Strategy Are Mega Pokemon Here to Stay?

Scattered mind

Competitive VG Forums Mod
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As it seems from USUM and SM, the Mega Pokemon concept has died. Even the Pokemon app "Shuffle", which was very depended on the Mega concept, has ended. Instead, it looks as if Pokemon wants to come up with new ideas like the Z-moves (or just stick to that). However, what do you think it would do to the competitive play if more Mega Pokemon got introduced? Do you still see teams that rely on a Mega Pokemon, or do you feel like more and more teams are going to be created without one?

I kinda get the feeling that the Megas are here to stay regardless because if you compare them with the Z-moves, there are lots of teams that don't have a Pokemon with a Z-move, but so fewer teams with no Mega.
 

StarlightSearcher

The Blonde Brainiac
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I believe the concept of Z-Move is solely based on damage control based on how some Mega Evolutions took control and terrorized the Metagame. Game Devs understood the fact that they may have gotten a little carried away giving Mega Evolutions out like candy; and the game kind of suffered as a result. Smogon banned multiple Megas because they turned the meta on its head.

Z-Moves aren't as restrictive as Mega Stones; both carry the once a battle clause, but Z-Stones are like a more inclusive Mega Stone. Z-Moves give a chance for some Pokemon to shine, some that wouldn't have been able to without them.
 

AuraJackle

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Pokemon likes to introduce new good concepts and then ditch them the next gen or give them little attention as seen with megas and the post game stiff like battle frontier
 

Acetrainer_Samwise

Aspiring Trainer
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Z moves are better for the Competitive video game scene, but other than that unless the next generation decides to introduce a new game changing mechanic it's hard to say what might happen.
 

Perfect_Shot

Armored Core>Elden Ring
Member
I disagree with Z moves being 'better for the game', all they tend to do is give whatever random Pokemon a one-shot out to many different threats. Even the strongest Megas have exploitable limits, at least in terms of VGC, but you can't always stop your opponent from pressing the Z move button and getting a free easy knockout, and setting you back simply because these moves are far too powerful, let alone when they are strengthened by terrain or weather.

If I had the choice, Megas (including new ones) would be returning in the next games, while Z moves would be the fad that ceases to exist past Gen 7.
 

Scattered mind

Competitive VG Forums Mod
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Smogon banned multiple Megas because they turned the meta on its head

Well, there are actually two possible solutions for this. One is to get rid of Megas, the other is to get a lot more Megas. If you have a great variety of Mega Pokemon, that can actually put up a fight (unlike some) you wouldn't have to ban a lot of Megas. The current state that we have is a very limited pool of Megas, which I think prevents it to become a real game mechanic and less a dominant group of centralizing Pokemon.
 

RisingRaichuu

Aspiring Trainer
Advanced Member
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I think that the reason Megas got ditched was because the Mega Evolution concept had been going for a few years and the hype was over, so Megas weren't generating Pokemon anymore, so they brought in fresh hype with Z-Moves. I imaging that in Gen 8 Z-Moves will be replaced with something else, say Trainer Powers.
 

Sky06

^_^
Member
I think they just are going to slowly forget about megas entirely. Z-moves have taken over the spotlight
 

Nick Tornell

Haha, art go brrrr
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I believe that if more megas were introduced it would make competitive play a bit harder because there would be more choices to fit your interests and with the Amino groups making their teams for example the ongoing NPA league harder to decide.
 
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