Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Mega Feraligatr May Not Move The Needle Like You Think

Pokemon Legends: Z-A will come out in just under three months, as it’s currently scheduled for release on both the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2 on October 16 of this year, with the Switch 2 version having better performance and 60 FPS throughout the game. This is the first big release since Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and their corresponding DLCs, which broke the usual 3-year development cycle for Game Freak’s new mainline titles, as Gen 10 is most likely coming out sometime next year. Pokemon Legends: Z-A has been hit by leaks for months now, and barring major surprises, it’s bound to make some rounds with its new Mega Evolutions.

Although the game is reportedly not featuring new critters, forms, or other types of new entries in the Pokedex, all leaks agree that it will add a bunch of new Mega Evolutions for existing Pokemon. Before more recent leaks came out, the list included 27 new Mega Evolutions, whereas the current one dropped down to 26 due to Zeraora’s Mega being allegedly scrapped in development. Among these is a new Mega Evolution for all Pokemon Legends: Z-A starters and Gen 6 starters as well, and that includes Feraligatr.

These Leaked Pokemon Legends: Z-A Mega Evolutions Are the Most Likely to Get a Type Change

Pokemon often gain or lose a type during Mega Evolution, and some of the leaked new forms for Pokemon Legends: Z-A could follow this trend.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Mega Feraligatr May Be a Double-Edged Sword

Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Mega Feraligatr is allegedly getting a second type as well as a design makeover to go hand in hand with it. According to leaks, Mega Feraligatr will be Water/Dragon in terms of its type combination, and it will get a sort of red, menacing cover for its face and snout that makes it look more similar to dragons. Having a Water/Dragon starter can be great and induce a lot of hype, especially for a critter as beloved as Feraligatr, but it’s not necessarily just a good thing when it comes to its capabilities in battles.

For example, Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s battles won’t be turn-based like other games in the series, and instead, they will be more akin to real-time strategy, including the ability to dodge around and avoid opposing moves. With what appears to be a Mega Evolution gauge meter, Megas may be more or less easily available compared to Gen 6. More importantly, Mega Feraligatr’s new type combo is potentially stronger than its baseline Water type, but it doesn’t truly do a lot for it.

Type Combination	Weaknesses	Resistances	Offensive
Water	2x vs. Electric, Grass	0.5x vs. Steel, Fire, Water, and Ice	2x vs. Ground, Rock, and Fire, 0.5x vs. Water, Grass, Dragon
Water/Dragon	2x vs. Fairy, Dragon	0.5x vs. Steel, 0.25x vs. Fire and Water	2x vs. Ground, Rock, Fire, and Dragon

The number of weaknesses between Feraligatr and Mega Feraligatr remains the same, with them being mostly on the same level due to Electric and Grass being more common, but Fairy and Dragon potentially hitting for more. Resistances are also very similar, with the Water/Dragon Pokemon type combination losing a resistance to Ice, but becoming more resistant to Fire and Water. The biggest difference is in offensive capabilities, where having only Water moves is bad against other Water Pokemon, as well as Grass and Dragon. However, Feraligatr typically has non-STAB moves, so this mainly adds Dragon as a STAB type.

STAB means “same type attack bonus,” which makes Pokemon that share a type with their moves do more damage with those moves.

Why Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Leaked Mega Feraligatr is a Mixed Bag

As such, the difference between Feraligatr and its Mega Evolution in Pokemon Legends: Z-A may not be too big, and it may come down to stats above all else. It could be used strategically against powerful Grass or Electric critters, for example, but it may not be the big hit that one would expect from a starter’s Mega Evolution, so fans should curb their expectations for the time being.