February 27th’s Pokemon Presents gave fans a long-awaited look at Pokemon Legends: Z-A, which came with a lot of information to unpack. Some of the new revelations about Pokemon Legends: Z-A revolve around returning moves and mega evolutions, but this combination might reignite a long-dormant debate.
After the reveal of Pokemon Legends: Z-A nearly a year ago, players have been longing for any news about the new Pokemon spin-off game, and the Pokemon Day celebratory presentation didn’t disappoint. The extended sneak peek at the upcoming game provided answers to some of the title’s biggest mysteries. Among the large reveals of the time period and starter trio, though, were a few hints that went unnoticed by many. When touching on the game’s new battle system, some fans noticed that a previously cut Pokemon move is returning for Legends: Z-A. Power-Up Punch, a fighting-type move that boosts the user’s physical attack, was at the heart of a controversial strategy used during the X and Y era, leading the move to be cut from Scarlet and Violet. But with its return, an overpowered strategy might be revived.
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Pokemon Legends: Z-A Will Be Game-Changing
Just like Legends: Arceus before it, Pokemon Legends: Z-A will treat fans to a Pokemon experience that strays from that of the mainline games. Among the many changes in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, such as new areas and Pokemon catching mechanics, is a change in the way battles will play out. Unlike the classic turn-based battles of the core Pokemon titles, Legends: Z-A will be introducing a real-time battle system to the series. Perhaps this change can explain the decision to incorporate attacks that were deemed too powerful in the past. With a new battle system comes a new meta, which could see Power-Up Punch become more balanced than in previous entries.
Power-Up Punch is a fighting-type move with 100% accuracy and 40 power. After the attack, the user’s physical attack stat is raised by one level.
Another major change that the Legends games bring is the removal of Pokemon abilities. Typically, each Pokemon has an ability that might help it during battle, such as eliminating or gaining stat boosts or immunity to special conditions. With the different mechanics explored in Legends: Arceus, abilities were removed in favor of new move types. Now, although unconfirmed, there are rumors that suggest abilities will be absent from Pokemon Legends: Z-A too. This also helps to rebalance Power-Up Punch, as the strategy that abused it relied on Mega Kangaskhan’s Parental Bond ability, which allowed it to attack twice in one turn, reaping double the stat boosts of the attack. Without that signature ability, Mega Kangaskhan would no longer be able to abuse Power-Up Punch in competitive battles.
How Mega Evolution Will Change
Kangaskhan was far from the only Pokemon to receive a powerful mega evolution in the Gen 6 era, with nearly 50 monsters gaining new moves, abilities, and types from the short-lived feature. While many trainers are excited about its return, the new real-time battle system means that mega evolution needs to be changed in order to balance the gameplay. It seems that instead of remaining in their new form for the duration of the battle, Pokemon will now have a limited time to utilize their special form before reverting to normal. Coupled with the removal of abilities, this could lead to mega-evolved Pokemon being less overpowered than they were in the past, with the title hopefully dodging balancing concerns as a result.
It remains to be seen exactly how mega evolution will play into the battle system and story of Pokemon Legends: Z-A, but it is believed to play a major role in the new title. Fans remain eager to find out which mega evolutions will be returning, as well as which other Pokemon might receive new forms. With the success of Legends: Arceus and the mystique surrounding the Kalos region, Pokemon Legends: Z-A seems to have already captured fans’ attention. No release date has been announced, but the game is set to come out in late 2025.
