Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Mega Hawlucha is a Good Exception to…

Pokemon Legends: Z-A isn't far from its release date anymore, and so it's time for Game Freak to lay out the additions it has in mind for Mega Evolution; it only makes sense that the feature's long-awaited return would come with a whole host of new Pokemon who get to participate. After a couple of early confirmations such as Mega Dragonite and Mega Victreebel, the latest addition is Mega Hawlucha. Game Freak's announcement suggests that Hawlucha will maintain its Fighting/Flying type line in its Mega form, only with a sharp new lucha mask and a bulkier body, and that's the best choice Game Freak could have made.

Official screenshot of Mega Victreebel - Pokemon Legends Z-A

Pokemon has a long history of messing with the types of individual Pokemon, as far back as Gen 2 introducing Dark and Steel, which were retroactively applied to a couple Gen 1 monsters. In its appearances before Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Mega Evolution also commonly loved to add or replace types, such as the Psychic/Fighting Mega Mewtwo X or the Fire/Dragon Mega Charizard X. These temporary mid-battle type adjustments are arguably a big part of justifying a Mega Evolution's existence, since it becomes a more distinct Pokemon design, and it can be a gameplay perk too, given the big matchup implications. Despite this, Pokemon Legends: Z-A has opted not to change Hawlucha's type line, which ironically makes it all the more unique.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A Lets Mega Hawlucha Hang On To Its Identity

Mega Hawlucha Pokemon Legends Z-A reveal

When designing Mega Hawlucha, it would've been entirely logical and reasonable for Game Freak to choose some other type to add to Hawlucha to spice it up. For instance, Fighting/Dark would be an obvious combo for a wrestler Pokemon with a villainous theme, in the same vein as the Fire/Dark wrestling heel-themed Incineroar. Hawlucha's signature move Flying Press (which is a Fighting type attack, despite the name) could've also made sense in the hands of a Fighting/Dragon Mega Evo. These combos and any other could've applied some great versatility to Hawlucha in battle by giving players an opportunity to change its type resistances in a pinch, a la Terastal.

Hawlucha's Type Combo is One of Few

Hawlucha spreading its wings in the Pokemon anime

However, one of the best things about Hawlucha is its original type line. It was the first Pokemon to share the Flying and Fighting types, and to date, only two other Pokemon have done the same: Galarian Zapdos, which is a little hard to come by as a Legendary, and Flamigo, a Gen 9 newcomer that lacks Hawlucha's strengths, such as an eye-catching design and a signature move. As such, Hawlucha is arguably the definitive representative of its very rare type combination. If Mega Hawlucha had changed that, it would've sacrificed a core part of the Wrestling Pokemon's identity.

Hawlucha is also unique as the only Flying-type Pokemon in the Human-Like Egg Group.

Game Freak did have a way to get the best of both worlds; it could've introduced two different Mega Evolutions for Hawlucha, a precedent already set by the aforementioned Mega Mewtwo and Charizard. These could've depicted a wrestling face and a wrestling heel, the former keeping Hawlucha's original types and the latter opting for Dark or something similar. However, it seems unlikely that that'll happen at this point, since Mega Hawlucha's name lacks an X or Y to suggest an alternative, and anyhow, odds are that Game Freak would prefer to save Mega Evolution branches for high-priority creatures such as starters, Legendaries, and Mythicals. Without a second Mega Evo option, it's for the best that Hawlucha stuck to its Fighting/Flying guns.

Ash's Hawlucha, standing proudly before battle.

It's worth mentioning that Mega Hawlucha does continue a pattern of leaving players hanging in the search for Mega Evolutions for type changes. Mega Dragonite and Mega Victreebel also use the same types as their base forms. Game Freak may have many new Megas with type adjustments waiting in the wings, especially if Pokemon Legends: Z-A's leaked Mega Evolutions have any truth to them. In the meantime, though, Hawlucha doesn't opt for a change of pace, and that's ultimately for the best.

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