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| 26 Nov 2014 05:31 PM |
(x-post from /r/pokemon)
In 2002, Game Freak released a Dragon/Ground type Pokemon named Flygon. Out of the three Dragon-types released in that generation, Flygon was the second strongest, and the only Dragon-type Pokemon to also be part -Ground type. Flygon's charming, unique design led it to become a favorite among fans, and its stats, while not excellent like many other powerhouses, led it to be quite the powerful Pokemon when looked at in conjunction with its typing. Being part Ground type led Flygon to have a way of dealing with Steel types, a feat that few other Dragons could achieve.
Five years later it's time for a new generation, and in Diamond and Pearl the ferocious Garchomp, another Dragon/Ground type, is introduced into the world of Pokemon. It is often the case with many Pokemon that if it shares a the same typing, that Pokemon can accomplish a role that the other Pokemon could not, and both were either equals or only slightly better than the other. That was not the case with Flygon.
Garchomp's status as a psuedolegendary meant that its stats completely overpowered the Mystic Pokemon. Its typing, access to Swords Dance, ability in Sand Veil, and sheer power combined with its bulk led it to dominate both the popular Smogon singleplayer metagame and Nintendo's official tournaments. Garchomp was so powerful that it was sent to Ubers in the generation it was introduced, as it was simply too powerful for most Pokemon to handle. With Garchomp serving time in Ubers, Flygon could once again shine in its role, the shadow of its successor looming over it. Despite the landshark's existence, all was well for Flygon.
But not for long.
In Generation V, while no new mechanics were introduced, hidden abilities, new items, and new moves gave way for previously outclassed or underpowered Pokemon to make a comeback. Chansey was Blissey's baby sister no more. Dragonite was no longer Salamence's inferior. Alakazam turned into a ferocious powerhouse with Magic Guard and its new toy in Psyshock. Cloyster could easily sweep most teams if given the opportunity. And Flygon?
Flygon got U-Turn, and nothing else.
However, Garchomp was given the Hidden Ability of Rough Skin, deeming it accepted back into the OU tier. Garchomp dominated competitive in every aspect, reigning as the king in both OU and VGC, while Flygon was cast down to suffer as a U-Turning Choice user in UU. All hope seemed lost. Until Generation VI.
The Pokemon franchise was long overdue for a new mechanic, and X and Y brought that with the introduction of Mega Evolutions. Like with Gen V's additions, Mega Evolutions turned old Pokemon into fierce powerhouses. Fans of the original Dragon/Gound type waited with bated breath as they hoped for Flygon's Mega Stone to be revealed.
X and Y comes out, and Flygon's fanbase is let down once again with the lack of a Mega Stone. In addition, the new Fairy type meant that Flygon had a hard time managing even in its home tier of UU. Surely with the new Fairies running amok, Garchomp would suffer the same fate?
But that didn't happen. In fact, Garchomp got its very own Mega Evolution. While its Mega has proved to be sub-par at best, the fact that it got one and Flygon didn't was a huge slap to the face for Flygon's fans. Garchomp remained just as powerful in X and Y as it was in Black and White, while Flygon was, once again, cast aside to wallow in its own misery, once again outclassed by another Dragon/Ground type named Zygarde. There was one more beacon of hope, however - Hoenn's remakes.
Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are revealed and new Mega Evolutions along with them. Flygon's popularity among Hoenn's fans made it a surefire candidate for its long-overdue redemption in the form of a Mega Stone. Altaria and Salamence were among the first batch of Mega Evolutions to be revealed, and their shared Dragon typing - along with the later reveal of Mega Rayquaza, the fourth Dragon in Hoenn, convinced fans that Mega Flygon was sure to come. In addition, two new NPCs of importance Lisia and Aarune, who used Altaria and Flygon, were introduced. Lisia even used a Mega Altaria! There was no way that Flygon, one of the mascots of Gen III, was going to be left out this time. There was no way.
More Mega Evolutions are revealed, and when Pokemon such as Pidgeot and even Beedrill are given Mega Stones, Flygon fans are convinced that if these Pokemon were acknowledged by Game Freak, who weren't even introduced the generation that the remakes were going to be in, surely Mega Flygon would come. Maybe it wasn't going to be revealed - there were Mega Evolutions in X and Y that weren't, after all - maybe it would be a post-game find. After all, with the list of grievances that Game Freak has committed against Flygon, surely they wouldn't drag it this far.
When the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire demo comes out, datamining the demo revealed two very opposing pieces of information regarding the fate of Flygon. The first one was that Vibrava now learns Boomburst as a level-up move, an extremely exclusive move only given to a select few Pokemon. Flygon by itself was a very unusual Pokemon to be able to use Boomburst, but what if - just what if - it got a sound-related Mega Evolution that made sense and could make use of the new move? After all, Lopunny could learn High Jump Kick for its Mega to use, right?
The second piece of information was that Aarune's Flygon held... a Normal Gem. While this information, along with the news that there were no more Mega Evolutions left, was horrifying at first, when the official Pokemon website revealed that Mega Blaziken learned Ice Punch, which was not found in the datamining, the demo's information was deemed unreliable in its accuracy and fans still held on to hope. Could Game Freak have been teasing Flygon's fans for this long? Would it finally get the Mega it deserved, so it could finally fight among the ranks of Garchomp?
Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire have been released, and there have been no more Mega Evolutions. Flygon has been spat on and cast to the dogs, yet there is one more insult, one final nail in the coffin, that Game Freak has delivered to the fans of the Mystic Pokemon.
When you reach the final rank in the Secret Base Flag Collection, Aarune, the trainer whose signature Pokemon is a Flygon, bestows upon the player the Mega Stone... ...for Garchomp. Is there any Pokemon at all that has been treated as cruelly? Is there any Pokemon that has been let down so many times as Flygon? Is there ever going to be redemption for the miserable, rejected Flygon? |
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Ferelcapo
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| Joined: 30 Jul 2009 |
| Total Posts: 10747 |
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| 26 Nov 2014 05:34 PM |
| to be honest almost everyone likes garchomp better and its also objectively cooler |
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| 26 Nov 2014 05:41 PM |
| you copied this off reddit didnt you |
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| 26 Nov 2014 05:41 PM |
| yes... look at the very first line |
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| 26 Nov 2014 05:50 PM |
| i think flygon will get one in Z |
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jrad217
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| Joined: 08 Mar 2012 |
| Total Posts: 9915 |
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| 26 Nov 2014 09:41 PM |
| Flygon was my main man in Pokemon Colosseum. C'mon Nintendo, make more awesome console Pokemon games! Pokemon Colosseum, Pokemon Stadium, and Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness proved that you can make a great console Pokemon game! |
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| 26 Nov 2014 11:45 PM |
maybe gamefreak forgot about flygon. like how does trapinch turn into vibrava, who then turns into a dragon. gamefreak must've undergone many art designs before releasing the final art design. ie: the conspiracy involving magikarp evolving into dragonite, obviously, vice versa. therefore flygon was forgotten in gamefreak's history of dragons, since flygon does not have any attributes of a stereotypical dragon set aside the wings and tail. |
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