Highlights
- Mega Evolutions are a popular battle mechanic in Pokemon due to their epic designs and strategic element.
- Fan artists often imagine what excluded Pokemon would look like if they were able to Mega Evolve.
- An artist created a Mega Evolution for Torterra, drawing inspiration from the tree of life and the shape of a planet.
A creative Pokemon fan artist designed a Mega Evolution for the Grass-type starter Torterra. The fully evolved form of Turtwig has yet to see a Mega Evolution, so the talented Pokemon fan took it upon themselves to imagine what it might look like.
Mega Evolutions were introduced to the franchise in the Generation 6 games Pokemon X and Y. Unlike regular evolution which is permanent, Mega Evolution is a temporary form that only certain Pokemon can take on during battle assuming they are holding a Mega Stone. Mega Evolution is widely regarded as one of the best Pokemon gimmick mechanics due to all the epic designs as well as the strategic element it adds to each battle. Not every Pokemon was included in this popular battle mechanic, however, so it is pretty common for fan artists to envision what excluded characters would look like if they were able to Mega Evolve.
Reddit user MarceloGiribaldi imagined what Torterra would look like if it were to finally get a Mega Evolution. The artist took inspiration from both the tree of life as well as the shape of a planet. They even created a shiny variant for the Pokemon. While some Pokemon change type when Mega Evolving, Mega Torterra maintains its Grass and Ground dual-typing.
The artist even created a Pokedex entry for Mega Torterra, stating that it "has the power to control geography itself." This isn't the fan's first attempt at this sort of piece either, as they have previously created Mega versions of popular Pokemon like Arcanine, Milotic, Kingdra, and Noctowl. If rumors of Mega Evolution returning to the franchise are true, this artist has certainly made the case for Torterra to be included.
Terastalization is the current gimmick in the franchise, and it doesn't look to be going anywhere anytime soon as Pokmon Scarlet and Violet DLC is teasing a new Tera type. Still, between the current Terastal phenomenon, Dynamax forms from Sword and Shield, and Z-Moves from Sun and Moon, it doesn't appear that anything has been quite as popular as Mega Evolutions among the fanbase. Again, between the often cool alternate designs as well as the new element it brought to battle, the success of the Mega gimmick has been hard to replicate.
The case for bringing back Mega Evolutions has always been strong, but The Pokemon Company and Game Freak generally march to the beat of their own drum. There are definitely patterns that the Pokemon RPG series likes to follow, but whatever they come up next will likely be something that fans don't see coming.