The leaks coming out aboutPokemon Legends: Z-A’s new Mega Evolutions point toward some significant additions to the game. While there hasn’t been any official confirmation that new Megas are joiningPokemon Legends: Z-A, one mon seems like a no-brainer for a Mega form regardless of whether these leaks are true. Zygarde is slated to finally get the attention it’s been missing inPokemon Legends: Z-A, but its leaked Mega Evolution may have some hurdles to overcome.
Zygarde has long been sidelined in the games where it has received a major appearance. Despite originating in Gen 6’sPokemon X and Y, Zygarde is shoehorned into the post-game, unlike its Legendary trio counterparts, Xerneas and Yveltal, who have major story roles, and its cell-collecting side quest in Gen 7’sPokemon Sun and Moonfeels like an afterthought. WhileZygarde deserves the spotlight inLegends: Z-A, its Mega Evolution will need to address a set of practical questions.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Leaked Mega Zygarde Needs to Answer Some Important Questions
Mega Zygarde Would Be the Only New Legendary Mega if Leaks Are True
Legendaries and Mythicals with Mega Evolutions are already a rare breed, with only a few ever receiving these forms in the series' history.
With three of the five (or seven with Primal Reversions included) previous Mega Legendaries and Mythicals rumored to be missing inPokemon Legends: Z-A, andZygarde being the only new Legendary leakedto be receiving a Mega, this mon is going to have a tall task ahead of it in carrying representation for this niche of critters in the upcoming game.
Luckily, this role among a limited roster of Mega Legendaries sets Zygarde up to be a key player inPokemon Legends: Z-A’s story. However, how Zygarde fits into the story is still a mystery, as other Legendaries with Mega Evolutions have varied regarding their significance to the game’s plot. InPokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, players obtain Mega Latios/Latias as a part of the game’s main story, butMega Rayquazais obtained as part of the post-game Delta Episode. At this point, Mega Zygard could go either way, but it would be disappointing if it were relegated to a post-game challenge once again.
Zygarde’s Different Forms Could Throw a Wrench in Its Mega Evolution Potential
The biggest question lingering over Mega Zygarde’s leaked existence comes from its potential clash with its existing forms. Zygarde currently has three known forms that change depending on how many Zygarde Cells players have collected:
Given that Zygarde Cells have already been teased inPokemon Legends: Z-A’s trailers, it’s likely that the cell-collecting mechanic will return. However, this feature could have important implications for accessing Zygarde’s Mega Evolution that could take some of the wind out of its sails.
It’s unclear if Zygarde will be able to Mega Evolve while in all three of its forms. Typically,only fully-evolved Pokemon can Mega Evolve, which Zygarde technically is across all three forms. However, Zygarde’s base stat totals are different between its forms, increasing in number as it gains more cells. So it would be odd for a Zygarde 10% Forme to suddenly eclipse its Complete Forme in base stat total by Mega Evolving and gaining a new maximum stat total.
Pokemon Legends: Z-Acould work around this issue in a couple of ways. Zygarde could end up with multiple Mega Evolutions—one for each form—but it wouldn’t make much sense for a creature that isn’t at its full power level to be able to undergo Mega Evolution, which is said to push the Mega-Evolved mon beyond its power limits. The other option is to only allow Zygarde Complete Form to Mega Evolve, but this runs into the issue of locking its Mega behind the tall task offinding every Zygarde Cellin the game. Neither scenario seems ideal, but Game Freak may need to make some tough decisions on how to handle Zygarde if it is indeed getting a Mega Evolution.
