Pokemon Fan Designs Incredible Mega Evolutions for the Paldea Starters

gamerant.com:

A Pokemon fan and artist has created their own take on what Mega Evolutions for the final forms of the Paldea region starters would potentially look like. Mega Evolutions were first introduced in the Generation 6 Pokemon X and Y games and returned for Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Game Freak likes to pursue a new gimmick with each Pokemon generation, and so Mega Evolutions have since been left by the wayside.

Instead of Mega Evolutions, Pokemon Sword and Shield featured Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing, while Pokemon Scarlet and Violet introduced the concept of Terastallization. Pokemon fans have been asking for Mega Evolutions to make a comeback, and they will finally get their wish in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, set to launch for the Nintendo Switch at an undetermined point in 2025.

Since Game Freak and The Pokemon Company haven't made new Mega Evolutions in years, Pokemon fans have had to take matters into their own hands. Fans have created all kinds of custom Mega Evolutions for various Pokemon to help fill the gap, with one of the latest contributions from Reddit user PhatmonMonstraros. They created Mega Evolutions for the Paldea starters' final forms, creating new looks for Fire/Ghost-type Skeledirge, Water/Fighting-type Quaquaval, and Grass/Dark-type Meowscarada.

The custom Mega Evolutions for Skeledirge, Quaquaval, and Meowscarada give them some significantly different appearances than how they normally look in the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet games. Skeledirge has a rock star-inspired look, complete with a guitar, while Quaquaval looks like a superhero or a shonen anime character. Meowscarada, meanwhile, leans in to the creature's dark typing, giving it a more menacing look, complete with thorns. Pokemon fans reacted positively to the art, with the post generating over 1,000 upvotes at the time of this writing.

When Mega Evolutions return in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, it will be interesting to see if Skeledirge, Quaquaval, and Meowscarada get official Mega Evolutions.