Few video game series have been able to build the kind of legacy that Pokemon has accomplished, let alone for the multiple decades that the franchise has reigned supreme. Pokemon fever is still at a high and the series is taking more risks than ever before. Pokemon Sword & Shield brought the beloved property over to the Nintendo Switch and these newest entries added a lot to the experience.

Pokemon Sword & Shield contain many new Pokemon designs that help give the Galar region its flavor. Applin looks deceptively simple, but there’s a lot more going on with it than meets the eye.

10 It Can Evolve Into Two Different Pokemon

One of the most exciting experiences in a Pokemon game is still when a creature evolves. The games continually create new ways for Pokemon to evolve and the process can be far more involved than simply reaching a certain level.

Applin is an extremely unique case. The Pokemon evolves into either a Flapple or an Appletun based on whether it is contained within a tart apple or a sweet apple. Both Flapple and Appletun are Grass and Dragon-types and aren’t that dissimilar, but it’s an interesting way to add a bit more of a surprise element to Applin.

9 It’s Technically A Pokemon Egg

Pokemon has found areas where the species can be expanded upon in ways that feel natural. The games added Baby Pokemon, but there are also Pokemon Eggs that demonstrate an even earlier step in the growth process.

There’s not much going on with Applin in terms of attack power and the Pokemon is more like a cocoon that’s meant to endure until it can evolve into something more active. Applin is actually a Pokemon Egg and the only one that is a Grass and Dragon-type. The apple aesthetic is just a fancier package for it all.

8 It’s The Smallest And Lightest Dragon-Type Pokemon

Part of the reason that Pokemon has been able to last so long is that the monsters can range from giant creatures that trainers ride to tiny things that can fit in their hands. Dragon-type Pokemon are typically on the larger side of the spectrum and the series’ first major example, Dragonite, helped establish this perception.

Applin is clearly the antithesis of this, but it actually establishes two new records. Applin is both the smallest and lightest example of a Dragon-type Pokemon. Applin is only eight inches in size and weighs in at 1.1 pounds.

7 Its Entire World Is An Apple

Pokemon deserves credit for still finding ridiculous and unexpected ideas for creature designs after nearly 1000 Pokemon have already been created. Dragon-type Pokemon usually represent more powerful beasts and it’s even a variety that’s usually associated with Legendary Pokemon.

Applin is a strange exception since it’s a Pokemon that doesn’t threaten the world, but rather it limits its whole playground to a measly apple. The apple that surrounds this Pokemon functions as its home, protection, and source of food. Applin literally doesn’t need anything more and the moment the Pokemon is born it starts to burrow deep into the apple to begin its consumption.

6 It Has The Lowest Speed Stats For A Dragon-Type Pokemon

There’s plenty of debate to be had over the strength of Pokemon, and players can look to hard stats to settle disputes in some cases. Dragon-type Pokemon usually begin with decent base stats, but Applin sets a new record for the lowest speed stats of its kind, which begins at 20.

Applin’s base speed stat is abysmal, but the rest of the Pokemon’s numbers aren’t very encouraging either. They’re all very low and the only area where the Pokemon is somewhat decent is in defense, which makes sense considering its whole purpose is to take shelter.

5 Bulletproof Is Its Hidden Ability

Bulletproof is a hidden ability that debuted in Generation VI and then later became Chespin’s signature ability, but its function remains the same now in Generation VIII. Bulletproof is all about defense and it protects the Pokemon in question from bomb and ball attacks.

This is a bonus for any Pokemon that suffers from low defense, but it’s really the perfect hidden ability for a Pokemon as helpless as Applin. All that Applin needs to do is survive long enough to hatch and evolve, which Bulletproof helps make easier.

4 It Takes Around 5250 Steps To Hatch

Flapple and Appletun are inventive ideas on an apple Pokemon, but Applin is a bit of a chore to tolerate. Since Applin is actually a Pokemon Egg, the player is beholden to a lot of travel with the Egg until it hatches, or in this case, evolves.

This whole process can be very tedious, especially when the player doesn’t know how many steps it’s going to take for the Pokemon Egg to hatch. With Applin, its Egg will hatch after the player takes anywhere between 5140 to nearly 5400 steps. It’s a lot, but it could be worse.

3 It’s Actually A Worm

While Applin may look like an apple, that’s actually just its shell, so to speak. The real Pokemon is the worm that lives inside of it. Furthermore, the Pokemon’s apple-like touches, like its steam and leaves, are actually the protruding eyestalks of the Applin worm that’s living inside. It’s more of the Pokemon’s complex form of camouflage.

In a sense, the Applin could still survive if someone bites into the apple as that’s not actually its body. The Pokemon technically has more in common with a Caterpie than an Oddish.

2 Its Biggest Predators Are Bird Pokemon

What’s so much fun about the Pokemon universe is that it’s distinctly original in many areas, but in other circumstances, it directly pulls from real life for the inspiration behind its Pokemon and land regions. The series has introduced an abundance of Flying-type Pokemon based on birds, so it makes sense that these Pokemon would be the ones that are most interested in Applin’s worm-like state.

Applin primarily stays hidden in his apple for protection because bird Pokemon pose such a significant threat. Strangely enough, it’s likely that humans that mistake him for roughage are another problem.

1 It’s Appeared In The Pokemon: Twilight Wings Anime

The Pokemon series started with video games, but for many people, the anime adaptation is their primary exposure to the material. Pokemon Journeys is the current continuation of the original anime that follows Ash. However, there’s also Pokemon: Twilight Wings, which delivers self-contained stories about the Pokemon world at a more sporadic airing schedule.

The latest installment of Twilight Wings, “The Gathering of Stars,” celebrates the new Pokemon from Sword & Shield. Not every Pokemon gets featured, but Applin happens to make the cut, specifically when the Isle of Armor region is visited.

NEXT: Pokemon Sword & Shield: Every Legendary In The Game, Ranked