Rogue Mega Evolution
Rogue Mega Evolution (Japanese:暴走メガシンカRampaging Mega Evolution) is a phenomenon inPokémon Legends: Z-A wherebywild Pokémon undergoMega Evolution on their own after exposure to high concentrations ofMega Power, which drives them into a berserk, painful state. There are 16 Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon that can be found as part of the game'smain missions, and another 10 encounters are added inhyperspace as part of theMega Dimension DLC. After a Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon is defeated, theplayer receives its correspondingMega Stone.
After the main story,Zygarde is fought in a similar way, but is not a Rogue Mega Evolution. Similarly, Mega Dimension would also reintroducePrimal Reversion, in whichKyogre andGroudon will go rogue under thistransformation.
History
Background
Rogue Mega Evolution occurs whenwild Pokémon are exposed to high concentrations ofMega Power, a form of energy released byAnge from withinPrism Tower. This causes them toMega Evolve, despite not meeting the requirements for a proper Mega Evolution, such as a bond with aTrainer or aKey Stone.Mable also entertains the idea thatXerneas's unlimited life energy could fuel Rogue Mega Evolutions in place of Mega Power.[1]
FollowingLysandre's activation of theultimate weapon during the events ofPokémon X and Y, Ange begun releasing the Mega Power it was keeping inside throughoutLumiose City, which drewwild Pokémon into the city in large numbers.Quasartico Inc. shut down Prism Tower to investigate the energy under the guise of renovation work.
Six months prior to the events ofPokémon Legends: Z-A, the first known instance of Rogue Mega Evolution occurred with aPidgeot.AZ andEternal FlowerFloette attempted to battle the Pokémon, but the man was unable to keep up due to his advanced age. Fortunately,Urbain/Taunie stepped in for AZ and battled alongside Floette. Their success impressed Quasartico Inc.'sVinnie, who was also responding to the issue, and he began sharing some intelligence on Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon with the young Trainer. These events inspired Urbain/Taunie to createTeam MZ in order to help quell further Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon, later recruitingLida,Naveen, and theplayer to the team.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Rogue Mega Evolution is introduced to the player duringMain Mission 09: "Chase That Mysterious Pokémon!", afterZygarde tracks down the player and leads it to the site of a soon-to-be Rogue MegaAbsol. For this encounter, AZ gifts the player aMega Ring and temporarily loans them hisLucario. After the Rogue Mega Absol is pacified, it chooses to join the player. From this point onward, Team MZ is routinely notified by Quasartico Inc. about instances of Rogue Mega Evolution being detected around Lumiose City, which come in three at a time, leading to a total of 16 Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon being battled.
During the game's climax, afterHyperrogue Ange Floette takes control, numerous wild Pokémon throughout the city undergo Rogue Mega Evolution at the same time. The player and their various allies must defeat these Pokémon to reachZygarde. The phenomenon of Rogue Mega Evolution comes to an end in Lumiose City after Zygarde destroys Ange.
Mega Dimension
As theRust Syndicate and Quasartico Inc., helped byTeam MZ, investigatedHyperspace Lumiose, it was discovered that the dimension contained Pokémon at risk of Rogue Mega Evolution. While the reason why the phenomenon is occuring in Hyperspace Lumiose is not fully known, Urbain/Taunie suspects that it may be a ripple effect from the events with Ange. Throughout the main story of the DLC, six Rogue Mega-Evolved are battled and caught, including Rogue MegaDarkrai, the Pokémon responsible for Hyperspace Lumiose existing in the first place.
In the post-game, specifically duringHyperspace Mission 13: "A Ruby-Red Legend" andHyperspace Mission 14: "A Sapphire-Blue Legend", Team MZ faces off against Rogue PrimalGroudon and Rogue PrimalKyogre, respectively. In turn, this allows for them to create a distortion that leads to a Rogue MegaRayquaza, concludingHyperspace Mission 12: "The Greatest Gift". Rogue MegaZeraora can also be found duringSide Mission EX3: "Raging Lightning". The DLC also introduces another six instances of Rogue Mega Evolution as side missions.
Most of the Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon can be refought in the "Rogue Mega Arena" portals, where the player can earn more hyperspace points. The only exceptions to not appear in that specific portal areDarkrai, thesuper-ancient Pokémon, andZeraora.
Mechanics
Before the battle starts, the player's Pokémon are fully healed and their Mega Power is set to zero. When the battle begins, the player and their ally are transported to a circular battlefield. The Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon can use moves against the player and other Pokémon, but not their ally. Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon have several times their normal amount of HP, take greatly reduced damage from non-Plus Moves, and a few also have modest increases to some of their non-HP stats, as well. Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon usually prioritize attacking the player instead of their Pokémon. Even if the player or their teammate's Pokémon have types that would ordinarily make themimmune to a move that a Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon uses, they will still take (albeit heavily-reduced) damage from it. Some of those attacks will drop orbs of Mega Power in various sizes, which the player must collect in order to Mega Evolve their Pokémon or usePlus Moves. Eventually, the Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon can prepare a more devastating special attack, which can be stopped with Plus Moves. If such an attack is stopped, the Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon will be stunned for a while, being unable to attack. Some Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon can summon other low-level Pokémon from their Evolution line as reinforcements.
InMega Dimension, all Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon can be fought at higher levels inHyperspace Lumiose. Pokémon fought in Hyperspace will be affected by donut energy, making the battles timed based on thedonut consumed. Picking up black energy orbs that the Rogue Mega Pokémon drop when stunned will temporarily freeze the timer. The time limits are relieved on rematches inQuasartico Inc.
Exclusive to these battles,Kyogre,Groudon andRayquaza will have an effect on their field that simulates theAbility of their Primal Reversion/Mega Evolution during their second phases making certaintypes of moves have less or no effect.
During story progress, if the player blacks out, they can choose to restart the battle, continue it with the previously dealt damage, or forfeit. If the player chooses to continue or restart the battle, their party will be fully healed, and the donut (if one is used) will have its timer refilled.Rayquaza, being the only exception, will have to be fought from the start of the first phase if the player blacks out. Zeraora also has to be fought from the start if the player loses to it, but it is not part of the story.
Rogue Mega Evolution Simulator 3000
In the post-game, specifically duringMain Mission 41: "The One That Takes", Vinnie will challenge the player to a rematch against virtual simulations of the Rogue Mega-EvolvedVictreebel,Hawlucha, andTyranitar in preparation to faceYveltal, something only possible through Quasartico Inc.'s Rogue Mega Evolution Simulator 3000. After beating all three simulations, the player can engage inrematches with any of the 16 Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon at any time to earn rewards and see how quickly they can complete them.
Unlike the original battles, the player must face the Pokémon on their own, without any assistance. After pacifying the Pokémon, Vinnie will record the time it took to beat them, and will give the player ×3Exp. Candy M as a reward. Therematchs atQuasartico Inc. are unlocked after beating post-game of Pokémon Legends: Z-A and all story Rogue Megas ofMega DimensionDLC. Defeating the new Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon in theMega DimensionDLC unlocks additional rematches atQuasartico Inc. headquarters. While Vinnie is absent at the headquarters, a femaleTeam Flare Nouveau member takes his place as the attendant for Rogue Mega Evolution Simulator 3000.
Rogue Mega Rush
Rogue Mega Rush (Japanese:暴走メガラッシュRampaging Mega Rush) is a boss rush available inPokémon Legends: Z-A'sMega Dimension. It is unlocked by defeating every Rogue Mega Evolution, including the event-exclusive MegaZeraora. It is one of the threerematch options in Pokémon Legends: Z-A and the Mega Dimension DLC.
The player must fight all 27 Rogue Mega Evolutions (except Hyperrogue Ange Floette) in a set order. They are fought in the same order as in the story, with the exception ofZeraora, being fought in betweenHeatran andDarkrai, andZygarde, being fought as the very last battle; in the case of the five batches of three Rogue Mega Evolutions each during the main story, they are fought in the order displayed in themissions list, with the exception of the third batch, which are fought in reverse order. They are all level 100, and the player can only heal their party 3 times between battles. Healing moves such asSynthesis,Wish andGiga Drain do not count towards this. The player is not allowed to switch their party members or use items. The only reward is a title called "Mega Rush Master" for online play.Kyogre,Groudon, and Zygarde are the only Pokémon in Rogue Mega Rush to not useMega Evolution.
List of Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon
There are 16 Rogue Mega Evolution Pokémon encounters inPokémon Legends: Z-A's base game and 10 Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon encounters (including Primal Reversions) in theMega DimensionDLC:
Notably, the battles againstDarkrai and thesuper-ancient Pokémon have two phases: in the first, they are in their base forms, while in the second, they undergo Rogue Mega Evolution or RoguePrimal Reversion. Zygarde is the only non-Rogue Mega-Evolved or Rogue Primal Pokémon in this list. It also does not drop any Mega Power when stunned, unlike all the other Pokémon.
Other instances
DuringMain Mission 37: "Operation Protect Lumiose", afterHyperrogue Ange Floette takes control, it will cause numerouswild Pokémon to undergo Rogue Mega Evolution acrossLumiose City. As the player traverses the ruined streets to reachZygarde, they will be forced to battle some of these Pokémon, with all of theirlevels being 62. Unlike the previous encounters, these all take place as regular wild Pokémon battles (though the Pokémon cannot be caught). The player will be assisted by characters from the various organizations they have encountered throughout the game. Each ally will Mega Evolve their ace Pokémon at the start of the battle.
| Location | Pokémon | Level | Assistance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernal Avenue |  | MegaGengar Ghost Poison | 62 | Lida |
 | MegaHeracross Bug Fighting | |||
| Vert Street |  | MegaKangaskhan Normal | Ivor | |
 | MegaPidgeot Normal Flying | |||
 | MegaGarchomp Dragon Ground | |||
| Jaune Street |  | MegaBlastoise Water | Canari | |
 | MegaSteelix Steel Ground | |||
| Jaune Sector 3 |  | MegaAggron Steel | Lebanne | |
 | MegaSalamence Dragon Flying | |||
| Galerie de la Lune |  | MegaGardevoir Psychic Fairy | Corbeau | |
 | MegaGallade Psychic Fighting | |||
| Magenta Sector 2 |  | MegaAlakazam Psychic | Grisham | |
 | MegaAerodactyl Rock Flying | |||
 | MegaMetagross Steel Psychic | |||
In between each battle, additional Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon will appear. However, the player is unable to battle them, as their allies will step forward to face them so the player can continue on to their goal:
- Following the battle alongsideIvor andGwynn, the latter will depart to battle two MegaSharpedo and a MegaScizor.
- Following the battle alongsideCanari, she, along withTarragon and the workers fromRacine Construction, will face two MegaBeedrill and a MegaLopunny.
- Following the battle alongsideLebanne,Jacinthe will appear and establish a Jacinthe Zone in which the two will face three MegaHoundoom and two MegaAbomasnow.
- Following the battle alongsideGrisham andGriselle, the pair will face six MegaPinsir.
During Mega Dimension, other Pokémon go under the effects of Rogue Mega Evolution, similar to battles leading up toAnge. These too are fought inHyperspace Lumiose, requiringdonuts to be made of a particular level. Defeating these Rogue Mega Evolutions will receive a Mega Stone of the corresponding Pokémon.Crabominable is the only one of this group to be considered a side mission.
| Location | Pokémon | Level | Reward | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyperspace Lumiose |  | MegaCrabominable (×2) Fighting Ice | 114 116 |  Crabominite |
 | MegaScovillain Grass Fire | 120 |  Scovillainite | |
 | MegaChimecho Psychic Steel | 130 |  Chimechite | |
 | MegaGolisopod Bug Steel | 140 |  Golisopite | |
 | MegaGolurk Ground Ghost | 150 |  Golurkite | |
 | MegaGlimmora Rock Poison | 170 |  Glimmoranite | |
Trivia
- Out of the 87 Pokémon capable ofMega Evolution, 49 undergo Rogue Mega Evolution inPokémon Legends: Z-A andMega DimensionDLC.
- Absol is the only Pokémon to be fought as a Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon twice, as Mega Absol in Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Mega Absol Z in the Mega Dimension DLC.
- In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Mega Absol is the only Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon that can becaught after being defeated. In the Mega Dimension DLC, all Rogue Mega-Pokémon battled as part of the mainhyperspace missions, as well asZeraora, can also be obtained, and are in fact required to be captured.
- MegaCrabominable and Mega Zeraora are the only Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon that are fought as part ofside missions.
- Mega Zeraora and the unreleased MegaGarchomp Z are the only Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon to beevent-exclusive. While Mega Zeraora's EX side mission does not itself require a specific event for it to trigger, it requires the first two EX side missions, unlocked with theMystery Gift distributions for theDiancite and theMewtwonite X andMewtwonite Y, to be cleared in order to trigger.
- MegaRayquaza is the only Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon battled in the Mega Dimension DLC whose Mega Evolution was introduced inGeneration VI. While theprimal states ofKyogre andGroudon were also introduced in Generation VI, they are not considered to be Mega Evolutions.
- After defeating Rogue Mega Absol, all the Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon faced inLumiose City appear in groups of three, with each group having at least one Mega Evolution newly introduced in Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
- Every Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon battled as part of the main hyperspace missions share exactly onetype weakness with MegaDarkrai.
- The Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon bear some similarities to theNoble Pokémon fromPokémon Legends: Arceus:
- Both groups have been affected by an outside source (eitherAnge or thespace-time rift). In battle, these groups also appear larger than what is the usual for their species.
- Mechanically, both are fought in an arena with specific conditions untypical of average battles, such as an enlarged health bar. If the player loses, they may either restart the battle or from a certain checkpoint (with Rayquaza being the exception).
- Both groups play a major role in their respective main stories and can be rebattled post-game for rewards. Similarly,Zygarde in Legends: Z-A, andArceus,Dialga andPalkia in Legends: Arceus, while technically not part of their respective groups, can be rematched, as they are fought in similar ways.
- Battles against Noble Pokémon reuse a leitmotif from thePokémon Diamond and Pearl Wild Battle track, while battles against Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon typically use a leitmotif from thePokémon X and Y Wild Battle track.
- This phenomenon shares some similarities to the effects ofLaquium inPokémon Horizons: The Series, as both turn the Pokémon more powerful, but causes them to enter a berserk state, signaled by a pink aura.
- None of the major Rouge Mega Evolutions areNormal-type. AlthoughStaraptor is dual-type Normal/Flying, its primary type is replaced by theFighting type as Mega Staraptor.
In other languages
Rogue Mega Evolution
| Language | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese | Cantonese | 失控超級進化寶可夢Sāthung Chīukāp Jeunfa Pokémon |
| Mandarin | 失控超級進化寶可夢 / 失控超级进化宝可梦Shīkòng Chāojí Jìnhuà Bǎokěmèng | |
| French | Les Pokémon Méga-Ferox | |
| German | Megamanie-Pokémon | |
| Italian | Megaevoluzione ferox | |
| Korean | 폭주 메가진화Pokju Mega Jinhwa | |
| Spanish | Megaevolución descontrolada | |
Rogue Mega Rush
| Language | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese | Cantonese | 失控超級爆湧挑戰 |
| Mandarin | 失控超級爆湧挑戰 / 失控超级爆涌挑战 | |
| French | Défi Méga-Furieux | |
| German | Megamanie-Marathon | |
| Italian | Megassalto ferox | |
| Korean | 폭주 메가 러시 챌린지 | |
| Spanish | Superdesafío | |
References
- ↑Mable:"The excessiveMega Power from the tower caused Rogue Mega Evolution, and ifXerneas shows up, something similar could happen again. I mean, it has command of basically an unlimited pool of life energy!" (Pokémon Legends: Z-A)
Related articles
See also:Mega Evolution characteristics •Mega Stone •Key Stone •Infinity Energy •Mega Energy •Rogue Mega Evolution •Mega Power •Donut
 | This game-related article is part ofProject Games, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on thePokémon games. |
