Summary
- PLZA leaks reveal 26 new Megas for existing Pokemon from Gen 1-8, exciting yet underwhelming.
- PLZA skips regional forms for starters, opts for Mega Evolutions like Meganium: Grass/Fairy.
- PLZA Mega Evolutions likely won’t return in mainline games, regional forms may have been a better choice.
It may seem too soon for Pokemon Legends: Z-A to get a huge number of leaks about its features and Pokemon roster, considering the release window is for late 2025. Yet, this week, there were monumental leaks regarding Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Mega Evolution roster, which is allegedly adding a total of 26 new Megas for existing critters ranging from Gen 1 to Gen 8, with some exceptions. These leaks are to be taken with a pinch of salt, but if they are true, they spell both exciting and underwhelming news at the same time for the game’s starter trio of Chikorita, Tepig, and Totodile.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A arguably offers one of the strangest, if not the, lineups of starter critters in the series, and that’s because it features both Chikorita and Totodile from Gen 2, and then Tepig from Gen 5. PLA had a more diverse approach, picking Cyndaquil, Oshawott, and Rowlet, so it seemed natural that the spiritual sequel would do the same. Considering that Pokemon Legends: Arceus also featured regional forms for its starters, it seemed only natural that PLZA would try to achieve something similar, but the new leaks paint a different picture. In fact, it seems that the game will include no new Pokemon at all, be it new species altogether or simply new forms.
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Pokemon Legends: Z-A Starter Leaks Are a Blessing and a Curse
Pokemon regional forms are one of the most successful gimmicks in the series, possibly alongside Mega Evolutions themselves, as they essentially give players a new take on existing critters over entirely new species. Not featuring regional forms in Pokemon Legends: Z-A can be disappointing in its own right, but it’s quite sad considering the current state of critters like Meganium in the series. The starters in PLZA are not some of the best in terms of combat or typing, so it would have made sense to give them regional forms to more permanently change their place in competitive battles.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s starter Mega Evolutions have been detailed over the past week. If true, the leaks state they will have the following type combinations:
- Meganium: Grass/Fairy
- Emboar: Fire/Fighting
- Feraligatr: Water/Dragon
While Meganium being Grass/Fairy in PLZA is not bad news, and while the same holds true for Feraligatr’s new type combo, Emboar is allegedly still stuck as Fire/Fighting. With Megas being so popular, it’s great to see one for each of the starters, but this is a gimmick that likely won’t return in mainline games – hence why it would have been arguably better to see regional forms for the starters.
Pokemon Champions will be all about battles from what was shown on Pokemon Day, and even if details about this game are currently scarce, it’s already clear it will feature Mega Evolutions. However, this gimmick is unlikely to return in future mainline games, considering its connection to Kalos and the fact that each generation tends to focus on a new battle mechanic. As such, it can be of little value to have Mega Evolutions for Pokemon Legends: Z-A starters over a more “permanent” addition to the franchise, like regional forms.
Potential regional forms for Meganium, Emboar, and Feraligatr may have seen use in battles in future games, too, thanks to Pokemon Home, possibly having a go at VGC with Gen 10 games. Gen 9 featured a lot of competitive action for past regional forms, so having this gimmick for the PLZA starters may have benefited them more in the long run over the short-term benefit of Mega Evolutions. The leaked Mega Evolutions for PLZA don’t change the type combinations a lot, doing this only for Meganium, Feraligatr, and three more critters, so a regional form for Meganium and Feraligatr may have had the same characteristics, but it may also have breathed new life into Emboar, for example. Fans will have to wait and see if this is true, but the sources seem reliable so far.
