It’s been a while since Mega Evolution took the spotlight, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A will celebrate its return in style. In the lead-up to the game’s release on 16 October, The Pokémon Company has kicked off its first wave of new Mega Pokémon reveals, with Mega Hawlucha coming in as the latest addition.
The Fighting / Flying-type critter is the third name on the list, joining Mega Dragonite and Mega Victreebell. Unlike the latter two, which hail from the original Kanto Pokédex, Hawlucha made its debut in Generation VI, spanning 2013’s Pokémon X and Y to Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire in 2014. In its superpowered form, it gets a glittering gold coat and chest piece that resemble a Mexican wrestler’s mask together.
“It uses its muscles, bulked up by Mega Evolution, to take hit after hit from opponents’ moves and flex its own strength,” reads the official blurb for the birdlike creature. “After luring its opponent into attacking, it retaliates to make them flinch before diving at them using its signature move, Flying Press, to aim for victory. Before Mega Evolving, Hawlucha would sometimes let its guard down as it became caught up in parading its flashy moves, but with newfound confidence in its own defensive capabilities, it can now show off again and again to both its opponent and its Trainer. It lifts both hands and spreads its wings, constantly putting its beauty and tough pectoral muscles on full display.”
Out of the three, Mega Hawlucha arguably sports the coolest design — Mega Dragonite oozes goofiness, while Mega Victreebell won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. What’s neat about the latter, though, is the way it was announced in a horror-style found footage video, a bold and unconventional (in a good way!) approach for The Pokémon Company.
Here are the descriptions for its other two counterparts:
“For Mega Dragonite, ending a Pokémon match quickly is an act of kindness toward its opponent. Its kindhearted nature gets amplified when it Mega Evolves, and it launches powerful attacks at its opponent with a smile. At the same time, if it senses someone in trouble, it has the kindness to instantly rush to their aid — even if it’s in the middle of an intense battle.”
“Its body has swollen as a result of Mega Evolution. Even the leaves on top of its head have grown bigger. It flaps the leaves on its sides and moves its large body by bouncing around. It opens its large mouth to let loose a Sludge Bomb. It looks more like a Victreebel when it has deflated. It has so much acid that even closing its mouth tight isn’t enough to hold it in, so it contains the acid by wrapping its own vines around its throat.”
While Pokémon Legends: Z-A isn’t expected to introduce brand-new Pokédex additions with its Kalos (Gen VI) setting and cross-generation starters, it will feature a revamped battle system that includes real-time mechanics. The game’s story follows players as they take down Rogue Mega Pokémon, essentially the Mega Evolution forms of local wild creatures, in what appears to be a mass phenomenon with their own Mega Pokémon, alongside another one of their allies from Team MZ. It’s unclear how many Mega Pokémon will be in the title, but confirmed ones include Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Absol, Mega Charizard X, and more.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A hits Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on 16 October.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
