The (Current) Fate of the Megas

A friend of mine has kindly reminded me to pick up a gift batch of Mega Stones for Sun and Moon, since these are not obtainable within the game proper. That reminds me of something that has been going on in general with Sun and Moon, and in effect VGC 2017 as well: it seems that Mega Evolutions are being - or rather, have been - relegated to second-class status. The games have been fervent with them since the previous generation that it's odd to see them de-emphasized in this manner.

The concept of Mega Evolutions as powered-up forms of mature Pokémon is neat since it gives a new twist for Trainers that use and go up against the Pokémon concerned, and it gives a new life to some Pokémon that would be underutilized otherwise, though inevitably some Mega Evolutions also became more popular than others as with regular Pokémon. The concept was popular enough that its initial iteration in X and Y was expanded in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, as well as integrated into Shuffle and even Super Mystery Dungeon. It seemed that Mega Evolutions would become an accepted norm with its presence in several games.

And then when Sun and Moon came, there was no word about Mega Evolutions, apart from the fact that they were still in the games. The concept was also not slated for expansion to any Pokémon of the current or previous generation that did not already have Mega forms. VGC 2017, which was also introduced with Sun and Moon, also disallows Mega Evolutions, effectively limiting the current use of the concept as well.

While I don't think every mature Pokémon needs to have a Mega Evolution, there are some for which Mega Evolution is a given to be had. The starters are an example, since they conventionally always have three evolutionary stages, which means it is not unreasonable to expect Mega forms for these. Some Legendary Pokémon could also receive Mega forms in similar fashion to Mewtwo, Diancie, and Rayquaza; one that perhaps I could offer is Genesect, but its role would have to be fully fleshed out, though this is also obviously true for any Mega form.

Mega Evolution is a useful and popular concept to be sure, but its current use in the main series of Pokémon games doesn't appear to lend much support for it. There's not really any way to escape the concept now that it's established, nor should the concept become forgotten. Expansion is the key, and as can be shown by Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, it doesn't have to be in a new-generation game. Perhaps a fourth-generation remake - if all the hints are indeed leading up to that - can have some "Mega" answers.