This question is about the one you recently answered about trying to fill out the Pokemon ecosystem to give variety cabon copy Pokemon. I ask because I agree with both you and the questioner, so I wonder if different forms would be a solution? Instead of Goldeen and Finneon, they could be treated as 1 Pokemon with the same stats abilities and movepools, but have their different names and appearances. They would be looked up in the same place in the Pokedex, under a name like Fin Swimmer or w/e.

Maybe?  I do feel that the idea of Pokémon forms is underused, and this would definitely be a good way of showing that kind of variety in future generations – instead of a new bird Pokémon that’s basically the same thing as Pidgey anyway, just call it what it is and create a regional variation of Pidgey (maybe with slightly different powers, a la Nidoran?).  Saves time and effort.  I don’t think I’d want to condense any existing Pokémon, though.  I mean, we have them now, so I think it makes more sense to try and create more points of difference for them, give them more uniqueness and individuality.  My real problem is that Game Freak just aren’t interested in doing that because continuing to add more new Pokémon is their top priority – excusable, I suppose, given that it’s been proven by experience to keep the franchise going, but it still bugs me.