The first weekend of the Pokemon Winter Regional Championships is officially in the books. The first batch of Winter Regional matches were held this past weekend in Virginia, Southern California, Oregon, and Missouri with thousands of competitors vying for an invitation to the 2015 World Championships. The second weekend will be held in Kissimmee, Florida on February 28.
Players will compete in Single, Triple, Rotation, Multi, and GS Cup battles, with over 700 Pokemon at their disposal. Mega Evolutions, the major addition to Pokemon X & Y, will indeed be allowed and could very well turn more than one of these matches on their head. In observance of the Pokemon Winter Regionals, Shacknews is taking a couple of days to examine some of the more powerful Mega Evolutions to hit the Pokemon series thus far. Today, we check out the best Megas to come out of the aforementioned Pokemon X & Y.
Those that are assembling their Pokemon rosters may want to consider adding the following:
Mega Charizard X
Ability: Tough Claws
The Mega Evolution that donned the cover of Pokemon X did so for a good reason. This version of Charizard's Mega Evolution is undoubtedly the superior one for a couple of reasons. Mega Charizard X gets a sharp jump in its Attack stats, as well as a modest boost in Defense and Special Attack. Its bolstered stats make its Fire-type attacks a greater force to be reckoned with.
On top of that, Mega Charizard X is one of the few Megas (and the only Charizard Mega) that actually changes the Pokemon's type. Charizard will morph from Fire/Flying to a Fire/Dragon type. That makes the decision to go Mega as much a strategic choice as anything else. The switch will remove Charizard's weakness to Electricity and its new dual-type will negate the weakness to Ice that so many Dragon types are vulnerable to.
Physical attacks like Dragon Claw and Flare Blitz, with Aerial Ace backing them up, make Mega Charizard X one of the stronger Mega choices to come out of Pokemon X & Y. Remember, Charizard is popular for a reason and this particular Mega Evolution was such a hit that it emerged again as Charizard's Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U.
Mega Venusaur
Ability: Thick Fat
Of course, if Charizard isn't your favorite starter, there worse ways to go than with the Bulbasaur family. Venusaur's Mega Evolution takes the Grass/Poison-type's relatively mundane abilities and transforms it into the far-more useful Thick Fat. Thick Fat reduces the heavy damage done by Venusaur's two weaknesses by halving the damage from Ice and Fire-type moves. This ensures that Venusaur can withstand most punishment and, barring a Psychic barrage, will stay on the field long enough to get a few attacks in.
Mega Venusaur gets a modest stat boost across the board, with its Defense getting the biggest upgrade. Petal Dance/Solar Beam and Sludge Bomb will take the best advantage of its dual Grass/Poison-types, while other defensive-minded moves like Reflect or Light Screen can help keep teams standing. Mega Venusaur won't win style points, but it's a solid choice for a go-to Mega.
Mega Kangaskhan
Ability: Parental Bond
One of the more unsung Mega Evolutions among casual Pokemon players, Mega Kangaskhan has actually been embraced quite heavily in the competitive world. A big part of that is because of its ability that is literally unlike any other in the game. Parental Bond was crafted solely for Kangaskhan, the lone Pokemon that goes into battle with its young.
Parental Bond allows Kangaskhan to use its child in battle. Any offensive strikes will hit twice, once at its normal rate of damage from the adult and once at a slightly lesser damage rate from the child. With increased stat boosts all around, particularly in Attack, Mega Kangaskhan is a versatile force. Giga Impact will devastate foes and can be used as a potential finishing move, but Mega Kangaskhan can also be adept with other types of moves. Rock Slide, Brick Break, Crunch, or Shadow Claw are all solid choices for its arsenal, but be sure to take full advantage of that Parental Bond ability. It will not work with moves that already strike multiple times, so keep that in mind when setting this offensive juggernaut's arsenal.
Mega Absol
Ability: Magic Bounce
Normally, the go-to for pure Dark-types is Umbreon, who capably fills any 'tank' role just dandy. Absol, however, would like to fill a different kind of role, as a striker that attacks fast and hard. Mega Absol sees an ample jump in its Special Attack and Speed stats, the latter of which can go all the way from 75 to 115.
On top of being a faster choice than the standard Absol, Mega Absol also gets the Magic Bounce ability, which essentially means the Magic Coat move effect is always active. This means there's good reason for Mega Absol to always warm up with either Swords Dance or Calm Mind before going with a full-on blitz. Mega Absol's Dark-based attacks are perfectly viable and as long as it can withstand the opponent's opening salvo, its increased stats should carry it through most fights.
Those are just some of the Mega Evolution options to go to war with when constructing your Pokemon roster. Of course, many more Megas were introduced during November Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Come back tomorrow to see which of the newer Mega Evolutions are worth taking onto the battlefield.
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Shacknews
replyOzzie Mejia posted a new article, Mega Mastery: Breaking down the best Mega Evolutions in Pokemon X & Y
