Vote for your favourites in our Poké-polls

It's our third matchup to feature a type mirror match! This one for the Dark type!

Mega Sharpedo, signature Pokémon of Team Aqua's Archie in Alpha Sapphire, has one of the strongest jaws around! A lightning fast, fearsome beast in the water, it can reach speeds over 125 mph in an instant! Its species name, the Brutal Pokémon, has never been more accurate, as mega evolution increases its combat instincts, makes spikes burst from its head as it rushes enemies, and energy runs through old scars- the yellow markings on its body. A classic Hoenn Pokémon given new life, it can be a terror in battle, especially if it makes use of its base form's Speed Boost before it mega evolves. Is that sheer speed and power appealing enough to earn a vote?

The next match is one of two dragons- but they really couldn't be more different!

According to the Draconid people, Rayquaza was the first Pokémon to be able to mega evolve! And uniquely, to do so, it doesn't need a Mega Stone- only the signature move Dragon Ascent. Apparently, Rayquaza has an internal organ that can function similarly to a Mega Stone, and this means Mega Rayquaza has the unique ability among Megas to use a hold item, making it remarkably powerful. And it doesn't even need the extra power- it ties with both Mega Mewtwo as the Pokémon with the highest base stat total, with the only exception of Eternamx Eternatus. True to its base form's ability to counteract the weather effects that the other members of the Weather Trio bring, Mega Rayquaza is the only Pokémon able to counteract the primal weathers that its counterparts can call forth! To many competitive players, Mega Rayquaza is the strongest Pokémon ever, and it's not hard to understand why. But when it comes to popularity, who can say?

If you've played a Pokémon game, you've probably used a Starter Pokémon! If you've played two games, then you've probably used two of them! But what about three? Or ten? Or all of them?

There are, at the time of writing, 27 different Starter Pokémon that you could have used in the main series games. What I want to know is how many people take every opportunity they get to use them all!

Define 'use' here however you feel best, and if you can't remember exactly how many you've used, just estimate for your vote. Let us know in the replies which have been your favourites to use, and which ones are still on your radar!

Let's get down to business with this new tournament, kicking things off with a match between an original Gen 6 Mega and a new Z-A addition!

Our very first contestant is Mega Victreebel, one of the first new Mega Evolutions revealed to us before the release of Legends Z-A. Victreebel has gone a long time without a new form, or regional variant, but now it's getting some of the love it's missed out on! When it mega evolves, Mega Victreebel becomes overflowing with its sickly sweet scented acid, barely able to contain it all by wrapping vines around its throat! Be careful when fighting it too, as its Innards Out ability will knock out the foe who takes it down if they're low on health. Not a creature I'd want to meet in real life for sure, but maybe worthy of a vote?

And the second of our first two matches today is a face off of two more Psychic type Megas, both from Generation 3!

Mega Latias, one of the Eon Duo now boosted with power, is allegedly one of the fastest Pokémon in existence! She can reach speeds of up to mach 4, with her body resembling a jet plane. Latias in this form also resembles her brother more too, with both Pokémon eschewing their traditional colours for a more neutral purple. Despite the apparent feat of speed though, Mega Latias' base stats are actully geared towards Special Defense and Special Attack- though with a respectable 110 Speed all the same. As she flies, Mega Latias is said to drop transparent down over the battlefield, confusing her enemies! But of course, we also all remember Mega Latias fondly for her role in Alpha Sapphire, where she carried players across the skies of Hoenn. That's definitely earned her some goodwill, can that win her some matches?

If you've played a Pokémon game, you've probably used a Starter Pokémon! If you've played two games, then you've probably used two of them! But what about three? Or ten? Or all of them?

There are, at the time of writing, 27 different Starter Pokémon that you could have used in the main series games. What I want to know is how many people take every opportunity they get to use them all!

Define 'use' here however you feel best, and if you can't remember exactly how many you've used, just estimate for your vote. Let us know in the replies which have been your favourites to use, and which ones are still on your radar!

Let's get down to business with this new tournament, kicking things off with a match between an original Gen 6 Mega and a new Z-A addition!

Our very first contestant is Mega Victreebel, one of the first new Mega Evolutions revealed to us before the release of Legends Z-A. Victreebel has gone a long time without a new form, or regional variant, but now it's getting some of the love it's missed out on! When it mega evolves, Mega Victreebel becomes overflowing with its sickly sweet scented acid, barely able to contain it all by wrapping vines around its throat! Be careful when fighting it too, as its Innards Out ability will knock out the foe who takes it down if they're low on health. Not a creature I'd want to meet in real life for sure, but maybe worthy of a vote?

And the second of our first two matches today is a face off of two more Psychic type Megas, both from Generation 3!

Mega Latias, one of the Eon Duo now boosted with power, is allegedly one of the fastest Pokémon in existence! She can reach speeds of up to mach 4, with her body resembling a jet plane. Latias in this form also resembles her brother more too, with both Pokémon eschewing their traditional colours for a more neutral purple. Despite the apparent feat of speed though, Mega Latias' base stats are actully geared towards Special Defense and Special Attack- though with a respectable 110 Speed all the same. As she flies, Mega Latias is said to drop transparent down over the battlefield, confusing her enemies! But of course, we also all remember Mega Latias fondly for her role in Alpha Sapphire, where she carried players across the skies of Hoenn. That's definitely earned her some goodwill, can that win her some matches?

If you've played a Pokémon game, you've probably used a Starter Pokémon! If you've played two games, then you've probably used two of them! But what about three? Or ten? Or all of them?

There are, at the time of writing, 27 different Starter Pokémon that you could have used in the main series games. What I want to know is how many people take every opportunity they get to use them all!

Define 'use' here however you feel best, and if you can't remember exactly how many you've used, just estimate for your vote. Let us know in the replies which have been your favourites to use, and which ones are still on your radar!

With Generation 10 coming out next year, the Pokémon series has been 3D for almost half its life at this point. With the exception of some spin off titles, Pokémon X and Y marked as shift in the art style of the series, going from a primarily sprite-based 2D look to a model-based, fully 3D look.

But is the modern art direction of the franchise really better than the old style? Do you prefer the sprites of the past? Or are the fully 3D landscapes an upgrade in your eyes?

So, if you could choose a direction for the series after Winds and Waves, what art style would you pick? A return to a classic style, or a continuation of the path the games have been on since 2013?

Image source

The bracket will be as follows:

As a reminder, the seeding this time around has been slightly different, with it being a mixture of my own input and some randomness. Let me know what you think! I know it's not perfect, but I hope this seems like a fairer tournament than past ones.

I will still be working on Round 1 behind the scenes- there are 29 matches to get ready after all- so the Lumi Plays series will likely be on hiatus a little longer, but the top priority is making sure this tournament runs smoothly.

All that said, now's the time to start sending in propaganda and predictions! Who do you think will win? Who are you rooting for?