The Pokemon community has been inundated with news recently, as the launch marketing for Pokemon Legends Z-A is in full swing. A big part of this has been the reveal of new Mega Evolutions, and with the new designs, there’s a growing trend that might actually be proving a certain fan theory correct. If you’re an obsessive Pokemon fan, you may have spotted the reveal of the upcoming Mega Dimension DLC also included a look at the new Mega Raichu X and Mega Raichu Y, which mark the third pair to have both X and Y versions, including Mega Mewtwo X and Y, and Mega Charizard X and Y. Well, what if every single Mega Evolution is based on the shape of an X or Y? I’m in love with the shape of you This particular theory may have been pointed out before, but it was popularized by content creator Tahko. In February 2025, Tahko posted on the social media platform X, saying, “it has been over 15 years and Pokemon fans and fakemon artists have yet to catch on that pretty much all mega Pokemon up to this point have been shaped like an x or a y.” Naturally, like anyone sharing an opinion on Pokemon on the internet, people responded in a calm and reasonable manner. If you didn’t note the sarcasm there, people actually leaned a bit reactionary. One person commented, saying that essentially any Pokemon design could be “simplified into an X or Y” and that the theory was a bit of a reach. While another person also took a swipe at the theory, saying that with enough creative license, “anything with 2 arms and legs” can be made to look like an X. Some other people agreed with Tahko’s theory and backed it up. Giving it some legitimacy, one person said they could see some Pokemon are “clearly X or Y shaped,” such as Mega Altaria and Mega Metagross. Meanwhile, another person adds fuel to the fire, saying they “connected the dots” with Mega Abomasnow and Mega Glalie, but hadn’t seen it explained properly until now. Adding some legitimacy to the theory, if you look at the box legendaries for Pokemon X & Y, Xerneas and Yveltal respectively, what do you see? The Pokemon are designed to mimic the shape of an X and a Y. So, this is something The Pokemon Company had on the brain when crafting the ‘mons of this generation. Let’s look at some of the main culprits. As mentioned, Mega Abomasnow is a clear win for the X column, as is Mega Gengar, Mega Metagross, and Mega Scizor. All of the above use either their limbs or other appendages to form an X in some way or another. In the latter camp, creatures like Mega Slowbro, Mega Altaria, and Mega Pidgeot can all be interpreted to look like a Y. After those, it’s clear that while some others fit in, there isn’t a direct correlation, as not all of the Mega Evolution forms fit neatly into an X or Y. Some creatures like Mega Sableye and Mega Camerupt really deflate the theory, and Mega Rayquaza is likely a big S or Z if anything. Come Summer 2025, things seemed to be calming down. That was, until the reveal of Mega Dragonite. No Pokemon has ever looked as much like a Y as Mega Dragonite. I spotted it immediately and thought back to Tahko’s post from months prior, and I wasn’t the only one, as comments and quotes were flooded by people backing the theory up. One person quoted Tahko’s original theory, saying, “Mega Dragonite is Y-shaped. This post has only aged like fine wine so far.” Naturally, not every Pokemon is designed to fit into an X or a Y shape, but a LOT are. Mega Hawlucha? Clear Y. Mega Malamar? Clear Y. Mega Raichu X and Mega Raichu Y? Do I even need to say anything? or Y camp. From the Ponyta’s mouth This was the story up until the Nintendo Direct last week, but there has been one final development. After months and months of online bickering around the post and some choice words from strangers, original theory crafter Tahko has released a video addressing the controversy. It’s a really interesting breakdown of the arguments they faced online and the actual reasoning behind the original theory. It’s also interesting to see Tahko back up their claims with more than just the key art provided, diving into character models, the movement they have in-game, and the way they’re represented in other media. A lot of people seem to have reacted to nothing more than official key art without investigating the idea any further, so although it’s a lengthy watch, the video explores every possibility. I’m not here to convince you any further. Tahko’s video dives deep into the subject, and it’s a really well-constructed counterargument to the months of weird comments and borderline harassment they’ve had to deal with. To me, it’s more than enough to finally admit that the theory is mostly correct. Should it have taken something as obvious as two new Raichu literally shaped like an X or a Y to stop people from going crazy online? Perhaps not. But it’s been a fun saga and one that stirred up a lot of fun conversations. Tahko, as far as I’m concerned, you’ve been vindicated. Like our content? Set Destructoid as a Preferred Source on Google in just one step to ensure you see us more frequently in your Google searches! The post An unlikely Pokemon Mega Evolution theory keeps being proven correct appeared first on Destructoid.
