Z-A Is Giving Victreebel Mega Evolution

Pokémon Legends: Z-A is adding several new Mega Evolutions when it comes to the Switch systems on October 16. We already knew Dragonite was getting one of these powerful alternate forms, and now another monster from the series’ first generation is getting an upgrade almost 30 years later. However, while Dragonite is a long-time favorite from the Red and Blue games, Victreebel, the pitcher plant Pokémon, is a much more surprising pick.

Mega Victreebel was first teased on Tuesday, August 19, through a social media post on the official Pokémon social channels which showed a hand gripping onto a rusted gate, presumably somewhere in Legends: Z-A’s Lumiose City where the game takes place. The image looks pretty ominous, and if it weren’t posted by the official Pokémon account, you probably wouldn’t have known it was about Legends: Z-A. The text even says “Viewer discretion advised,” probably so parents don’t show it to their young children. Pokémon is no stranger to dark stories in its promo material, and even the last Legends game had some pretty spooky shit in its trailers. 

The video is presented as found footage, showing two unsuspecting characters searching an abandoned building and finding a toxic purple substance and a bunch of scary Pokémon. At the end we see Mega Victreebel, whose destructive power scares the humans off. However, its trainer calms it down, and it turns out it’s not a terrifying monster; it’s just a goofy guy who doesn’t know its own strength. The official description on the Pokémon website says that it uses its own vines to keep all the acid it accumulates in its body by wrapping them around its throat. Mega Evolutions remain brutal.

Notably, Victreebel and Dragonite were both on the list of leaked Mega Evolutions from back in March. So, we may already know the other new forms coming in October. Pokémon Legends: Z-A was recently featured at the Pokémon World Championships, where it was confirmed that the game will have a four-player competitive multiplayer mode.