The rumor mill surroundingPokemon Legends: Z-Ais picking up steam again with notable leaker Riddler Khu teasing cryptic messages regarding details of the highly-anticipated game.Riddler Khu’s latestPokemon Legends: Z-Ateaserhas some fans believing the leaker has confirmed the identities of the game’s three starter mons, with the hint “3 5 8” potentially referring to the generations the Grass, Fire, and Water starters hail from. If this theory is to be believed, that would mean Treecko, Tepig, and Sobble are the starters forPokemon Legends: Z-A, but this line-up leaves one mon as the clear outlier among the group.
It’s easy to see why this tease has gained so much traction within thePokemoncommunity.Pokemon Legends: Z-Ahas been radio silent since it was first revealed on Pokemon Day 2024 back in February. However, whether Riddler Khu’s hint points to these mons being the game’s starters or not, it would be odd for Game Freak to include Treecko given that Sceptile already has a Mega Evolution.
Treecko is the Only Rumored Pokemon Legends: Z-A Starter to Already Have a Mega Evolution
Game Freak Doubling Down on Mega Sceptile Would Be an Odd Choice
WithMega Evolutions being teased to return inPokemon Legends: Z-Aafter being absent since Gen 7, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the game’s three starter mons get new Mega forms.Pokemon Legends: Arceusgave its starters – Rowlet, Cyndaquil, and Oshawott – new regional forms for their final evolutions, so it seems likely thatLegends: Z-A’s starters will also get new forms as well. However, Sceptile already has a Mega Evolution, making Treecko as a potential starter in the game a major question mark.
If Treecko is in fact theGrass starter forPokemon Legends: Z-A, it’s likely that Sceptile would get a second Mega Evolution. While Sceptile is popular among Gen 3 fans, its Mega Evolution introduced inPokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphirealready does a great job of conveying the logical progression of its base design. It doesn’t seem like there’s a lot of room for Game Freak to design a wholly unique new Mega Evolution for a Sceptile, especially when it would be the only starter in the game to have two.
It’s not unheard of for a mon to have two Mega Evolutions since Charizard and Mewtwo both have two Megas that were originally exclusive to Pokemon X or Pokemon Y respectively.
Other Grass-Type Starters Deserve Megas Before Sceptile Potentially Gets a Second
While Sceptile is a popular Grass starter to be sure, its popularity doesn’t equate to the need for a second Mega Evolution when there are others who arguably deserve one more. A great example is Gen 2’s Chikorita, which desperately needs anew form for its final evolution Meganium, as it usually pales in comparison to the other Gen 2 starter options. It would make more sense from a gameplay perspective to balance out underutilized starters rather than give further attention to one that has already seen buff via a past Mega Evolution.
This should still be taken with a grain of salt since Riddler Khu’s leak is very vague and may not even be referring to thestarters forPokemon Legends: Z-A. However, if these rumored starters turn out to be the ones available in the final game, then Game Freak will need to verify that there is a justified reason for Sceptile receiving a new form when it already has a Mega Evolution. With how few concrete details there are aboutPokemon Legends: Z-Aat the moment, it’s unclear just how Game Freak plans to approach the game’s starters and if they will follow a similar pattern toPokemon Legends: Arceus.
