Tell me is this an unpopular opinion: the best pokemon movie was the rise of Darkrai?
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Unpopular opinions
- Thread starter antemortem
- Start date
In reality what's 'unpopular' depends purely on your surroundings, so if people around you in your groups hate Rise of Darkrai, it generally counts.
Though in my personal experience I've found people adored the movie and thought it one of the better ones.
True that, though I was just wondering, that's all.
If you're really in the mood to discuss it or something there's always the anime thread.
The general view is that the "good" movies were the Entei/Unknown one, the Lucario/Mew one, and the Keldeo one. Not that the others are bad (...well most do feel that Destiny Deoxys is pretty bad...) but those three are the only one with consensus. Most are fond of the first (Mewtwo/Mew) too, but there's a bit of a sub/dub split fight.
Although liking the anime at all is a bit of an unpopular opinion, and in general we play this thread fast and loose.
Although liking the anime at all is a bit of an unpopular opinion, and in general we play this thread fast and loose.
Speaking of movies and unpopular opinions, my favourite is movie 7, Destiny Deoxys. Many people berate it for introducing the "Randomly fighting legendaries" story that plagued many movies since, but I find its main story quite decent and it gives some pretty interesting lore.
Let's go through the prologue, it begins four years before the present. Rayquaza is flying around high up in the atmosphere, minding his own business as the uncontested king of the sky. It's firmly established that nothing messes with Rayquaza. When Rayquaza later on heads for a major city, the reaction of the city officials isn't "Oh cool, look at the super-rare Pokémon!", it's "Oh crap, put the city on lockdown and evacuate everybody." Rayquaza is a force of nature, and its arrival is treated as an emergency situation. Rayquaza is the boss, and he knows it.
So, understandably, Rayquaza is pretty pissed when two Deoxys zip past him at close range. It's a slap in the face of a king, and he doesn't take the insolence lightly. Rayquaza attacks, ravaging the landscape and a nearby research station, and sending hordes of wild Pokémon fleeing. Rayquaza doesn't give a damn about other Pokémon, he wants to pay back for Deoxys' insult. It's not much of a motive, but I dare say it's more than "randomly fighting". Deoxys puts up a good fight, but is pretty much annihilated when it takes a point-blank Hyper Beam from Rayquaza.
Deoxys takes four years to recover from the Hyper Beam, but it does eventually recover, and once it wakes up, it does so at full strength. We see Rayquaza's Hyper Beam tear up wide swaths of landscape, so it's a mightily powerful move, but no long-term harm is caused to the Pokémon. This helps reinforce my impression that Pokémon moves never kill or cause long-term harm, they just knock out Pokémon for a length of time proportional to the strength of the attack (for the record, the only thing ever shown to be lethal to Pokémon is exessive exhaustion). Once awake, Deoxys sets out to find its missing friend, who is currently in LaRousse city. This causes some shenanigans which make up the rest of the movie's plot when Rayquaza sees Deoxys' reappearance as another challenge to its authority and attacks in a blind rage.
Ash and his friends are caught up in the events. But, and here's the important thing, they hardly ever influence the plot. The events that unfold don't hinge on Ash in the slightest. Destiny Deoxys isn't one more instance of the "Chosen One" bullcrap that plagues the other Pokémon movies, it's a disaster movie. Ash and co. are helpless witnesses to Deoxys and Rayquaza's attacks on LaRousse city, for the most part they scramble to find shelter and escape (although Ash does end up saving the city in the end, from a simultaneous but somewhat unrelated disaster).
Moreover, there are no villains in this plot. Team Rocket is there for comic relief, but the main story is told without the need for an evil schemer with a grand plan. You could arguably put Deoxys or Rayquaza in the villain role, but Deoxys had no evil intent (and actually did a quite tidy job when depopulating the city to search for its friend), whereas Rayquaza simply had misunderstood Deoxys crashing as a challenge to its authority. Rayquaza might have been a dumb brute, but you couldn't really say it was evil.
Plus, and this is a big plus, the world was never at stake. I can't even articulate how tired I am of this cliché. It's always save the world this or save the world that. Have the hero be heroic and save everybody. This was mostly a matter between Deoxys and Rayquaza, the city was collateral damage (that Deoxys did its best to reduce). Hadn't Ash and friends been there, Rayquaza might have levelled large parts of the city (which was already evacuated at the time), but the world would have gone on as usual.
The movie does have its grand flaws, that's true. The little kid who has to learn not to fear Pokémon is a kind of dumb side plot, and they had to sneak in a hero moment for Ash at the end. But overall, I find it much better than it's usually made out to be.
Let's go through the prologue, it begins four years before the present. Rayquaza is flying around high up in the atmosphere, minding his own business as the uncontested king of the sky. It's firmly established that nothing messes with Rayquaza. When Rayquaza later on heads for a major city, the reaction of the city officials isn't "Oh cool, look at the super-rare Pokémon!", it's "Oh crap, put the city on lockdown and evacuate everybody." Rayquaza is a force of nature, and its arrival is treated as an emergency situation. Rayquaza is the boss, and he knows it.
So, understandably, Rayquaza is pretty pissed when two Deoxys zip past him at close range. It's a slap in the face of a king, and he doesn't take the insolence lightly. Rayquaza attacks, ravaging the landscape and a nearby research station, and sending hordes of wild Pokémon fleeing. Rayquaza doesn't give a damn about other Pokémon, he wants to pay back for Deoxys' insult. It's not much of a motive, but I dare say it's more than "randomly fighting". Deoxys puts up a good fight, but is pretty much annihilated when it takes a point-blank Hyper Beam from Rayquaza.
Deoxys takes four years to recover from the Hyper Beam, but it does eventually recover, and once it wakes up, it does so at full strength. We see Rayquaza's Hyper Beam tear up wide swaths of landscape, so it's a mightily powerful move, but no long-term harm is caused to the Pokémon. This helps reinforce my impression that Pokémon moves never kill or cause long-term harm, they just knock out Pokémon for a length of time proportional to the strength of the attack (for the record, the only thing ever shown to be lethal to Pokémon is exessive exhaustion). Once awake, Deoxys sets out to find its missing friend, who is currently in LaRousse city. This causes some shenanigans which make up the rest of the movie's plot when Rayquaza sees Deoxys' reappearance as another challenge to its authority and attacks in a blind rage.
Ash and his friends are caught up in the events. But, and here's the important thing, they hardly ever influence the plot. The events that unfold don't hinge on Ash in the slightest. Destiny Deoxys isn't one more instance of the "Chosen One" bullcrap that plagues the other Pokémon movies, it's a disaster movie. Ash and co. are helpless witnesses to Deoxys and Rayquaza's attacks on LaRousse city, for the most part they scramble to find shelter and escape (although Ash does end up saving the city in the end, from a simultaneous but somewhat unrelated disaster).
Moreover, there are no villains in this plot. Team Rocket is there for comic relief, but the main story is told without the need for an evil schemer with a grand plan. You could arguably put Deoxys or Rayquaza in the villain role, but Deoxys had no evil intent (and actually did a quite tidy job when depopulating the city to search for its friend), whereas Rayquaza simply had misunderstood Deoxys crashing as a challenge to its authority. Rayquaza might have been a dumb brute, but you couldn't really say it was evil.
Plus, and this is a big plus, the world was never at stake. I can't even articulate how tired I am of this cliché. It's always save the world this or save the world that. Have the hero be heroic and save everybody. This was mostly a matter between Deoxys and Rayquaza, the city was collateral damage (that Deoxys did its best to reduce). Hadn't Ash and friends been there, Rayquaza might have levelled large parts of the city (which was already evacuated at the time), but the world would have gone on as usual.
The movie does have its grand flaws, that's true. The little kid who has to learn not to fear Pokémon is a kind of dumb side plot, and they had to sneak in a hero moment for Ash at the end. But overall, I find it much better than it's usually made out to be.
I think Pokemon Shuffle is one of the best Free to Plays on the market right now. Mainly because the jewels can be bought, but can also be found in-game through events, the main levels, etc.
Also I'm addicted.
Also I'm addicted.
Of course I step on the personal landmine of the forum Mod. Should have said the Shaymin movie, nobody likes that one, right? (THIS IS A JOKE, NOT AN INVITATION. PLEASE DON'T PROVE ME WRONG!)
But in hindsight, "bad" was a poor choice of words. According to my sources (TvTropes, so take it all with a grain of salt) it is the least popular, which would have been better to say. Not bad, but unpopular. But I'll admit to my bias and say I didn't care for it. My pet peeve was mostly Rayquaza's brutish animal nature. While the anime and movies don't have to follow cue from the games, it was weird for me to see the green dragon go from Cosmic Mediator to "cranky old-timer that wants all these foreign aliens to go back to space/get off his lawn." I know this is not actually the movie's fault (Emerald came after it, which explains no Speed-forme), but I didn't see this until after Emerald so... yeah it's a bias.
I will also admit that the 3rd movie with Entei is my favorite due to the mix of cosmic horror story with actually giving Ash legitimate conflict and stakes to create a proto-Coraline with the delightful hamminess of Dan Green.
However, I refuse to stop being Commander Contrarian here, in that the thing I liked about the 7th movie was the "kid scared of pokemon" subplot. For one, it's the best written of this plot type, in that the kid's only friend is technically a pokemon even if he didn't know at the time, which means that the resolution at the end was more overcoming internal prejudices and trauma rather than CONFORM, CONFORM TO MASSES AND EXCEPT ARCEUS AS YOUR LORD AND POKEMON YOU OUTCAST! Plus the antics and sweetness of the homeless Plusle and Minun made me come to like the pika-clones as it hit me right in the Oliver and Company (especially the implied adoption at the end).
*looks at the number of likes...
That's not an unpopular opinion! Btw, Rise of Darkrai should be up there with the best movies.
...honestly, I sort of want to see more "brutish animal" Pokemon. I mean, the games make them out to be beasts in the Pokedex, and even in the games themselves, the only "intelligent" Pokemon are those meant to be, or are Legendaries. Rayquaza might quell the fighting between Kyogre and Groudon, but it isn't SAPIENT. It's more like a big cranky dolphin. Still very intelligent, but still just an animal. Much like Groudon and Kyogre are shown to just be instinctual animals.
That's not how popularity works...
And for another, we keep an open minded and pretty welcoming community here, and most of the regulars are pretty cool folks (seriously, overall Smogon stays pretty squeaky clean compared to some other forums I've been on, we're almost saint-like in internet terms). So we like to show support and applause to other people's passions, even if we don't agree with them (or just because we do!)
Answering Oriolous above me now, I'm okay with pure animal behavior if that's the way they want to play it, but overall Pokemon loves to ping-pong around how much sentience they actually have, even between pokemon of the same species (the latest Detective Pikachu for a shining example). It's pretty much it's whole 'nother can of worms.
And yeah, I'm aware that Rayquaza being this nice guardian guy is more an Emerald thing that got really blown up in the Delta Episode, and that holding this against a movie that predates it doesn't make sense... but whatever! I do what a I want 'cause I'm a jerk! :P
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I think the only legimately bad Pokemon movie was the one which stars Arceus. All the others are ok at worst.
I think the latest movie with Hoopa was a bit rushed with the main villain reveal. It was ok but it is nothing new really for me even if they tried to make the Pokemon himself a villain without a good reason.
I think the latest movie with Hoopa was a bit rushed with the main villain reveal. It was ok but it is nothing new really for me even if they tried to make the Pokemon himself a villain without a good reason.
I'm gonna go on record and say I actually liked the Shaymin/Giratina movie. I kind of liked the Reverse World concept since Giratina existing opposite our dimension has always been a thing they never elaborated too much on, so, seeing something of the relationship in action is intriguing. Also, some people don't enjoy it, but I actually kind of like Shaymin just for being a little shit. I also do give the movies credit for having something of a nod if not real continuity, with Giratina's conflict instigated since it's pissed at Palkia and Dialga for fighting and ruining its own home.
I also like the Zoroark movie for actually giving the big moments to the mons it was advertising. Ashe and everyone are accompanying and protecting Zorua, but if you look at the progression of the movie, most of the big moments towards the conflict or just for spectacle go to Zoroark: Breaking herself out, Going absolutely ham against the beasts, and decimating most of Kodai's henchmen and Pokemon. I guess after Aliens I also have a fondness for "Papa Wolf/Mama Bear" type characters or moments, so seeing Zoroark do all this shit out of fear, much less confirmed danger to her child is extremely satisfying to me. I also think the movie did have a few dark elements to it that I found worked well enough: instead of the typical torture of the mon itself, the thing that manipulates Zoroark is concern over Zorua; Kodai shows he is perfectly willing to kill people or children during his plans not out of sadism but just brutal efficiency; Kodai doesn't quite have grand or fancy motives like Lawrence III or the "take over the world" type villains, just a plain and simple "I'm successful and willing to be a dick to do it"; and while it didn't stick, I did like that they handled Zoroark's death in a more subdued manner. She didn't do some kind of big heroic sacrifice like Lucario or Latios, she just kept taking "regular" beatings until she gave out. It's a bit of a nod to the fact that special means like machinery aren't the only lethal means, regular trainer battles could do it too if they went too far.
I also like the Zoroark movie for actually giving the big moments to the mons it was advertising. Ashe and everyone are accompanying and protecting Zorua, but if you look at the progression of the movie, most of the big moments towards the conflict or just for spectacle go to Zoroark: Breaking herself out, Going absolutely ham against the beasts, and decimating most of Kodai's henchmen and Pokemon. I guess after Aliens I also have a fondness for "Papa Wolf/Mama Bear" type characters or moments, so seeing Zoroark do all this shit out of fear, much less confirmed danger to her child is extremely satisfying to me. I also think the movie did have a few dark elements to it that I found worked well enough: instead of the typical torture of the mon itself, the thing that manipulates Zoroark is concern over Zorua; Kodai shows he is perfectly willing to kill people or children during his plans not out of sadism but just brutal efficiency; Kodai doesn't quite have grand or fancy motives like Lawrence III or the "take over the world" type villains, just a plain and simple "I'm successful and willing to be a dick to do it"; and while it didn't stick, I did like that they handled Zoroark's death in a more subdued manner. She didn't do some kind of big heroic sacrifice like Lucario or Latios, she just kept taking "regular" beatings until she gave out. It's a bit of a nod to the fact that special means like machinery aren't the only lethal means, regular trainer battles could do it too if they went too far.
The only Pokémon film I've seen after Pokémon 4Ever (as well as the only new one I've watched since I got back into Pokémon in 2009) was when my then-girlfriend made me watch Destiny Deoxys. I hated it, though I never told her that (she wasn't pleased by my previous lack of enthusiasm for Babylon 5 and I didn't want a repeat of that). I just found it boring and it felt like an episode of the series in the worst way. The animation was poor for movie standards (I just think of Pokémon the First Movie or Pokémon the Movie 3 and ask why?) and the story felt weak for a story featuring Rayquaza and two Deoxys battling!
I just feel that way about the anime in general. While I have nostalgic up through Johto, I admit it was never that good, but there was something innocent about it. Now, it just makes me frustrated, but that is the opposite of unpopular, so I will be quiet...for now.
I just feel that way about the anime in general. While I have nostalgic up through Johto, I admit it was never that good, but there was something innocent about it. Now, it just makes me frustrated, but that is the opposite of unpopular, so I will be quiet...for now.
Babylong 5 is amazing
4Ever is eh
Heros is one of my favourites outside of the first 3
The Lati@s movie and Manaphy movie were my least favourite movies of the franchise. The sounds the Lati@s makes were so annoying and the movie only shows Ash running around in a maze doing absolutely nothing. Plus, the villains were doing the cliche "take over the world and inevitably fails". It just feels bland and a chore to sit through. The Manaphy movie had so many wrongs about it; first, May was a complete jerk in the movie yet was supposed to be the "chosen one" of this movie. Like, how can you tear into your borther for finishing the TWO drops of water in the canteen? Plus, she just abandons Manaphy because some random guy told her she pampered it too much. Seriously? The climax of the movie also has Ash turning Super Saiyan for no reason and saving the day and Kyogre randomly showing up for no reason. Those were the only things memorable about that movie. It's that bad.
One other thing that annoys me about that movie is that it misses the perfect opportunity to use Team Aqua in pursuit of what is obviously an aquatic objective.
Oh come on, that was only one part. And that part had one of my favorite music pieces from the movies:
You could argue a number of pokemon are 'intelligent' creatures. I like how pokemon represent animals because then it affects people in real life-we are supposed to love and care for the pokemon we have and this should be the case for animals in real life. This is why I quite like the morals on pokemon that Ash follows in the anime. It is why rivals like Paul were excellent because they tested the emotional value of pokemon.
I always thought Pokemon as intelligent creatures but simply chose to rely on their instincts, sort of being a creature as nature intended them to be (thus also letting them be more intune with nature). It's also why a trainer's Pokemon starts acting more like a person, specifically their trainer; for the most part they're now living among humans so are adapting behaviors better to live in a world which values intelligence more than instinct.
Carried over from the mysteries and conspiracies of pokemon forum:
I like how pokemon X and Y is based around France. I like how there is a building based off of the Eiffel Tower and Paris and the Battle Maison. There's even a chateau of Versailles inspired palace!
I like how pokemon X and Y is based around France. I like how there is a building based off of the Eiffel Tower and Paris and the Battle Maison. There's even a chateau of Versailles inspired palace!
I think you may have wanted to post this in the "What I Like About Pokemon" thread.
So after a little Twitter tirade (which surprisingly wasn't beer-fueled), I realized this opinion of mine is basically the epitome of "this thread," like I don't think I've ever seen someone agree with me on this one:
Choice Scarf Flygon is terrible in DPP OU.
Now I realize I'm about to face the DPP OU lynch mob for saying this, but let me explain. This is supposed to be a revenge killer, right? So... You're telling me that something that doesn't resist ExtremeSpeed qualifies to be a revenge killer?
+1 252+ Atk Life Orb Dragonite ExtremeSpeed vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Flygon: 230-271 (76.4 - 90%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Lucario ExtremeSpeed vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Flygon: 266-314 (88.3 - 104.3%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
Dragonite and Lucario have a combined ~32% usage in the most recent DPP OU 1760 stats and ~29% combined usage in the unweighted stats. Similarly, both of these Pokemon need a pretty small amount of chip damage in order to land the KO with boosted ExtremeSpeed; for Dragonite, just get it to around 75% and you're good. Lucario has it even easier: just two rounds of Stealth Rock damage guarantees the OHKO for +2 ExtremeSpeed and Lucario can even use an Outrage-locked Scarf Flygon as setup bait. Given the combined popularity of these two Pokemon, not resisting ExtremeSpeed is a pretty major con. I don't get what Flygon has over, say, Scarf Jirachi? Hell, I'd use Scarf Gengar before I even considered using Scarf Flygon. Shit, I'd even use Choice Scarf Lucario, because at least that consistently revenge kills Tyranitar. If I'm putting a Choice Scarf on anything in DPP OU, it resists ExtremeSpeed, no questions asked.
So... What is there to say in favor of Scarf Flygon? A U-turn pivot that resists Stealth Rock and is immune to Spikes? Sure. If I want that, I'm running Choice Band Flygon. It still gets U-turn pivoting abilities and it deals actual non-pitiful damage. Like, you know, OHKOing Tyranitar with Earthquake? Also, check this out:
252+ Atk Choice Band Flygon Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Suicune: 177-208 (43.8 - 51.4%) -- 64.5% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
This is a pretty solid chance to 2HKO CroCune with Outrage, and it can't OHKO back (let alone 2HKO back) with unboosted Surf. Meanwhile, Scarf Flygon just gets laughed at not just by CroCune, but by basically any bulky water: Vaporeon, Swampert, hell, even Milotic which is actually pretty decent. I'll take it over a revenge killer that can't reliably revenge kill Dragonite and Lucario, or even fucking Tyranitar. This isn't even theorymon; I've used Choice Band Flygon to great success, but whenever I attempt to use Choice Scarf Flygon, I basically see it as a weak revenge killer that fails my litmus test, and I'm not talking F for effort, I'm talking F for F this thing. I've had more success with the damn thing in BW OU than I did in DPP OU. Given my experience with it, Scarf Flygon easily gets filed under my "terrible sets people love for some reason" category. Oh well, keep using Scarf Flygon; your use of it lets me Spanish Inquisition bulky waters with CB Flygon. Huh, I guess Scarf Flygon does have a positive trait.
I realize this post is very tl;dr, but I have a lot of thoughts on Choice Scarf Flygon and basically none of them are positive. I considered not posting this because I'll get hate for this opinion, but I thought this thread was called Unpopular opinions, which this is, so...
Choice Scarf Flygon is terrible in DPP OU.
Now I realize I'm about to face the DPP OU lynch mob for saying this, but let me explain. This is supposed to be a revenge killer, right? So... You're telling me that something that doesn't resist ExtremeSpeed qualifies to be a revenge killer?
+1 252+ Atk Life Orb Dragonite ExtremeSpeed vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Flygon: 230-271 (76.4 - 90%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+2 252+ Atk Life Orb Lucario ExtremeSpeed vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Flygon: 266-314 (88.3 - 104.3%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
Dragonite and Lucario have a combined ~32% usage in the most recent DPP OU 1760 stats and ~29% combined usage in the unweighted stats. Similarly, both of these Pokemon need a pretty small amount of chip damage in order to land the KO with boosted ExtremeSpeed; for Dragonite, just get it to around 75% and you're good. Lucario has it even easier: just two rounds of Stealth Rock damage guarantees the OHKO for +2 ExtremeSpeed and Lucario can even use an Outrage-locked Scarf Flygon as setup bait. Given the combined popularity of these two Pokemon, not resisting ExtremeSpeed is a pretty major con. I don't get what Flygon has over, say, Scarf Jirachi? Hell, I'd use Scarf Gengar before I even considered using Scarf Flygon. Shit, I'd even use Choice Scarf Lucario, because at least that consistently revenge kills Tyranitar. If I'm putting a Choice Scarf on anything in DPP OU, it resists ExtremeSpeed, no questions asked.
So... What is there to say in favor of Scarf Flygon? A U-turn pivot that resists Stealth Rock and is immune to Spikes? Sure. If I want that, I'm running Choice Band Flygon. It still gets U-turn pivoting abilities and it deals actual non-pitiful damage. Like, you know, OHKOing Tyranitar with Earthquake? Also, check this out:
252+ Atk Choice Band Flygon Outrage vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Suicune: 177-208 (43.8 - 51.4%) -- 64.5% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
This is a pretty solid chance to 2HKO CroCune with Outrage, and it can't OHKO back (let alone 2HKO back) with unboosted Surf. Meanwhile, Scarf Flygon just gets laughed at not just by CroCune, but by basically any bulky water: Vaporeon, Swampert, hell, even Milotic which is actually pretty decent. I'll take it over a revenge killer that can't reliably revenge kill Dragonite and Lucario, or even fucking Tyranitar. This isn't even theorymon; I've used Choice Band Flygon to great success, but whenever I attempt to use Choice Scarf Flygon, I basically see it as a weak revenge killer that fails my litmus test, and I'm not talking F for effort, I'm talking F for F this thing. I've had more success with the damn thing in BW OU than I did in DPP OU. Given my experience with it, Scarf Flygon easily gets filed under my "terrible sets people love for some reason" category. Oh well, keep using Scarf Flygon; your use of it lets me Spanish Inquisition bulky waters with CB Flygon. Huh, I guess Scarf Flygon does have a positive trait.
I realize this post is very tl;dr, but I have a lot of thoughts on Choice Scarf Flygon and basically none of them are positive. I considered not posting this because I'll get hate for this opinion, but I thought this thread was called Unpopular opinions, which this is, so...
Lol. I like how old this opinion must be. Don't bottle up your feelings man :V
CS Flygon was the last thing I bred in DPPt... It was... fine. Like, it was, umm, not terrible. I guess.
Reading this alternatively: It was terribly "eh", 0/10 would bother with again. I get it.
Vaguely related: I hope Milotic and Flygon never get realised Megas. :O I have reasons, though. You know how before gen 6 everyone knew Charizard sucked? Well, that hasn't really changed. That same Charizard still sucks, it's just it's megas are really good. But you can't use regular Charizard for anything. Milotic and Flygon IMO deserve something a little better because their base forms COULD be good, rather than just slapping a mega on the problem.
Mind you, Flygon would have to get a pretty hefty stat increase before it becomes usable. Jesus, its stats are just NOT GOOD.
Well, the hefty stat increase IS the point of a Mega. I'm sure even if they kept it having Levitate and just increased the stats it would be fine again since it has a great niche (assuming of course Defog becomes a tutor move again).