Pokemon Legends: Z-A Could Be Making ‘Pokemon Gun’ a Reality

Although two new Mega Evolutions have officially been revealed for Pokemon Legends: Z-A, there are allegedly 24 more left to be revealed if leaks are to be believed. Mega Dragonite and Mega Victreebel are the latest Megas to join the series' roster, growing the number of Gen 1 mons with Meg Evolutions to 15. With only a couple of months left until Pokemon Legends: Z-A's release, it's unclear how many more Megas will get official reveals, but some recent leaks may have shown the designs for a few rumored mons.

According to an alleged 4Chan leak posted to the PokeLeaks subreddit, the design for Mega Zygarde has been revealed, and it is even more bizarre than Zygarde's other forms. The third member of Kalos' Legendary trio features three forms already, with a fourth on the way if this Mega Evolution leak is real. While the leaked image of Mega Zygarde is hard to interpret, it appears like the mon is taking the form of a missile, harkening back to the "Pokemon Gun" meme that was popularized in Gen 8.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Leaked Mega Zygarde Design Channels the 'Pokemon Gun' Meme

The Origins of the 'Pokemon Gun' Meme

When Pokemon Sword and Shield were first announced back in February 2019, the series had yet to feature any DLC or expansions, and a third version or versions were the norm. With a clear emphasis on weapons, given the "Sword" and "Shield" naming conventions, a recurring joke within the Pokemon community was that the third version of the Gen 8 games would be called "Pokemon Gun." Although this version never manifested, and Sword and Shield became the first entries in the Pokemon series to receive DLC rather than an enhanced third version, the meme persisted and became one of the generation's more infamous community jokes.

Most interpretations of the Pokemon Gun meme feature a green gun styled in the same way as Sword and Shield's logos, and Grookey is often shown holding a gun as well. The Pokemon Company tends to avoid portraying guns in the Pokemon series, so this type of game was never going to happen. However, the meme became so pervasive that some news outlets even mistakenly reported that Pokemon Gun was an official third Gen 8 game.

Early 2024 saw the release of Palworld, often marketed as "Pokemon but with guns," which revitalized the Pokemon Gun meme within the community.

Mega Zygarde Could Be Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Secret Weapon

Pokemon Legends: Z-A has the chance to be the Pokemon Gun version that never was if the leaked design for Mega Zygarde is real. Although Mega Zygarde itself doesn't appear to be a gun, the fact that it looks to be holding a missile is the closest the series has gotten to such a portrayal of weaponry. Pokemon X and Y were some of the darkest games in the series with their Ultimate Weapon storyline and Team Flare Leader Lysandre's plan to eradicate imperfection from the world, so it would be consistent for Pokemon Legends: Z-A to follow a similarly dark storyline.

pokemon lysandre anime — Pokemon Lysandre

Perhaps Mega Zygarde is the key to the climax in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, with Lysandre rumored to return as a villain. Allegedly, Lysandre will task the player with finding the various Zygarde Cells around Lumiose City and storing them in the Zygarde Cube. This could culminate in Lysandre attempting to weaponize the Legendary and unleash Mega Zygarde as a replacement for the Ultimate Weapon that was destroyed at the end of Pokemon X and Y's Team Flare arc. It could also very well be that this leaked Mega Zygarde design is fake, but players will likely need to wait until Legends: Z-A's release to find out, as it's unlikely the game will officially spoil a major plot point with a reveal like this prior to launch.

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