Withthe introduction of Mega Evolution in gen 6, the team over at Game Freak were able to readdress the balance of thePokemonseries. Many long forgotten Pokemon were given the chance to shine once more whilesome of the series' most powerful monsterswere made even stronger than they already were.
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Assuming that players have access to the appropriate Mega Stones, Mega Evolution can completely change the way that battles play out and even alter a Pokemon’s strengths and weaknesses. Although each Mega Evolution grants the same 100 base stat increase,how exactly these new stats are distributedcan make a huge difference; as too can the Pokemon’s abilities.
15Mega Pidgeot
Mega Pidgeot is far frombeing a bad Pokemon, but when compared to the other gen 1 Mega Evolutions, it just doesn’t quite stack up. It does boast relatively high total base stats and its 121 speed is solid enough, although it lacks the firepower to really make its quickness count. Assuming it attacks first, it can deal some pretty decent damage, but rarely will it do enough to knock its foe out with a single hit. Given that its physical and special defense stats are both 80, it’s unlikely to last long enough to get a second bite of the apple.
14Mega Kangaskhan
Mega Kangaskhan’s stats are fairly unimpressive, with none of its base stats exceeding 100. It does, however,have access to 15 of the 18 different move typeswhich makes it an incredibly versatile Pokemon. Granted, it isn’t great when it comes to special attacks, but with the right selection of physical moves, Mega Kangaskhan can be built to cover multiple opposition types if needed (albeit at the expense of STAB). Thanks to its Parental Bond ability, it’s a very strong Seismic Toss user, but its mediocre resistances can make it difficult to fit it into a team.
13Mega Pinsir
While Mega Pinsir’s 105 speed isn’t amazing, its high physical stats more than make up for it. Thanks to its 155 physical attack stat and solid learnset, it’s capable of dishing out some serious damage and its 120 physical defense makes it fairly durable as well. If the other Pokemon specializes in special attacks, however, it might not be so lucky.
12Mega Slowbro
Mega Slowbro is fairly similar to Mega Pinsir, although its 180 physical defense stat makes it considerably more durable when up againstphysical foes. It also leans more towards special attacks than physical, which bodes well considering that many of the strongest attacks in its arsenal fall into this category. Its biggest weakness is definitely its low speed, although this is somewhat mitigated by its high defensive stats.
11Mega Gyarados
Despite its base stats totaling a massive 640, Mega Gyarados is a fairly underwhelming Mega Evolution. Sure, it’s very strong in the physical attack department and its high special defense stat is useful too. Ultimately though, this usefulness is very situational.
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Against the right foe, Mega Gyarados can be deadly, but a strong physical attacker should have very little trouble taking it down. Worse still, its 81 speed will put it at a huge disadvantage in most encounters making it tough to justify the Pokemon’s inclusion in one’s team.
10Mega Beedrill
Despite it having the lowest total base stats of any of the gen 1 Mega Evolutions, Mega Beedrill is a very solid Pokemon. It’s lightning fast and has a physical attack stat of 150. Better still, when using Bug or Poison-type moves, its Adaptability ability increases its STAB (same type attack bonus) from 1.5 to 2. Its shocking defenses do make it a bit of a glass cannon, but only a handful of Pokemon are going to be able to act before it and not too many will be able to survive its opening salvo.
9Mega Aerodactyl
When it comes tospeedy Pokemon, they really don’t get much faster than Mega Aerodactyl. With a base speed stat of 150,the fossil Pokemonis tied for the position of fastest gen 1 Mega Evolution and, as such, it’s all but guaranteed to act first. Its 135 physical attack stat is solid enough already, but thanks to its Tough Claws ability, this is effectively boosted to 175 when using contact moves. It does fall short in other areas, but with that kind of speed and power, its defenses should rarely be tested.
8Mega Blastoise
Mega Blastoise has a fairly high special attack stat, but it’s fairly slow and the rest of its stats are pretty unexceptional too. While its Mega Launcher ability may seem useful on paper, there are only four moves in the Pokemon’s learnset that its bonus applies to and only one of these is a water-type attack. As that move has only 60 power,moves like Hydro Pumpand even surf are arguably better options.
7Mega Venusaur
Mega Venusaur is a little faster than Mega Blastoise and also has slightly better stat distribution as well. Likeits fellow starter Pokemon, it too specializes in special attacks, although it’s able to back this up with some solid defensive numbers in both categories. What’s more, its Thick Fat ability helps to mitigate the damage taken from two of the move-types that it’s weak to. This might not be enough to save it from the very strongest Ice and Fire-type Pokemon, but it does makes Mega Venusaur a lot tougher to take down.
6Mega Gengar
Mega Gengar boasts an incredible 170 special attack stat and has access to some of the strongest ghost and psychic-type moves in the series. Its 130 speed isn’t too bad either andits Shadow Tag ability makes it very difficult for its foes to fleefrom battle.
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The infamousghost-type Pokemondoes fall a little short in the defensive department, but, when used correctly, this needn’t be a big issue. It’s able to confuse and put its enemies to sleep if needed and, if all else fails, can always use Destiny Bond to take the other Pokemon down with it.
