Pokémon Champions Finally Fixes Something That Was Missing From Legends: Z-A

There were many changes to classic turn-based Pokémon battles in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, but Pokémon Champions offers a return to basics. Classic systems from the series are returning in full force, giving players a huge variety of Pokémon to battle with against other trainers online in multiplayer bouts. With the release date of Pokémon Champions finally revealed, it has also shown the revival of one mechanic that wasn’t present in Legends: Z-A for Pokémon who debuted in that spin-off.

Pokémon battles are filled with complexity beyond the simple typing match-ups that usually define the series. While it’s commonly known that some types are more effective against others, the long history of Pokémon has built a wide variety of interactions between Pokémon that makes their stats, training, and individual properties important too. From how same-type moves deal more damage to the effectiveness of a Pokémon’s ability with certain attacks, matches in Pokémon Champions will reflect how battles have evolved.

Mega Evolutions From Pokémon Legends: Z-A Lacked Abilities Standard To The Series

Legends: Z-A had a lot of unique battle systems, but all Pokemon within the spin-off lacked natural abilities usually tied to them in the mainline games. This reflects the changes made in both Legends: Z-A and Legends: Arceus, who both introduced new mechanics to make up for other features missing from the traditional series. However, with Pokémon Champions, abilities are coming back alongside all the standard battle techniques players have been accustomed to for years.

As of the announcement of the game’s April 2026 release, it was also shown that Pokémon introduced in Legends: Z-A would gain new abilities if they are a part of Pokémon Champions. This mainly applies to the Mega Evolutions created for Legends: Z-A, as all the regular Pokémon within the spin-off weren’t ones who didn’t have an ability already through their appearance in other games. Similar to past Mega Evolutions from Gen 6, it seems like Pokémon Champions is allowing Pokémon from Legends: Z-A to gain new abilities if they transform.

This has led players to speculate over which abilities from past games will be applied to Legends: Z-A‘s Mega forms, if new ones aren’t created entirely. Usually, Mega Evolutions are some of the strongest Pokémon in the series, meaning they will have a heavy presence in a game focused on battling like Pokémon Champions. Thankfully, some of these questions have been answered, with three new Mega Evolutions from Legends: Z-A having their abilities announced ahead of the game’s launch.

Pokémon Champions Will Give New Mega Forms Abilities As They’re Transferred From The Spin-Off

Three different Pokémon once exclusive to Legends: Z-A were shown to have newly discovered abilities going into Pokémon Champions. Unsurprisingly, these were the new Mega Evolutions for the spin-off’s starters, including Mega Meganium, Feraligatr, and Emboar. The simplest of the trio was the ability given to Mega Emboar, Mold Breaker, which allows the Pokémon’s moves to ignore abilities that potentially negatively affect the success, damage, or effects of Mega Emboar’s moves.

The existence of the Mega starter evolutions gaining abilities likely means that all other Mega Evolutions from Legends: Z-A will gain new skills in Pokémon Champions. However, limitations to Mega Evolution still apply in the game, with the transformation only being able to happen once during a match. At the same time, Pokémon need a special stone as their held item to Mega Evolve, adding unique limitations on how often Legends: Z-A‘s Mega Pokémon can be used in Pokémon Champions.

Some Abilities Of Legends: Z-A Mega Evolutions Already Look Incredibly Strong

Although Mega Emboar’s Mold Breaker will surely help it shine as a solid fighter, some of the other abilities for Mega Evolutions revealed for Pokémon Champions already seem like game-changers. For example, Mega Meganium gains a brand-new ability called Mega Sol, which allows it to use moves as if the weather was a harsh sunlight. This means that Mega Meganium can use attacks like Solarbeam without having to set it up through Sunny Day, or take a turn to wait for the move to charge first before unleashing it.

At the same time, Mega Feraligatr gains another new ability named Dragonize, which turn Normal-type attacks into Dragon-type moves upon the creature’s evolution. This also grants a 20% power boost to the damage of Dragon-type moves, combining with Mega Feraligatr’s Water/Dragon-type affinity to deal incredible punishment to rival Pokémon. With Mega Feraligatr already boasting absurdly high Attack stats and knowing moves like Return, Double-Edge, and Dragon Dance to improve these attacks further, it’s sure to be a powerhouse on the battlefield.

If more abilities are created for specific Mega Evolution Pokémon from Legends: Z-A, there’s no telling how strong some Pokémon will be. Pokémon Champions could even create fresh abilities for existing Mega Evolutions, diversifying its roster of strong Pokémon to become even stronger for a game where the most dominant battlers thrive.

What other Mega Evolutions from Legends: Z-A do you think will get new abilities in Pokémon Champions? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!

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