The Case for Mega Evolution to Also Return in Gen 10

Game Freak’s upcoming Pokemon Legends: Z-A will be the first mainline Pokemon game to debut on the new Nintendo Switch 2 console later this year. The final game of Pokemon’s Generation 9 mainline games, Pokemon Legends: Z-A will have players return to Pokemon X and Y’s Kalos Region to explore a recently urban redeveloped Lumiose City. Here, players will additionally be able to utilize the popular mechanic of Mega Evolution once more after it was absent from Pokemon Sword, Shield, Scarlet, Violet, and Legends: Arceus. With 2026 being Pokemon’s 30th anniversary and expected to launch the Generation 10 games, Game Freak should consider carrying over Mega Evolution into the next mainline Pokemon games after Z-A.

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Mega Evolutions’ Popularity in the Pokemon Franchise

Following the release of Pokemon Black, Black 2, White, and White 2 for the Nintendo DS and DSI, Game Freak sought to introduce new mechanics into the Gen 6 Pokemon games to spice up Pokemon’s then 17-year-old battle routine. While double battles, rotation battles, and triple battles helped diversify battle scenarios a bit, they didn’t make much of a lasting impact on the series. Using the power of the Nintendo 3DS, Game Freak went on to surprise players in Pokemon X and Y with the game not only being the first mainline Pokemon game to feature full 3D graphics but the first to introduce a completely new form of evolution: Mega Evolution.

By using the power of Key Stones, Mega Stones and the strong bond between trainer and Pokemon, certain fully evolved Pokemon can temporarily Mega Evolve into new powerful forms through Mega Evolution. While Mega Evolution would change Pokemon’s appearance and base stats, it could additionally grant Pokemon completely new typings, such as Gyarados Mega Evolving into a Water/Dark type. These new forms helped bring older or less used Pokemon back to the forefront, such as Mega Ampharos, Mega Kangaskhan, and Mega Manectric, making them more viable in Pokemon X and Y’s story and multiplayer. For example, Jeudy Azzarelli famously attempted to use a Mega Charizard Y and a Mega Lucario to help defeat Se Jun Park at the 2014 Pokémon World Championships, to no avail.

The Prevalence of Mega Evolution

As soon as Mega Evolution was first announced, Game Freak, Nintendo, and The Pokemon Company quickly began utilizing it prominently in Pokemon stories across practically every medium. While Mega Evolution is at the center of X and Y’s story, it was previously prominent in 2013’s Genesect and the Legend Awakened and Pokemon Origins, starring Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Charizard X. Mega Evolution went on to appear in several seasons of the Pokemon anime as well as the Pokemon Trading Card Game and manga, but it notably popped up in numerous spin-off games, including:

Pokemon Champions
Pokemon GO
Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!
Pokemon: Let’s Go, Eevee!
Pokemon Masters EX
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX
Pokemon Picross
Pokemon Rumble World
Pokemon Shuffle
Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon
Pokemon UNITE
Pokken Tournament
2014’s Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

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The Potential of Mega Evolution in Pokemon Gen 10

Beyond Pokemon X and Y, Mega Evolution only appeared in a select few mainline Pokemon games, such as Pokemon Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon, and the upcoming Z-A. At E3 2019, Pokemon Sword and Shield Producer Junichi Masuda announced that Mega Evolutions would not return in the next mainline games due to development constraints and to balance the games for the then-new mechanic, Dynamaxing. This is despite Game Freak previously managing to balance Mega Evolution with Sun and Moon’s then-new mechanic Z-Moves. While Mega Evolution has never appeared in Nintendo Switch mainline Pokemon games aside from the upcoming Z-A, Mega Evolution is still highly popular and used in new expanded media such as Pokemon Horizons: The Series.

With Pokemon Legends: Z-A expected to feature the return of most previously established Mega Evolutions and rumored to debut 27 new Mega Evolutions, it would be a shame to have these forms restricted to just Z-A. Mega Evolution has proven to be one of the most popular additions to Pokemon’s universe, often discussed about returning with each new Pokemon game’s announcement and going on to spark more conversation than its mechanical successors Z-Moves, Dynamaxing, and Terastallization. Having Mega Evolution featured in the Gen 10 games would not only continue to spike veteran and Z-A players’ interest and give lesser-used Pokemon a chance in the spotlight, but also help celebrate the franchise’s 30th anniversary.

The Narrative Potential of Gen 10 Mega Evolution

While Mega Evolution is expected to play a major role in Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s story, it could continue to play a role in the story of 2026 Gen 10 Pokemon games. Much of Mega Evolution’s origins are still shrouded in mystery, but that could be explored in Gen 10, especially if characters from Kalos or Hoenn pop up in the Gen 10 games. Gen 10 can also highlight the discovery of new Mega Evolutions only found in the new region, possibly having the plot focus on a professor researching which native Pokemon can Mega Evolve and determining why only these select few can. Mega Evolution can also make critical story battles more dynamic and cinematic, especially with the new power of the Nintendo Switch 2.