Pokemon Legends: Z-A can herald Mega Evolution's return to the series while also rebalancing it with some assistance from the Terastallization mechanic. The debut trailer for Pokemon Legends: Z-A gave players a lot to theorize over, with Mega Evolution being one of the topics. As a mechanic that has received a lot of attention despite its relatively brief run in the main series, Mega Evolution is something that will seemingly always draw a lot of interest. It looks like Pokemon Legends: Z-A is set to give Mega Evolution another appearance, and it could make an important change as well.

The reveal that Pokemon Legends: Z-A is going to Kalos is only one part of the game's direction. The trailer specifically spotlighted Lumiose City and its development, although whether the game takes place in the future or the past has yet to be revealed. The rather futuristic aesthetic of the trailer lends a heavy hint towards the former, though. It already looks like the game will be taking a much different path compared to the first Pokemon Legends title in terms of aesthetic alone. It will take until a gameplay reveal to see how much it will truly differ from Legends: Arceus, though.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A Must Make Good on a Missed Mega Evolution Opportunity
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Pokemon Legends: Z-A Must Make Good on a Missed Mega Evolution Opportunity

Mega Evolution fell by the wayside shortly after its premiere, so Pokemon Legends: Z-A should finally use it in obvious ways it never was.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A Can Give Mega Evolution's Balance a Rework

Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Trailer Referenced Mega Evolution

Even though there are already a lot of questions to ask about Pokemon Legends: Z-A, the return of Mega Evolution is a near-certainty. At the end of the trailer, the Mega Evolution emblem is briefly shown onscreen, indicating that the old mechanic is making a comeback to the series. Mega Evolution is a power boost for certain Pokemon, allowing them to temporarily evolve into more powerful forms, complete with boosted stats and occasionally new abilities. Mega Evolutions could only be triggered once per battle, but this was usually all the player needed due to the extreme power level of some Megas.

Pokemon's Mega Evolutions Are Strong Enough to Break the Metagame

Pokemon Legends: Z-A may need a new way to balance Mega Evolutions. After all, many of the strongest Pokemon in competitive play were Mega Evolutions in their heyday, such as Mega Kangaskhan and especially Mega Rayquaza. Thankfully, Terastallization from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet could have provided a hint. Terastallization is a gimmick in Scarlet and Violet that potentially changes the type of the Pokemon using it, while also boosting their same-type attack bonus. This opens the door to several strategies. However, Terastallization can only be used once before the player has to recharge their Tera Orb at a Pokemon Center, making it more of a limited resource.

While the Terastalization limit is in place for most of Scarlet and Violet , completing The Indigo Disk's questline removes that restriction.

Mega Evolutions Could Use a Limit SImilar to Scarlet and Violet's Terastallization

A similar limit on Mega Evolution would balance it further, as well as play more into the lore of Mega Evolutions. Mega Evolutions in Pokemon seem less like regular evolution and more like dangerous emergency transformations to be used when a Pokemon desperately needs a power boost. Even the Pokedex entries for many Mega Evolusions give that vibe. By adding an extra restriction on their use, players will need to choose more carefully when to deploy Mega Evolution rather than dropping one in every battle. That would do plenty to assert Mega Evolution's position at the top of Pokemon's power scale.

Mega Evolution might only be one part of Pokemon Legends: Z-A, but it will probably end up being a heavily discussed aspect nevertheless. There are many ways that Pokemon Legends: Z-A can improve the series, and adding another layer to Mega Evolution could be a part of that. While the sheer power of Mega Evolutions may continue to be a serious threat in the competitive scene, their in-story power can potentially be managed. The way Terastallization was treated would be an excellent reference for Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Mega Evolutions.