ZA officially bans 25 Pokemon

Pokemon Legends: ZA is about to ban a total of 25 Pokemon from battles. Pokemon Legends: ZA has received updates every three weeks since its release, and while the amount of new content has slowed to a trickle, there are plenty of reasons to return to the game even eight months after launch. An important part of the updates which Pokemon Legends: ZA gets are seasonal changes, introducing new rewards for players to get and new rules for ranked battles.

Of its many functions, all Pokemon Legends: ZA Mega Evolutions remain the main attraction of the game, as the gimmick returned after a long hiatus starting with Gen 8 in 2019. The switch to a completely different combat system without turns or abilities and instead real-time movement is a compelling choice, but it didn't sit well with all fans. Still, ranked battles became mandatory in a way, as they were and still are the only source for certain Mega Stones, like the Gen 6 and Gen 3 starters, as well as Baxcalibur.

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Pokemon Legends: ZA officially has three new threats

Pokemon Legends: ZA players can say hello to the three new powerful Pokemon coming to the game with Season 2.

It's the end of an era for Pokemon Legends: ZA

Pokemon Legends: ZASeason 13 comes out on June 25th, and the new ranked battle's ruleset outright bans all Legendary and Mythical Pokémon in one fell swoop. This is not the first time Pokemon Legends: ZA bans Legendaries and Mythicals, as it occurs cyclically every few years. However, after banning these Pokémon earlier along with the release of more content, such as Mega Stones for Sceptile, Swampert, and Blaziken, it was expected that Legendaries and Mythicals would stay longer in ranked battles.

Scratch & Peek

Identify the wrapper while scraping off as little foil as possible.

Scratch & Peek

Identify the wrapper while scraping off as little foil as possible.

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Instead after Pokemon Legends: ZA made limited Pokemon available in season 12 with very few restrictions, the game goes back to square one. This includes several Pokemon that received their Mega Evolution for the first time in Pokemon Legends: ZAlike Mega Heatran and Mega Zeraora, so fans who want to use them in Ranked won't be able to do so for at least a season or two. The following Pokemon will no longer be available to use in battle:

Lumiose Pokedex, numbers 228-232
- Xerneas
- Yveltal
- Zygarde
- Diancie
- Mewtwo
Hyperspace Pokedex, numbers 113-132
- Heat run
- Volcano
- Cobalion
- Terrakion
- Virizion
- Chaldeo
- Meloetta
- Genesect
- Whoa
- Marshadow
- Melt
- Alloy metal
- Darkrai
- Latias
- Latios
- Kyogre
- Groudon
- Rayquaza
- The stomachs
- Zeraora

This can sting even more when you consider that Pokemon is available in Pokemon champion in Regulation MB also does not include Legendaries and Mythicals. Normally, Mythical Pokemon are not allowed in VGC anyway, but Legendaries are, either as regular Pokemon with no restrictions, or as a set of limited Pokemon that can only be used in limited amounts on a team, such as one or two. This is no longer the case in Pokemon Legends: ZAs season 13, and players will not be able to use any of these 25 Pokémon.

Considering how fun season 8 was, when Pokemon Legends: ZA only allowed Pokemon capable of Mega Evolution, it would be interesting to see future seasons do something similar instead of back and forth on bans. However, if the current formula continues, fans can expect some of these 25 banned Pokémon to return in Season 14, most or all of them in Season 15, then more restricted Pokémon in Season 16, and so on.