Between the most recent Pokemon Sword and Shield-focused Nintendo Direct and Nintendo's presence at E3 2019, fans have been getting quite a number of new details about the forthcoming Pokemon titles over the last two weeks. These details have included confirmation that Pokemon Sword and Shield will not include all Pokemon, and Game Freak has further indicated that two established Pokemon mechanics will also not be coming to these highly anticipated games.
Specifically, it is now known that Pokemon Sword and Shield will not feature Mega Evolutions or Z-Moves, the former mechanic having been introduced in Gen VI, while the latter made its debut in Gen VII. This information was recently confirmed, by Game Freak, as part of Nintendo Treehouse Live, a series of live streams that Nintendo has been hosting directly from the E3 2019 showroom floor.
As previously mentioned, Pokemon Mega Evolution is a mechanic that was first seen in Gen VI, and it continued to be present in Gen VII. In titles from these generations, Mega Evolution allows players to transform certain Pokemon into new forms, giving them a new look alongside new abilities and stats. While not all Pokemon species are able to undergo Mega Evolution, there are indeed a handful that are able to assume this form.
With respect to Z-Moves, these are extremely powerful attacks that Pokemon in Gen VII are able to gain access to. While Pokemon Z-Moves are very strong, they can, mostly, only be used once per battle, forcing players to be considerate about when exactly they choose to unleash a Z-Move.
The absence of Mega Evolutions in Pokemon Sword and Shield may be connected to the recently revealed Dynamax mechanic. Pokemon Sword and Shield Dynamax will transform Pokemon into more powerful, and huge, version of themselves in these next entries in the franchise, and this new mechanic may have felt redundant alongside Pokemon Mega Evolutions.
The removal of Pokemon Z-Moves, on the other hand, does not have such a clear explanation at this time. Perhaps then, players will see a new Pokemon move type, meant to act as a substitute for Z-Moves, as more details on Pokemon Sword and Shield are revealed.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are set to launch on November 15, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
Source: VG24/7