Z-A’s Leaked Mega Evolutions Sound Like All My Dreams Came True

If you asked me for a wishlist of my dream Mega Evolutions that could be added in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, I would have started with Feraligatr. While many people think that the starter Pokemon are getting alternative Lumiosian forms for their final evolutions in Z-A, I’m adamant that they will instead receive Mega Evolutions – it’s the returning gimmick, why wouldn’t Game Freak double down on it?

With more information hopefully on the horizon after a winter release date was announced, people are starting to ramp up the prediction game. Which monsters are confirmed to be returning? What Megas do we expect? How will the new combat work? Will it integrate with Pokemon Champions? Thanks to high-profile leakers, we now know a few things for certain.

Leaks for Pokemon Legends: Z-A from here on out.

Before we go any further, it’s worth noting that we should always take leaks with a pinch of salt. No matter how reliable the leaker, everything you hear from them is rumour until Pokemon confirms it for real.

That said, let’s hear what the latest Pokemon leaks have to say.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A Mega Evolution Leaks

I was talking about Feraligatr earlier, and I’m happy to report that it seems a mega crocodile is on its way to our screens. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Here’s the full list of Mega Evolutions that have leaked so far:

• Clefable
• Victreebel
• Starmie
• Dragonite
• Meganium
• Feraligatr
• Skarmory
• Froslass
• Emboar
• Excadrill
• Scolipede
• Scrafty
• Eelektross
• Chandelure
• Chesnaught
• Delphox
• Greninja
• Pyroar
• Malamar
• Dragalge
• Hawlucha
• Eternal Floette
• Barbaracle
• Zygarde
• Drampa
• Falinks

Again, pinch of salt and all that. But out of my list of ten potential Mega Evolutions we might see in the game based on the Pokemon announced at that point, four were correct. As a random bloke with no inside information, I’ll take a 40 percent hit rate. Especially when you consider I also predicted Mega Starters but didn’t include them in that list, taking me up to an even more respectable seven out of 13. Please, hold your applause.

But alongside Victreebel, Starmie, Dragonite, and Chandelure, we have a host of other exciting Megas joining the party. The Gen 6 starters Chesnaught, Delphox, and Greninja will apparently be joining the fray. I worry slightly that Mega Greninja will be a worse threat than Mega Incineroar would have ever been, but it will be interesting to see how Game Freak redesigns these monsters for its Lumiose prequel.

Eternal Floette and Zygarde are also intriguing propositions. I previously worried about the lore implications of giving Kalosian Pokemon Mega Evolutions when they didn’t have them in the original (and later chronologically) games, but it seems that Game Freak is happy to have some plot holes.

These two Pokemon, more than any other ‘mon on the list, will have story implications. It’s for that reason that I’m most excited to see their designs and abilities. I can’t wait to Mega Evolve Zygarde’s strongest form on some Lumiosian rooftop in the dead of night, waking everyone in the block as the aging architecture crumbles above their heads.

The Pokemon Legends: Z-A Leaks Are Great For Me, Specifically

I mentioned in my previous article about Mega Evolutions – which is linked above and you have definitely read, otherwise very little of this follow up would make sense – fans would go rabid for Mega Aegislash or Mega Talonflame. I (wrongly) discounted any Gen 6 monsters from my thinking, but fans of those specific Pokemon are likely still disappointed at their absence from the leaks.

I, however, am not fans of those specific Pokemon. I don’t mind them, but they’re not my favourites. If I had to list them, I’d probably say Jolteon, Gengar, Skarmory, Lugia, Cufant. But others creep to the surface the more I think about them. My favourite Gen 6 Pokemon? Hawlucha. It’s a lucha libre bird, for g**dness’ sake. Second favourite? Dragalge. I watched a documentary about Leafy Sea Dragons and got really into it, okay?

As you can probably tell, I’m being served well by this list of leaked Mega Evolutions. Excadrill is up there with my favourite Gen 5 Pokemon, although potentially usurped by shiny Gigalith. I got really into Scolipede after making a boss anti-meta Pokemon Pocket deck with it. The best Pokemon design out of all 63 Pokemon not included in Gen 8? Eelektross. That Gen 5 sprite was something else.

I’m not eating here, I am feasting. I’m following in the footsteps of my Roman ancestors and heading to the vomitarium to throw up so that I can dine on another course of honeyed Mega Skarmory and roasted Mega Excadrill. Yes, I’m aware that’s not actually what a vomitarium was for. No, you don’t eat the metal bits on an Excadrill. We’ve been through this already.

I am so excited for this squad of Mega Evolutions. I would have preferred Legends: Celebi with Primal Lugia thrown into the mix, but I’m not in a place to complain at present. I’m struggling to think of many of my favourite monsters that aren’t getting the Mega treatment here, excluding obvious Legendaries, Eeveelutions, or not-fully-evolved Pokemon.

Either this leak, or this game, was designed with me specifically in mind. Perhaps someone has decided to trawl through the thousands of articles I have published on the internet in order to pinpoint exactly which Megas I would want as a reward for my years of service to the industry. Perhaps I represent the everyman, my tastes are indicative of the player hivemind. Or am I just psychically attuned to the thoughts of the developers, like we share a consciousness when it comes to cool Pokemon designs?

If any of that were the case, we wouldn’t be getting Mega Greninja. But I guess Game Freak has to design something for the rest of you. Pass me the Dragoniteite, I’m riding the Legends hype train all the way to Lumiose Station.

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