I hate mega evolutions
Mar 4, 2024
With the announcement of Pokemon Legends: Z-A last week, there's been a lot of excitement about mega evolution returning. All the reactions to the news that I've seen have featured the classic YouTube thumbnail o: face. Never have I felt more "old man yells at cloud" as when I think about mega evolutions. I hate mega evolutions.
I'm so negative! I'm acutely aware that I just wrote a similar complaining blog post, but I can't help it. As they say, rage sells! It's so much more tempting to get riled up and unleash your outburst than it is to express your appreciation for something positive. So I'm indulging my contrarian opinion today.
I dislike megas for the same reason I dislike mimikyu. It's really simple: both concepts are too self-aware, too referential. There is no in-universe explanation for which pokemon have a mega evolution — they are just the popular pokemon in our world. If mega evolution is really supposed to be the product of a deep bond between trainer and pokemon, then why are only around twenty out of hundreds of pokemon capable of reaching this state? In the same way, there is no reason for mimikyu to understand that pikachu is well-liked and to dress up as pikachu. Why should pikachu be popular in-universe? Mimikyu should just as well dress up as rattata.
I don't know why the self-referentialism bothers me so much. Media breaks immersion all the time. Maybe because it isn't tongue-in-cheek or otherwise joyful, like most good fourth wall breakages are. Audiences love seeing cast members on SNL break because it shows they're having fun with the skits and jokes too. Pokemon's meta-acknowledgement feels cynical — let's just give megas to the pokemon which are popular, so we can best sell the games. It's one thing to remind me, with a wink, that I'm playing a game in a fabricated world. It's very much another to remind me that you are selling me a game.