#mega evolve

Upon Mega Evolution, Scolipede calls forth two Whirlipede which it fuses its outermost shell to. There is enough slack to this combination that the Whirlipede can spin freely and propel it forward while a human rider can take control by holding on to Mega Scolipede's handlebar-like antenna. After the Mega Evolution ends the Whirlipede will roll away with no damage regardless of how much heat or friction they endured while fused.

Day 16 + 17: Angel v Demon

Mega Absol and Mega Houdoom in a battle for the ages.

Meau's fur and body shape here reminds me of the Boar-q-pine from Avatar the Last Airbender.

The emotion in your comic is so awesome--My stomach is in knots! I hate that I don't know if child-Mew is alive or not, but I guess I'll have to wait to find out. X3

I was actually going for that look and feel so I’m SO happy it came across!! ;DD Since I also noticed a few lovely folk (you know who you are <3) ask about Meau’s reference sheet/ mega design, here’s all the concept sketches! She didn’t really have a sheet, but I had the vague idea. I wanted a kind of feral, sabertooth/kangaroo mix. I initially had a secondary design that was more refined and sleek, but I felt it didn’t fit the rage nor really fit the ancient vibe. It may be used as X evolution or maybe for mew themselves, but we’ll have to wait and see.

I don’t want to go into how it's potentially bad if they're seriously trying to retcon it. It’s not confirmed and the purpose of the changes are not known or clear so I don’t want to go into it without more information.

But I did want to explore how it affects Pokemon XYZ.

So if it's retconned there are two main ways to retcon it

Getting rid of it as if it never existed

Or

Changing the mechanics of the bond phenomenon

Changing how it's viewed/works

Basically changing the mechanics of “Ash-Greninja” and the bond phenomenon

I think the easiest way to change it would be that Greninja has an Ability (Battle Bond) that gives him a lot of strength and connects/syncs it with Ash when triggered.

And it made the water tornado thing before it was mastered.

Can say it's a lot like Infernape blaze but handled differently

This ability gives it the power up of mega evolution but wouldn't physically transform the Pokemon and is kinda like abilities like Guts and Torrent but to match the Mega evolution stat increase and the trigger would be different

This leaves the Alain stuff the same as Greninja when this ability is triggered has the mega energy.

Ok so that's an idea on how it's changed

You can tweak/change whatever is needed to make it make sense but it gets some sort power up just no form

So what does that mean for the series?

Not much, since it's an ability it leaves the training, Clemonts analyzing, and etc the same

It makes the perfected transformation scenes gone as at most it is just an aura like blaze or eyes changing like Ash’s Lucario so you don't see a transformed Greninja when it activates this “ability”

And the ninja village would just recognize the power instead of the physical appearance since the appearance wouldn't exist

So it means visually Greninja even with this special ability is battling Mega’s like Sawyers Sceptile and Alain’s Charizard in “base”

Instances like saying Greninja and Ash look-alike is more metaphoric or symbolic than visually as it could mean they're in sync and Ash moves the same as Greninja and vice versa.

Overall I think it just lowers the visuals of XY as the story remains the same you just don't have the transformation into A-G

So depending how much you like the physical form will affect your reaction to XY

Like for me personally I don't like the concept of Ash-Greninja as I just didn't like Greninja getting something specific that the other starters didn't get (like how Charizard got two Megas while Venasaur and Blastoise had one, I didn't enjoy that either) and that the form conveniently looked a lot like Ash. As even in story it's less like a legend or myth and just an Ash-specific thing if you don't focus to much on the ninja introduction episode.

I would of much preferred a Mega-Greninja (along with Delphox and Chesnaught) no matter how insignificant that would be in the greater scheme of things.

So retconning the appearance is fine with me obviously people won’t like it as to a lot it’s the same as a Mega Evolution and changing it can take a lot of the impact of the power up away which I can understand.

But in the idea that everything is the same and it’s just visually a base Greninja is ok with me.

The other way is a complete retcon by getting rid of this “power”

Meaning almost every instance of Ash-Greninja is gone or replaced

Basically, Ash with Greninja with no power-up was battling Megas in base just like how Pikachu and Hawlucha had in XY

Personally, I'm mixed on that aspect, I think on its own the idea that Ash got his ace to be on par with someone like Alain’s Mega Charizard X is incredible, and I think they could have written it like that as Pokemon like Pikachu has battled and beaten Mega Lucario by that point so it's not unrealistic that his ace in the series full of Mega’s would also be battling Megas and beating them as it also fills the underdog narrative Ash usually has as he's one of the couple powerhouses without a mega like Tierno and Clemont.

On the other hand, a lot of the episodes emphasized the Ash-Greninja transformation, so a lot of those episodes are completely changed or gone if you get rid of the power.

Like it could change Alain and Ash’s relationship as it was built on the incredible mega power Ash Greninja had. And as it was brought up in the latest episode of Lance vs Diantha, maybe it really would mean Ash only battled her once as the Ash-Greninja battle wouldn't happen in a retcon.

I don't know the number on hand but it would mean about 15+ episodes of XY/XYZ are changed or gone. Which I don't think it's good as lot of those are the better episodes in the series.

So in this one it's about the potential butterfly/ripple effect the now gone transformation would as now part of the story is confusing or gone.

And the only other factor would be that Greninja was battling Mega’s without being a Mega adjacent which could change how power scaling could be portrayed.

(personally I think it would be more impressive)

But in this case saying the power didn’t exist implies stuff didn’t happen which I don’t enjoy compared to the first option

Granted in Journeys Greninja still has this connection with Ash and the vine roots so it means something is still there even if you get rid of the power up aspect as him and Ash are connected and he can still see the roots

Also should bring this up as it was thought even back when XY was airing

If the physical transformation was just a visual thing for the audience

Basically it was always just regular Greninja and to make some lines consistent Greninja still had the water tornado phase and then converted it to water shuriken on it's back which signified the power up. But the Ash like hair on its head, the body resembling his XY outfit all that isn't real.

A lot like the first one but instead of changing it to an ability or something instead it’s still a transformation but doesn’t look the same as it did

Basically it's for us the audience or all in Ash’s head and the actual transformation never was a thing

Another mixed bag…

People don't like the “it was all a dream” or “all in his head” trope and this would be similar

On one hand it wouldn't change the episodes and would again just be speaking metaphorically about looking like each other lines and other such things

On the other, it changes everyone's perspective on that series and now this one (JN) and would feel lied to

Overall I like bits and pieces of the two options as I’m personally not drawn towards Ash-Greninja