ZA Mega Evolution designs will haunt our nightmares

We were first introduced to the concept of Mega Evolutions back in Pokemon X and Y, but Pokemon Legends: ZA brings it back in its most complete form yet, with dozens of new Mega Evolution forms of your favorite Pokemon to make them even more difficult to deal with in battle.

But not all Pokémon Mega Evolutions were designed the same, and for every Pokémon that ends up looking cooler and more formidable in its Mega form, there are plenty that are a little dumber when you see them on the battlefield. They are powerful, sure, but at what cost?

Mega Flotte

Floette and Flabebe are not box art legends, but they have become iconic Pokemon for games set in Kalos, including Pokemon Legends: ZA. Even though you'll see AZ's Floette most often, that doesn't mean you can't hit the various gardens around town and grab one of your own.

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After defeating either Urbain or Taunie (whose presence is determined by whether you're playing with a male or female trainer), you'll get a Floettite, which allows any of the several colors of Floette you've acquired to Mega Evolve, but you'll lose a lot of regular beauty in Mega form. Its eternal flower becomes colossal and takes a bit of a toll on the cute little Pokémon itself.

Mega Gyarados

Gyarados has long been one of the wildest Water-type Pokemon in any game it appears in, and you'll find a similarly strong power distribution in Pokemon Legends: ZA, whether you catch and train a Magikarp when you arrive in Lumios or just grab Gyarados later in the main game.

And while we love the stat changes Mega Gyarados gets for its transformation efforts, it looks a little less scary than before. The giant fin on its back is menacing, sure, but this fearsome snake seems to have shrunk a bit in length in its Mega form, giving more of an angry shrimp than anything else.

Mega Heracross

While bug typing has definitely changed with Pokemon Legends: ZA, making them potentially more competitive than ever before, Heracross has always been a good choice for those lifeless bug hunters. However, in this game, it is a real strength that has proven essential for a lot of quick runs.

Mega Heracross gets some powerful stat changes thanks to its Mega form, but damn if it doesn't end up looking a little dumber. His cheeks look puffy, his arms and legs are very oddly shaped, and that doesn't even get us started on that corner. Luckily the horn deals good damage or we'd be laughing all the way to our boxes to hide the bug buddy.

Mega Slowbro

We've seen Slowbro take on a lot of fairly unique forms over the years, and they've all been remarkably goofy (canonically), but perhaps none more goofy than the Mega Slowbro form we were introduced to in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

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The bizarre gray Shellder that is chopped on Slowbro's tail makes remarkably unsettling progress when you reach Slowbro's Mega Form, chomping through the Hermit Pokémon's entire torso and acting as some kind of strange living suit.

Mega Clefable

While Clefable's regular form has relied entirely on Fairy typing since its introduction in Gen 6, as it was a normal Pokémon prior to this addition, you'll find no shortage of fairly combat-able Fairy moves for the iconic, titular Fairy Pokémon.

After you unlock access to the Clefablite by defeating Jacinthe and reaching B rank in ZA Royale, you'll be able to purchase the ability to make your hard-earned Clefable Mega, but be prepared for something of a silly sight. His wings grow into proper butterfly wings, he gets a little beret-style hat, and we're not fans of the empty look in Mega Clefables' eyes either.

Mega Greninja

Pokemon fans have absolutely loved Greninja since his debut in the original trip we took to Kalos back in the sixth generation games, and we've all been waiting for this fan-favorite frog to return again in Pokemon Legends: ZA. While his Mega Evolve takes some work and ranked battles are your way to get him, you're in for a silly surprise when you first Mega Evolve your Greninja.

This was one of the first Megas we got to see for Pokemon Legends: ZA, and fans have long been laughing at the reversed position Mega Greninja takes. His Water Shuriken acts as something of a sticky ceiling for Greninja to hang from, so try not to laugh whenever the camera pans to your bizarrely reversed Ninja Pokemon.

Mega Feraligatr

Reactions to the starters selected for Pokemon Legends: ZA have been mixed at best, with the original Kalos starters being shelved in favor of a mix of several starters from other regions in the Pokemon universe, but if you're an Aquatic Trainer and still typing at the start of the game, you and your Feraligatr were undoubtedly on the right track.

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And while we can certainly appreciate the sheer power boost (who wouldn't want to add another type with Mega Form?), the Mega Feraligatra's design didn't really wow us. The giant crocodile skull mask is probably meant to be intimidating, but it's a bit goofy and mostly just gets in the way when you're looking around town.

Mega Dragalgae

While we ranked Dragalgae as our pick for the best Poison-type Pokemon to bring to your team in Pokemon Legends: ZA base game, we'd be lying if we said that its Mega Evolution form didn't give us a little chuckle when we first saw it.

The wings on his head are bright and full, dazzling in a perfect purple color to match his main body, but what the hell is up with those weird eyeball antlers? His real eyes remain on his face, so maybe it's meant to be a distraction for other Pokemon in the wild to keep Dragaelgae safe, but it makes us laugh every time he looks at us.

Mega Victreebel

If you've ever watched the original Pokémon anime back when Ash and friends were racing around the Kalos region trying to catch them all, you probably remember the iconic, high-pitched scream that Victreebel lets out when you first send it into the field. Well, that's the sound we made too when we first saw the Mega Victreebel.

Mega Victreebel was an early debut for the Pokemon Company when they started teasing information about Pokemon Legends: ZA, which brought the Mega Evolution mechanic back to the series, but fans have been laughing since its debut, accusing Pokemon of pandering too hard to yesterday's generation one fans with its inclusion.

Mega Starmie

Starmie is another Pokemon that we never really paid much attention to until Pokemon Legends: ZA when it got potentially the most ridiculous Mega Evolution form of all. Despite the launch of DLC since the game's release, which includes dozens of other interesting Mega Pokemon, fans have stuck with Starmie.

Not only is the body on his Mega Evolution form pretty silly, but watching Mega Starmie walk around while being chased by Lumiose City is a jarring mix of hilarious and terrifying. Why did his legs do that…?

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