Mega Torkoal
Type: Fire --> Fire/Water
Ability: Shell Armour/White Smoke --> Serene Grace
Base Stats:-
HP: 70 --> 70
ATK: 85 -->
75 (-10, total remaining: 110)
DEF: 140 --> 140
SPA: 85 -->
125 (+40, t.r.: 70)
SPD: 70 -->
140 (+70, t.r.: 0)
SPE: 20 --> 20
Movepool Additions: Scald, Fiery Dance
Description and Explanation: Mega Torkoal's cloud of steam settles around it, forming a cloak of boiling water that protects it from harm and calms it (similar to Mega Altaria's floofsplosion). Since Torkoal is based on the tetsubin, a Japanese kettle commonly patterned to look like a tortoise shell, I thought it appropriate to give it a Water secondary typing. I selected Serene Grace for the ability due to the expression of Zen calm on Torkoal's face, which I imagine would be made more prominent by the Mega design, and this ties into its tanky, defensive nature. It already knows Lava Plume, so this is an excuse to run Fire Blast and/or Fiery Dance as STAB moves on a defensive set with Scald there to take up the slack, and a 60% Burn chance is never to be sneezed at. Fiery Dance is also now
guaranteed to raise your Special Attack by 1 stage, which also ain't bad.
Counters: A near-total lack of reliable recovery means Mega Torkoal's utility as a wall is severely limited, and it doesn't much care for Status absorbers either. Chip damage from common coverage moves like Thunderbolt or EQ is probably the best means of taking it down, with Landorus-T being the obvious candidate.
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Mega Torterra
Type: Grass/Ground --> Grass/Rock
Ability: Overgrow/Shell Armour --> Rock Head
Base Stats:-
HP: 95 --> 95
ATK: 109 -->
140 (+31, total remaining: 69)
DEF: 105 -->
155 (+50, t.r.: 19)
SPA: 75 -->
60 (-15, t.r.: 34)
SPD: 85 -->
65 (-20, t.r.: 54)
SPE: 56 -->
110 (+54, t.r.: 0)
(N.B.: Weight also increases
hugely.)
Movepool Addition: Head Smash
Description and Explanation: The pebbles and lawn on Torterra's back rise up, becoming a craggy, forbidding landscape reminiscent of limestone karsts, or (perhaps unsurprisingly) the art style of
Shadow of the Colossus. More trees grow from it, their leaves swaying in the breeze, but it is the Pokémon's legs which merit the most attention. The once-lumbering beast now sports far more powerful-looking legs, almost equine in appearance, and the colossus seems like a much faster proposition than before. Lastly, the armoured plates on its head have grown stronger, resembling a combination of stone Viking helmet and crown of laurels. Most suitable for charging into battle,
n'est-ce pas?
Now, though, we must talk business. I wanted Mega Torterra to feel
enormous, to really dominate the battlefield, and while its movements might still be slightly ponderous, it can charge far faster than before simply due to the length and positioning of its great tree-trunk legs; this is why both the Speed and Defence have gone up by such a huge amount. Its typing changed to what I'd consider a better one overall; no more weaknesses to Fire and Flying, and no more horrible quadruple Ice weakness. Plus, Rock is a pretty amazing attacking STAB. This is why I gave it the best physical Rock-type move in the game, along with an ability that negates recoil: I wanted to make this Pokémon feel like the wrath of the land itself, and I wanted to give those Talonflame users something to really think about. Namely "where did my Talonflame go oh there it is it is the small red stain on the car park".
Counters: The bigger they are, the harder they fall, and Mega Torterra is no exception. Low Kick in particular is the bane of its existence, but another thing it really doesn't like is Ice Beam. Special Attackers in general can give it a hard time, especially before it can get a boost off with something like Rock Polish. It's a big beast, but it's by no means unkillable. Lucario in particular springs to mind as something that can kill it dead; resisting both its STABs and with access to Aura Sphere and Vacuum Wave, it can totally destroy it. Earthquake might prove to be a bit of a problem, though. =]
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Mega Carracosta
Type: Water/Rock --> Water/Dragon
Ability: Solid Rock/Sturdy/Swift Swim --> Multiscale
Base Stats:-
HP: 74 --> 74
ATK: 108 -->
138 (+30, total remaining: 70)
DEF: 133 -->
145 (+12, t.r.: 58)
SPA: 83 -->
123 (+40, t.r.: 18)
SPD: 65 -->
95 (+30, t.r.: -12)
SPE: 32 -->
20 (-12, t.r.: 0)
Movepool Addition: Dual Chop
Description and Explanation: Rather than go purely for the "Oh, now the old turtle is young again" thing a la Mega Aerodactyl and its ironic stalagmite facial hair, I elected to base the design around the
Lóngguī, or Chinese dragon turtle. As such, its shell becomes scalier and more armoured, along with a more overtly draconic head and more pronounced claws on its forelimbs. Dragon is still a pretty excellent type, and Water/Dragon even more so, so it's an indirect buff; the same can be said of the ability Multiscale, which pretty much ensures you can get your Shell Smash off. Special Attack is boosted to further boost the mixed set it already runs, though the lowered Speed means that even after a boost there's a lot of things that'll outspeed it, and I've thrown in Dual Chop so that it gets a Dragon STAB move and the ability to hit through subs. It needs hazard removal support for it to be effective as a sweeper, but if it does boost? It hits like a truck. A very, very slow truck. =]
Counters: Mega Carracosta doesn't really like taking Special attacks, especially after boosting with Shell Smash; even neutral Special hits are a problem. Any special attacker worth its salt can do seriously nasty things to it. Additionally, Spikes and Stealth Rock break Multiscale, so be sure to set them up and keep them up. It also really, really doesn't like status, so bear that in mind.