The Pokémon Company has been pulling some unusual tricks lately. Over the past week, it suddenly began showering attention on Malamar, the squid-like Dark/Psychic Pokémon best known for its bizarre evolution method—holding your 3DS upside down while leveling up Inkay. Between quirky social posts and mysterious care packages, it felt like the start of a tongue-in-cheek propaganda campaign. Fans suspected it was leading somewhere, and sure enough, the payoff is here: Malamar is getting a brand-new Mega Evolution in Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
The Reveal
In a new live-action trailer, Malamar undergoes its Mega Evolution, unleashing enhanced hypnotic powers that let it bend the personalities of citizens in the Pokémon world. The new design is leaner, more menacing, and now glows with a rainbow luminescence—an eerie visual flourish tied to its hypnotic abilities.
Why Malamar?
Game Freak’s decision to spotlight Malamar fits the studio’s recent push to revive less-popular or more obscure Pokémon through Mega Evolutions. While Dragonite and Victreebel are also confirmed to receive new forms in Legends: Z-A, Malamar’s inclusion shows the developers aren’t afraid to embrace the stranger corners of the Pokédex.
A Gimmick in the Making?
Fans are now wondering if Legends: Z-A will play off Malamar’s original upside-down evolution quirk. Could acquiring its Mega Stone require players to flip their Switch—or even the upcoming Switch 2—upside down? It wouldn’t be the first time Pokémon embedded a playful mechanic like that.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A launches October 16, and with more Mega Evolutions teased, Malamar may be just the start of a new era of fan-favorite transformations.
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