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Learn about the controversy that has emerged over the Kalos starters and their new Mega Evolutions in Pokemon Legends Z-A.
During the September 12 Nintendo Direct, the final forms of the three Kalos starters, Chesnaught, Delphox, and Greninja, received Mega Evolutions. These new forms would be usable in Pokemon Legends Z-A. However, fans of these Pokemon waiting to use their new Mega Evolutions were left disappointed soon after.
This is because there was no way to obtain the Mega Stones for the Kalos starters through regular gameplay. Instead, players would have to take part in Ranked Battles each season and reach a high enough rank to get the Mega Stone they want.
Mega Kalos Starters Only Obtainable From Pokemon Legends Z-A Ranked Battles
As the Mega Stones for these Pokemon cannot be acquired through regular gameplay, players will have to pay extra $20 for a Nintendo Switch Online membership. However this is not enough, as players will have to win enough Ranked Battles to win these Mega Stones as promotion rewards.
Additionally, players will receive only one of each type of Mega Stone each season. For further controversy, each of these Stones will be available for a single Season. As per the Pokemon Legends Z-A website:
- Ranked Battles Season 1 will reward a Greninjite
- Ranked Battles Season 2 will reward a Delphoxite
- Ranked Battles Season 3 will reward a Chesnaughtite
Not only does this force players to pay extra for a service that they may not have wanted, but requires them to build a competitive team so that they can beat enough players to get the Mega Stone they want. Additionally, while Greninja fans can immediately start farming for its Mega Stone, fans of Delphox and Chesnaught will be forced to wait until their respective seasons come.
The Pokemon Company Has a History of Doing Similar Things
Pokemon has always had a history of locking content. From version exclusives to event-only Mythical Pokemon, Pokemon games have been known to gatekeep Pokemon and similar things that needed to be unlocked via external means. In fact, Pokemon games could be considered one of the pioneers of “on-disk DLC,” considering that the locked content in those cases is already available in the game’s code, just not accessible to players.
One of the most egregious examples of this in recent memory was the $50 Pokeball Plus Accessory. While an optional controller for the Let’s Go games, it also came with an event Mew. As a matter of fact, it was the only way to use Mew in those games. So by purchasing the Accessory, players were essentially buying a copy of their own Mew.
Considering the time and resources players will have to invest in to do well in Ranked Battles, in addition to the extra $20, fans definitely have a right to feel displeased about the availability of the Mega Kalos Starters.
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