Yesterday, Game Freak announced Mega Zeraora will be one of the new Mega Evolutions coming in Pokémon Legends: Z-A’s Mega Dimension DLC. It’s one of the few “cool” Mega designs in the RPG, which has otherwise leaned pretty heavily into silly and exaggerated designs with monsters like Starmie and Feraligatr. I like a silly Mega as much as the next guy, but it’s nice to have some that don’t look like jokes, as well. Mega Zeraora, however, is proving surprisingly divisive among Pokémon fans, and those who already had problems with Zeraora’s original art aren’t holding back.
Zeraora is a mythical Pokémon from Generation VII. It debuted in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon as an event-exclusive monster, which means if you didn’t catch it on the 3DS games back in 2018, it’s been mostly unobtainable since. There was a brief window in 2020 where a shiny version was catchable through a Pokémon Home event, but Legends: Z-A is the first time Zeraora has left the vault in five years. That’s usually how mythical Pokémon go, so it’s not that different from Pokémon like Mew or Celebi, who set the precedent for mythicals to only be available for a limited time.
For a Pokémon that isn’t in that many games, you’d think fans wouldn’t hold as much hate in their heart as they do for Zeraora, but folks are dogpiling on its Mega for looking mostly like a recolored fighting game skin and having “zero aura.” Get it? Because its name is Zeraora?
The 7 Levels Of Industry Plants! It All Comes Together! https://t.co/G75CIKPuVK pic.twitter.com/tQ5QQLhrTl
— ◓ (@KuroBlitz96) November 19, 2025
Needed to Mega evolve just to take on Some zubats, haunters, and scolipedes. This is the most homeless bum ass sonic for hire mythical we’ve ever had in Pokemon https://t.co/JToT0j45LW
— Niggapokemon333 (@willsgardevoir) November 19, 2025
BEHOLD THE MEGA INDUSTRY PLANTINITE https://t.co/Mi9dUWxFAk pic.twitter.com/DnPz7sq76l
— Lewtwo (@Lewchube) November 19, 2025
UnovaGPT 🇺🇸 please 🙏 generate me an alolan mega that undella town fans will love to use on their overlevelled legendary-only team 🖥️ BZZT BZZT 🤖 Your next mega will be called “Zeraora” https://t.co/4XcbiKp3SB
— Cheese (@Cheese_Mans) November 19, 2025
If someone showed me this and asked me to guess what game it’s from, I’d have said Palworld. https://t.co/nfDpomFYiY
— DistantCoder (@TheDistantCoder) November 19, 2025
It really is Zero Aura https://t.co/ccnkR6Fwi5
— CEO of Lilligants (@j_stocky) November 19, 2025
Everyone with pokemon trying to push the zeraora agenda again: pic.twitter.com/qtzXjxT83i
— VCreateArt (COMMS CLOSED): (@VCreateArt) November 19, 2025
this is a smash bros alt color https://t.co/WvZWbJ84M3
— Aurora 🐊 (@SpectralAurora_) November 19, 2025
let’s not get it twisted tho guys greninja is still by far the biggest industry plant in the series
zeraora may be a failed industry plant but greninja succeeded and most of u fell for the trap (myself included)
— edith . 🏳️⚧️👹👻🎃 (@ruggyscruggy) November 19, 2025
abysmal dogshit has become even more abysmally dogshit. truely incredible how little I care about this pokemon pic.twitter.com/axUCSFgJjw
— scepticskeptic 🕷️| comms closed 🇵🇸 (@Scepticskeptic1) November 19, 2025
???: I have a mission for you, Zeraora.
Mega Zeraora: What is it, Father?
???: Generate fake hype. Make the public think you’re a future goat before sending yourself straight to the low tiers.
*the mon steps out of the shadows*
Electivire: Do not disappoint me… son. pic.twitter.com/dxTMZrDwna
— Sarin (@ToxicWeave) November 19, 2025
Honestly, it’s not that it’s ugly or poorly designed; technically, it’s “cool,” but it has nothing else going for it. It simply exists, and that’s it. It leaves me completely indifferent. https://t.co/rCRujWwc3v
— Gaegral (@Gagaegral) November 19, 2025
I think calling Mega Zeroara “zero aura” might be the most scalding thing ive seen someone say about a Pokemon design
— artsyRC😴 (@rceezus) November 20, 2025
They saying this like I’ll have any intention of finding one✌️😂 https://t.co/Jw7maPijKd
— DanDaDanchie (@DNCHI77) November 19, 2025
I really really dislike the sentiment of “industry plants” or purposely designing Pokemon to make it “popular”.
That being said, Zeraora is the most blatant example of an “industry plant” to ever exist. https://t.co/yLbUWoQ6eL
— 🐍Sneksnack⭐ (@Snek_Snack) November 19, 2025
— Golurk (@Smogolem) November 19, 2025
While Zeraora has been missing from the mainline games, the furry bait cat has been featured pretty heavily in other Pokémon games and media, like being a playable character in the Pokémon Unite MOBA and having a starring role in the Power of Us movie. It definitely feels like The Pokémon Company wants to make Zeraora “happen” with its “cool” design and frequent features, leading some fans to accuse it of being an “industry plant.”
This title has been given to several Pokémon over the years when they are featured heavily in marketing or “shoehorned” into projects like the anime and games. However, Zeraora is arguably one of The Pokémon Company’s least successful attempts to astroturf a Pokémon to popularity, as evidenced by how people are looking at Mega Zeraora’s design with the same exasperation you feel towards someone who keeps showing up to your parties uninvited.
Personally, I have never had big feelings for Zeraora one way or the other, and though I’m glad to see a more serious Mega design, I’m not won over by its Mega Evolution. It will be interesting to see if some people latch onto it when this new form debuts in Legends: Z-A’s Mega Dimension DLC when it launches on December 10.
