Mega Dragonite’s reveal in the latest Pokemon Presents marks the first new Mega Evolution confirmed forPokemon Legends: Z-A. While the design for this new Mega has been making waves within the community, opinions are largely mixed; some fans appreciate that Mega Dragonite incorporates elements from its pre-evolutions, while others still feel that the design is a bit too goofy for a Mega Evolution.Pokemon Legends: Z-Astill has yet to reveal one element of Mega Dragonite’s design that could be the deciding factor in the final verdict on the critter.
Prior to the Pokemon Presents reveal,Mega Dragonite had been leaked alongside 25 other Mega Evolutions, so fans may have already had an idea in their heads about what their ideal Mega form would look like. With Mega Dragonite’s design finally confirmed, most of the mystique surrounding it has been dispelled, leaving only its shiny form still a mystery. Shinies are an important part of a Pokemon’s popularity, and as fans start to imagine their desired shiny color variant for Mega Dragonite, the official recolor forLegends: Z-Amay serve to hinder or benefit this controversial Mega in the end.
Mega Dragonite’s Shiny Could Make or Break its Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Debut
Dragonite’s Shiny Has Been Controversial in Past Games
For as manybeloved shinies as there are in thePokemonseries, there are nearly an equal number of disappointing shinies, who barely see a noticeable change from their standard color palette. The series has its fair share of controversial shiny designs, with a common trend being to simply make a creature’s shiny variant a shade of green. Mons like Espeon, Marill, Noivern, and Dragonite all fall into this category, which has become somewhat infamous within thePokemoncommunity for its overabundance.
While some green shinies are still popular—such asshiny Mewtwo, which only has its tail change from purple to green—others like Dragonite change drastically, but not necessarily for the better. The change from Dratini and Dragonair’s blue coloring to Dragonite’s yellow is drastic enough as is, but the vibrant purple colors of Dratini and Dragonair’s shinies make the transition to a sickly green shiny Dragonite even more stark by comparison. Dragonite’s shiny is far from the worst, given that it actually looks noticeably different from its base color palette, but there is still plenty of room for improvement that a new Mega Evolution has the chance to capitalize on.
Mega Dragonite’s Design Lends Itself to a New Shiny
Mega Evolution has been a godsend for certain Pokemon with notoriously bland shinies.Mega Gengaris one of the most notable examples, going from a shiny that barely registers as any different from its base form, to an all-white shiny Mega Evolution that is often considered one of the best. Mega Dragonite has the chance to live up to this legacy as a fellow Gen 1 Pokemon while also paying homage to its pre-evolutionary forms.
Another notable Mega Evolution with drastically different shiny colors from its base form is Garchomp, which goes from a barely noticeable shiny color palette to a bright pink and purple color, showing there is precedent for unpopular shinies to get a glow-up when they Mega Evolve.
With Mega Dragonite already leaning into its Dragonair design philosophy, taking things a step further and giving the Mega a shiny that reflects the same blue as Dragonair’s base form would bring its design full circle. Another option could be to unify the evolutionary line with a cohesive shiny color palette and give Mega Dragonite a purple coloring similar to its previous stages. There is always the chance that Mega Dragonite retains the green shiny color of its base form, but reworking its shiny would go a long way towardimproving the reception of Mega Dragonite’s design.
