crowds could be heard cheering and Shinedown's "EVOLVE" (the evolution theme for Owen's mons) could be heard playing during said evolution.
• A PWM evolution generally lasts for around 1 minute to 1 minute and 30 seconds both in and out of universe.
  • That being said, there are exceptions; according to Goldenheart388 both Joel and D'Autry's evolutions took less than a minute due to the minimal amount of required changes.
• The PWM bears a close resemblance to the Rock-type type-based sequence, with the exceptions that the mon is encased in rock (for most Rock-types) or glass (for Rock/Ground types, Rock/Steel types, and all Lycanroc forms) during the evolution and also that the mon just is able to feel what is happening to them rather than inciting the evolution themselves.
• Stipax has been present for both onscreen PWM's in WAAPT.