Mega Evolution Is Going To Ruin The Balance Of Competitive Pokemon

On 12th October 2013, Game Freak released Pokemon X and Y, generation 6 of the mainline Pokemon games. However, this series didn’t just arrive with the same old mechanics. Compared to the previous titles, the excitement wasn’t just there for another story; the community was thrilled to have been given the ability to further evolve some of their partners—Mega Evolution.

The Total Base Stats Of Mega Evolved Pokemon Were Increased By 100

While the new gimmick certainly attracted the eyes of the casuals, questions flooded the competitive community about whether the company even cared about its battle system. I mean, they look cool and all, but what happens when you take a glimpse at their inner nature with no respect to the aesthetics it carries? Unpolished base stats and abilities. Why are we giving weaker Pokemons like Mawile and Metagross the same increase in stats?

It is the undeniable truth that the purpose of Mega Evolution was to shower some weaker Pokemons in the limelight. Still, people had a different perspective on it as well. Aside from some of the Pokemon, players begin to notice that most of them are unnecessary. Yup, they were cloaked in the mantle of good old capitalism.

What sells more than 3 Pokemon plushies? 4 Pokemon plushies. 

Thankfully, Game Freak realized that they couldn’t keep profiting off the Mega Evolution gimmick, and decided to reward the competitive players with Z-moves. The new gimmick had downfalls, but players could see Game Freak’s efforts to revive the competitive side of the Pokemon community. With the release of Pokemon Sword and Shield, Game Freak had gone out of its way to instill another mechanic into the mainline games—Dynamax.

Game Freak’s Experiments With Battle Gimmicks And Its Impact On The Competitive Side Of Pokemon

The new mechanic was much more balanced than its predecessor. However, the players soon began to wonder whether Game Freak was ever going to stick with one thing. I mean, it is nice to see them rewarding their competitive players, but was it really for the online community?

Don’t you think it may have been another opportunity for them to bask us under another glorious sun of Charizard and Pikachu plushies?

On 18th November 2022, the Pokemon community witnessed the previous mechanic dethroned, once again, by another new mechanic, Terastal Phenomenon—or simply, Terastalization. Initially–not for long, though–players had concern whether the new gimmick was doing them any favor. However, once they had explored a bit around Paldea, Terastallization made much more sense. This mechanic saw a considerably weak Pokemon steal the spotlight from the favorite entertainers, and even dethrone the stronger ones.

Why do so many people seem to like Mega Evolutions?
byu/pwnagekirby inpokemon

So why are we discussing Terastal Phenomena in an article regarding Mega Evolution? Well, it’s really simple; discard any concern for your faithful consumers and launch campaigns to attract newer ones. Oh, Terastallization is actually being enjoyed by the community? Never mind, that’s the players’ fault for developing attachments to temporary stuff. Anyways, didn’t Mega Evolution shimmer under the aegis of capitalism? Let’s bring it back. Amazing how simple it is. 

Reintroduction Of Mega Evolution In The New Pokemon Title

There were speculations of Mega Evolution’s revival before Pokemon Scarlet/Violet’s release; thankfully, it remained a speculation. On the most recent Pokemon Day, February 27, Game Freak announced their upcoming project for the next mainline game, Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Set entirely in Lumiose City, the players will encounter Pokemon from the previous generations and team up with them.

However, just at the end of the announcement, the company once again shoved the good old Mega Evolution down their fanbase’s throat.

The Shortcomings of Mega Evolution
byu/maxk713 inpokemon

The cloak of banishment once again seems to be cast on the competitive side of the game. While there is a sense of dissatisfaction looming over the community’s minds, players mustn’t forget–whether for the good or bad–Game Freak is known for their experiments with their battle mechanics.

Hopefully, they realize that some weaker Pokemons need their stats readjusted. Perhaps reconsider their previous mistakes rather than just gifting Charizard with a new body and plushie? A thought-out total base stats system would do wonders for the community.