Pokémon Legends: Z-A’s cutesy Mega Dragonite might be darker than you realize

Remember Mega Evolution? The power-up was a major draw for Pokémon X and Y, which introduced it as an ability that transformed select monsters into enormous, more powerful versions of themselves back in 2013. The mechanic is back for the action-oriented Pokémon Legends: Z-A, where the player can encounter creatures who Mega Evolve in the wild. In the newest trailer detailing what fans can expect from Pokémon Legends: Z-A, The Pokémon Company and developer Game Freak unveiled none other than Mega Dragonite, a beefed-up version of the golden wyrm that’s adorned with majestic wings. Cool, right? Yeah, about that…

On the official game website, Game Freak tries to frame Mega Dragonite as a compassionate critter who loves kindness. It can sense when someone is in danger, and is compelled to save them from danger.

Then things take a turn. What do you mean that Mega Dragonite considers “ending a Pokémon match quickly is an act of kindness toward its opponent”? And why is it that Game Freak describes Mega Dragonite as always smiling, even when it’s attacking an opponent?

I don’t know about you, but there’s something ominous about this all, no? The elephant in the room might well be Mega Evolution itself, which series veterans know isn’t merely just a neat idea that spices things up in a core Pokémon game.

For those who don’t recall, Pokémon X and Y’s Pokédex descriptions for Mega Evolutions almost entirely focus on the fact that the process involved hurts the Pokémon itself. Mega Alakazam’s entire power is converted into psychic energy, which wastes away its muscles. Mega Evolution frazzles Gyarados’ brain so it feels nothing but a desire to destroy. Mega Scizor is pushed to the brink so severely, it can’t battle for very long. Perhaps the darkest description belongs to Mega Glalie, whose jaw is broken when it undergoes Mega Evolution. OK, so what about Mega Dragonite, then?

It’s entirely possible that we’re not dealing with the same universe as the one depicted in Pokémon X and Y. Perhaps in this world, Mega Evolution is just an effective way of battling, and any creature that undergoes the process is otherwise unaffected. If monsters are doing it in the wild, perhaps it’s even elective?

But I don’t know, y’all. The Mega Dragonite description seems off, even when it’s ostensibly describing something positive. The idea of a Pokémon smiling the entire time it’s beating you to a pulp seems like something out of a horror movie. But all Game Freak is telling us right now is that Mega Evolution allows Dragonite to fly faster and farther than ever before.

Based on the way fans are responding, most people are taking a liking to Mega Dragonite. Some are baffled that its wings sprout from its head, but overall, the angelic design and the friendly description is being embraced by fans. That’s fine. Just don’t be surprised if Game Freak pulls a fast one when Pokémon Legends: Z-A comes out and it turns out that you’re hurting Dragonite every time it Mega Evolves.