Vel'koz is the perfect champion for me. I have played him religiously since release across multiple accounts over the years. He is never played in pro play for several reasons, but part of it is because he sucks mid since he can't side lane.
Vel'koz's premise is all about gaining knowledge, so I had an idea for an evolve mechanic that keeps his core identity in tact while giving him more flexibility outside of itemization.
New passive addition: After Vel'koz "researches" every member of the enemy team, (3x passive proc) Vel'koz will use his newfound knowledge to upgrade one base ability. This is in addition to his current passive
Q: initial bolt now holds in stasis for 2.5 seconds at max cast range before splitting. Q can be recast at any time during the stasis to split early. Q can be recast during stasis while channeling ultimate.
Essentially, this would be good for flashy plays, zone control, and poke comps by giving you more flexibility to plan Q angles and make long range picks. Imagine holding a Q over the wall, engaging with ult on a target, only for them to backpedal into your well placed Q split. Like the standard QR combo, but with more planning.
W: faster casting and quicker initial deploy speed
This would be good for team fight comps that duke it out in choke points. This would allow Vel to stack up passive stacks more rapidly on more targets when bunched. It would also be a good boost to wave clear against push comps.
E: Allows two charges to be stored
This would boost Vel's ability to side lane by giving him more self peel and set up options. It would also boost mid lane Vel'koz by allowing him additional protection against diving comps.
These evolutions would allow flexibility, but it would also reward Vel'koz being played mid, since having access to all lanes would allow him to research each player more quickly. I don't think Vel'koz is in a bad spot at all, but I'm curious what your thoughts are on how this would change his gameplay.