Of All The Gimmicks Pokemon Legends: Z-A Could’ve Brought Back, I’m Thrilled It Was Mega Evolution

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I’m old enough to remember when Pokémon first came out – I was born in the 1980s! I’ve been a fan for around 25 years and basically grew up with the games and show.

Like a character shaped by their experiences, I’ve been a long-time follower of this series, witnessing all its ups and downs. I’ve seen everything from the glitch Pokémon Missingno to questionable design choices like Zacian’s overpowered stats and initial Intrepid Sword ability.

I’ve experienced all the major changes Pokémon battles have gone through – things like Z-Moves and Terastallization. These additions have dramatically altered how matches are played, sometimes for the better, and other times not so much.

Players often initially dislike changes in competitive games, but quickly understand they need to adapt to stay competitive. This leads to a focus on mastering the new features or strategies to improve their chances of winning.

I’ve always been a fan of Z-Moves! What I really liked about them is that they weren’t too overwhelming. Each Pokémon could only use one, and it took up an item slot, which felt balanced. They were a cool addition without being overpowered, in my opinion.

Look, Eevee definitely had its moments! Its special Z-Move, Extreme Evoboost, was seriously powerful – it boosted almost all of its stats at once. I remember when people were using it with Baton Pass to pass those huge stat boosts to another Pokémon on their team. It was a really scary strategy to go up against back then!

Honestly, one of my coolest Pokémon memories from back then is when Golduck suddenly became a real threat in competitive battling. Seriously, *Golduck*! No one ever saw that coming. For a while, it was the only Pokémon with the Swift Swim ability available, which made it absolutely devastating on rain teams, especially when you equipped it with Waterium Z. It was a really fun time to play!

However, Mega Evolution really stood out. Some Pokémon became incredibly powerful and defined past competitive scenes. For example, Mega Kangaskhan’s Power-Up Punch, which hit twice, was devastating, and Mega Charizard Y had a huge Special Attack and the ability to instantly create sunny weather.

It felt like Mega Evolution might be forgotten with the introduction of Dynamax/Gigantamax in the latest Pokémon games, and now Terastallization in Scarlet and Violet. But personally, I think Mega Evolution was the best of these transformations. It cleverly boosted the power of some less popular Pokémon and made already strong ones even more formidable, just for the fun of it.

Whether you’re a competitive player who enjoys complex strategies, or someone who simply likes seeing Pokémon get stronger and look different during the story, Mega Evolution adds something worthwhile for every fan.

Classic Mega Evolutions In The Making

It wasn’t quite that simple, though. Most Pokémon needed to hold a specific Mega Stone to Mega Evolve, which meant there was still a drawback to consider – except for Mega Rayquaza.

The game allowed for two main approaches when choosing Pokémon: it could celebrate popular favorites like Charizard and Mewtwo with multiple powerful forms, or it could give a boost to lesser-known Pokémon that weren’t often used in competitive battles.

It’s easy to forget about Pokémon like Hawlucha and Victreebel, but they’re getting new Mega Evolutions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which is fantastic news!

I already loved Hawlucha because of its unusual Flying/Fighting combination and powerful Flying Press move—I consider myself a bit of a Pokémon connoisseur, honestly—but it really became famous when its Mega Evolution was announced.

Fans have eagerly awaited the Mega Evolutions of Chesnaught, Delphox, and Greninja for years. Artists have even imagined what they might look like, and now they’re finally here!

I think Delphox has the best design of the three, though design is always a matter of opinion. What’s really great about Mega Evolution is that it sparks conversation and gets people hyped. It’s more than just a visual upgrade – it can fundamentally change a Pokémon.

Legends Z-A features a battle system that’s quite different from other Pokémon games, and this will change how Mega Evolutions function. Traditional stat increases won’t work as expected, and you won’t be limited to using only one Mega Evolution per battle, per team.

Of course, not every new design is a hit, and Mega Dragonite, with its unusually large wings, is a good example of that. However, it *has* sparked discussion about the upcoming Z-A content, and there are still plenty of unexpected Mega Evolutions left to be revealed for those who haven’t seen the leaks.

Just knowing Mega Evolution is back is enough to make me want to play and discover everything new, and that shows how much fans love it. I’m also really curious to see how important it is to the game’s story and what that means for the overall experience.

This game needs to demonstrate that the series remains strong on Nintendo’s latest consoles, which puts a lot of expectation on it. And, of course, there’s the intimidating and dangerous Mega Victreebel to contend with – it’s a major challenge!

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2025-10-14 23:40