<h2>Alolan and non-Alolan forms are not interchangeable because they have different "names"</h2>

<p>The <a href="https://assets.pokemon.com/assets/cms2/pdf/trading-card-game/rulebook/sm2_rulebook_en.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">2017 Pokemon Trading Card Game Rules</a> in the section <em>What does and doesn't count for a Pokémon's name?</em> makes it clear that the Alolan and non-Alolan versions are not the same Pokémon.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>An owner or form name in a Pokémon’s name is part of the Pokémon’s name:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Meowth, Alolan Meowth, and Rocket’s Meowth have different names </li>
  </ul>
</blockquote>

<p>There are other rules for what counts as the same or a different name, but for our purposes, "Alolan X" is not the same name as "X".</p>

<h2>The "evolves from" name must exactly match the name of the pre-evolutionary Pokémon</h2>

<p>From the same section:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>When evolving, the “evolves from” Pokémon name must match the Pokémon being evolved. So Graveler can evolve from Geodude, or
  Geodude LV. 12, but not Brock’s Geodude.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The "evolves from" Pokémon is referring to the Pokémon in the upper left corner of an evolutionary Pokémon.</p>

<h2>Alolan Pokémon follow these same rules</h2>

<p>Consider <a href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/sm-series/sm1/79/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Alolan Persian</a>:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/kALWD.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/kALWD.png" alt="Alolan Persian"></a></p>

<p>Alolan Persian's card says in the upper left corner "Evolves from <a href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/sm-series/sm1/78/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Alolan Meowth</a>". Since "Meowth" is treated as a different name, you cannot evolve a Meowth into an Alolan Persian. This is reiterated in Appendix K of the rules:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Note that “Alolan” is part of the Pokémon’s name—this means that Alolan Persian can only evolve from Alolan Meowth, not from Meowth. Also, you can have up to 4 Persian and up to 4 Alolan Persian in your deck if you wish.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>There are some circumstances where a non-Alolan Pokémon can evolve into an Alolan Pokémon, such as <a href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/sm-series/sm4/31/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Alolan Raichu</a>.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/raDF8.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/raDF8.png" alt="Alolan Raichu"></a></p>

<p>In this case, the upper left corner of the card explicitly says "Evolves from Pikachu", thus a regular Pikachu will work (but not something like <a href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/platinum-series/pl2/114/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Surfing Pikachu</a>, as fitting as that might be).</p>

<p>In your particular case, Ninetales' card says that it evolves from "Vulpix". Since "Alolan Vulpix" is considered to be a different name, it cannot evolve into Ninetales. Similarly, an Alolan Ninetales' card would say that it evolves from "Alolan Vulpix", so "Vulpix" cannot evolve into it.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-27T23:16:47.463Z
2017-11-30T22:29:27.210Z
2017-11-30T22:29:27.210Z
Thunderforge
<p>If I have a regular Ninetales in my hand and an Alolan Vulpix on my bench, can I evolve the Alolan Vulpix into the regular Ninetales?</p>

<pokemon>
Can Alolan Pokémon evolve to non-Alolan or vice versa?
Malachi
# Can Alolan Pokémon evolve to non-Alolan or vice versa?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-11-27)

If I have a regular Ninetales in my hand and an Alolan Vulpix on my bench, can I evolve the Alolan Vulpix into the regular Ninetales?

**Tags:** pokemon


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-11-27. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

## Alolan and non-Alolan forms are not interchangeable because they have different "names"

The [2017 Pokemon Trading Card Game Rules](https://assets.pokemon.com/assets/cms2/pdf/trading-card-game/rulebook/sm2_rulebook_en.pdf) in the section *What does and doesn't count for a Pokémon's name?* makes it clear that the Alolan and non-Alolan versions are not the same Pokémon.

> An owner or form name in a Pokémon’s name is part of the Pokémon’s name:
>
> * Meowth, Alolan Meowth, and Rocket’s Meowth have different names

There are other rules for what counts as the same or a different name, but for our purposes, "Alolan X" is not the same name as "X".

## The "evolves from" name must exactly match the name of the pre-evolutionary Pokémon

From the same section:

> When evolving, the “evolves from” Pokémon name must match the Pokémon being evolved. So Graveler can evolve from Geodude, or
> Geodude LV. 12, but not Brock’s Geodude.

The "evolves from" Pokémon is referring to the Pokémon in the upper left corner of an evolutionary Pokémon.

## Alolan Pokémon follow these same rules

Consider [Alolan Persian](https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/sm-series/sm1/79/):

[![Alolan Persian](https://i.sstatic.net/kALWD.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/kALWD.png)

Alolan Persian's card says in the upper left corner "Evolves from [Alolan Meowth](https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/sm-series/sm1/78/)". Since "Meowth" is treated as a different name, you cannot evolve a Meowth into an Alolan Persian. This is reiterated in Appendix K of the rules:

> Note that “Alolan” is part of the Pokémon’s name—this means that Alolan Persian can only evolve from Alolan Meowth, not from Meowth. Also, you can have up to 4 Persian and up to 4 Alolan Persian in your deck if you wish.

There are some circumstances where a non-Alolan Pokémon can evolve into an Alolan Pokémon, such as [Alolan Raichu](https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/sm-series/sm4/31/).

[![Alolan Raichu](https://i.sstatic.net/raDF8.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/raDF8.png)

In this case, the upper left corner of the card explicitly says "Evolves from Pikachu", thus a regular Pikachu will work (but not something like [Surfing Pikachu](https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/platinum-series/pl2/114/), as fitting as that might be).

In your particular case, Ninetales' card says that it evolves from "Vulpix". Since "Alolan Vulpix" is considered to be a different name, it cannot evolve into Ninetales. Similarly, an Alolan Ninetales' card would say that it evolves from "Alolan Vulpix", so "Vulpix" cannot evolve into it.


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