The Media Man Plays: Pokémon Legends Z-A Mega Dimension DLC

I know, seems rather soon, doesn't it? Pokémon Legends Z-A has only just come out in October, and already we've got DLC to play for it? That's just nuts!

As is, here we are with the Mega Dimension DLC expansion for Legends Z-A. Some may criticize GameFreak for announcing a DLC before the main game even released, but some also think this might be because Legends Z-A got pushed back a year and that the DLC was always meant to release this year while the main game was meant to release last year. Whatever the reason, we have it now and much like how I did gameplay journals about me playing Legends Z-A, I'm doing it again for the DLC.

When it comes to Mega Dimension itself, you better believe I was looking forward to it, mostly because mah boi Raichu was given brand new Mega Evolutions. As Raichu is my favourite Pokémon, I was ridiculously excited to hear this news. RAICHU. CAN. MEGA EVOLVE NOW! How can I not be excited about that? XD

But does the DLC have more things to look forward to than just that? Let's find out as I play it...

The DLC Begins...

The DLC begins with the player reciving a message on their Rotom Phone that a new side-quest is available and we have to go up to the roof of Hotel Z in order to begin it. I go there and find...

...some strange kid with a Hoopa. I wonder how long she's been up there waiting for me?

This is Ansha, a brand new character that's pretty much the catalyst behind this DLC. She's just shown up out of nowhere and she wishes to make doughnuts for her Hoopa. You see, Hoopa is a Pokémon that can open portals to other dimensions after it eats some doughnuts, very special ones to be exact, and she thinks we can help her in that regard. We have the ingredients for her...minus some butter, so me and Urbain go and get some. Luckily, there's a particular bakery Urbain knows that does the best butter and the owner owes him that for favours he's done in the past. It helps when you're a Good Samaritan sometimes, eh?

Unfortunately, Grisham and Tarragon also want the butter too since Tarragon wants to make "Canari Bread". Sounds like Sylvester the Cat's dream sandwich when you put those words together. XD So after a battle with them, me and Urbain win and claim the butter, but we do give some to Tarragon as well, so at least he didn't go away empty-handed. I have to say, this DLC's already surprising me with what it has to offer. I mean Grisham and Tarragon of all characters teaming up? Who saw that coming? And that's not the only crazy pair-up we have either...

With the butter in our possession, Ansha can now make her famous doughnuts for Hoopa. The doughnuts are REALLY important for this game since they have handy features. Depending on the doughnut you make, you can boost your Pokémon's level up, even if you're at Level 100. Yes, you can actually go past Level 100 in this game. How cool is that? :D Also the doughnuts give you a limited amount of time to explore hyperspace, so you better make some high-quality ones or else you won't get long to explore. Speaking of...

Roaming Through Hyperspace

Hoopa opens up a portal into hyperspace and Team MZ goes in. What we see is Lumiose City...but quite different to the one we know. Every where's mostly greyed out and the sky is all starry and black.

While looking for Ansha, me and Lida get ambushed by a bunch of Mankey. This is notable because Mankey are NOT available to catch in the base game, this emphasizing how this Lumiose City is quite different to the one we know. We now get Pokémon that we can't find in Lumiose. The Mankey prove to be too much to handle and I, the player, took too much damage and blacked out. Luckily, the story progresses regardless of outcome with me and Lida acknowledging how strong these Mankey are. Even with a team of Level 100 Pokémon, this will NOT be easy...

After we leave hyperspace and return home, Ansha explains what her deal is. Apparently, she wants to catch a legendary Pokémon, and this screenshot reveals to us that she's hoping to catch...a Rayquaza?! Damn, girl's got high ambitions! I wonder if Pokémon Horizons might've inspired this particular plot point given that show has Roy wanting to catch a Rayquaza, albeit a shiny one? I smell a Mega Rayquaza battle coming later in this DLC...

Later on, we're invited to meet up with Corbeau again. Yay, the best character from Legends Z-A gets an important role in the story! He and Vinnie are concerned about the hyperspace portals and want Team MZ to handle the situation and carry out investigations so we can figure out what's going on with them and if Lumiose City might be in danger. What follows is the player having to go into these hyperspace portals and carry out some research tasks in order to rack up enough points to progress the story. I also get to catch some new Pokémon along the way. After I complete that task, Corbeau reveals he has new helper for us...

Meeting Korrina

And who better to call for help in a situation like this than Kalos' best Gym Leader and Mega Evolution expert, Korrina? Yep, she's back and looking pretty rad with her new gear. She's forgone her roller-skating gimmick in favour of belts covered in Mega Stones and a bandana that's shaped like the Mega Evolution logo. Korrina is one of my favourite Pokémon girls and one of my favourite Gym Leaders, so naturally her return was very welcome for me. It's also the perfect fan-service. Korrina's deal is that she comes from a family of Mega Evolution gurus and was basically next in line after her grandfather, so seeing her go from Gym Leader to this is a natural progression of her character and the perfect way for her to return in this story. She challenges me to a battle and goes against me using a Machamp, a Hawlucha, a Sirfetch'd and a Mega Lucario. But...

...not the one we're familiar with. No, this is Mega Lucario Z, a brand new Mega Evolution for Lucario and an alternative from its original mega. Because Lucario hasn't been shilled enough already, am I right? =P I'm...not a fan of this new Mega Lucario honestly. The colour choices are weird, it looks like it has a pair of Barboaches glues to the back of its head and the weird hair noodles as I like to call them just ruin it. I prefer the original honestly. I do like how this one puts more emphasis on defence with its design looking less "sharp" compared to the original though. As is, Korrina didn't stand a chance against me because I have a Level 100 Mega Evolving Dragonite at my disposal. She's impressed with me of course and goes along with me and Urbain to deal with a Rouge Mega Pokémon in hyperspace. Hoo boy, new Rogue Mega Evolutions. This'll be tough...

Rouge Mega Absol...but with a twist!

This group shot looks so badass, doesn't it? :D

The three of us go in to challenge this new Rogue Mega Evolution. At first, it doesn't seem like a new one because we're against an Absol again. Heh, Deja Vu, am I right? The first Rouge Mega battle was against an Absol in the main game, and now it's the same for the DLC. But there's a twist. Like Lucario...

...Absol has a new Mega Evolution too. This is Mega Absol Z, and unlike Mega Lucario Z, I LOVE this thing! It looks so awesome with its black colour scheme, edgier design and how it looks more demonic compared to the somewhat angelic Mega Absol. Also, it gains a new typing. Mega Absol Z is a Dark/Ghost type, which means Fighting-types no longer threaten it. I had no idea of this when I was going to battle it, which threw me off a bit. I used Mega Greninja and battling the Absol alongside Korrina and Urbain proved easy enough, even without type-advantage.

Unlike in the base game, you can actually catch the Rogue Mega Pokémon after you beat them. After catching the Absol, I claim the Absolite Z. I still have the Absol I caught in the base game, so now I have two Absols and can use both their Mega Evolutions together. Awesome! Also, a giant golden Pokéball appears and I crack it open, which rewards me with a bunch of hyperspace berries I can use to make more high quality doughnuts, which will be handy for later.

With all our hard work done with, Team MZ calls it a day and we all have dinner together. Korrina and Ansha get treated to Urbain's famous croissant curry. Korrina then reveals she and the late AZ go way back and she's here to help out, as well as pay her respects to him. It's even revealed the Lucario AZ gave us to fight the Rouge Mega Absol at the early stages of the main game is actually her's, which is pretty neat. After dinner, we get a lovely scene of Korrina on the roof by herself where she vows to the late AZ that she'll help protect Lumiose no matter what. So nice to see how devoted she is to him, isn't it?

The Next Day

The next day, we prepare to continue helping out Corbeau and Vinnie with hyperspace research. But before we can get started, Gwynn shows up with her Chandelure. And she's not the only one here...

...for Lebanne shows up too. Once again, another pair-up I never expected to see! The two are here looking for Ansha since Jacinthe's quite protective of her. Given Jacinthe is such a horrible piece of Trubbish, I bet that's why Ansha's out here on her own. She probably just wanted to get away from her as soon as possible. =P

Lebanne gets incredibly fired up over the stress of possibly incurring Jacinthe's wrath if Ansha isn't found, so in order to calm her down, she and Gwynn battle me and Naveen. I pretty much swept them both with my Level 100 Greninja. Lebanne then explains what this is all about and decides for now, they'll pretend Ansha's still at Hotel Richissime and make sure Jacinthe doesn't find out. I hope she doesn't find out either. Goodness knows what that b**ch will do if she does...

The Next Rogue Mega Battle

With that out of the way, it's back to hyperspace research and another Rogue Mega battle. At this stage in the game, side missions are unlocked and you can do them if any portals randomly open and have a side mission for you. The first two involve battling two Mega Raichu and the other involves battling two Mega Crabominable. The first mission was easy, the second mission was hard. Seriously, even with a Mega Mewtwo at my disposal, it wasn't easy! But most importantly, thanks to these side missions:

...I got the Mega Stones for Scovillain and Crabominable. But most importantly...

...I can now finally Mega Evolve my favourite Pokémon. One of my biggest wishes finally came true and you better believe it felt awesome getting to do it! I love the design for Mega Raichu X more than Y, so I used Mega Raichu X in particular for this run. I love the twin tails, the larger ears and thicker arms that suggest more muscle power. Mega Raichu X IS more physical than special in terms of attack power, so that might be why. I also love how it floats above the ground now. I bet if Mega Raichu X ever gains an ability, it'll be Levitate without question.

As for Mega Crabominable and Scovillain, I like them too. Mega Scovillain has this somewhat dinosaur like appearance I really dig, although the red chili pepper on its chest is a bit on the nose. XD Mega Crabominable looks appropriately beefy and like it can smash buildings with a single punch. Design wise, it looks better than regular Crabominable to me.

But of course, it's time to move onto the next Rogue Mega. In this case, it's a Mega Staraptor we have to fight. I love Staraptor, so naturally the fact it can Mega Evolve is really awesome. Its Mega looks BADASS! It really emphasizes what a huge bird of prey it is and somewhat looks like it has a cape at the back. Oh and how's this for awesome? It becomes Flying/Fighting when it Mega Evolves. Now imagine this thing against Mega Hawlucha...

The battle itself was more irritating than hard since Mega Staraptor doesn't like to stay still for long and moves about a lot. As is, it proved to be an excellent test drive for my new Mega Raichu. It was tricky to keep up with, but I managed to beat it without blacking out.

As a result, I caught it and claimed the Staraptite as my reward.

After we go home to rest for the night, Korrina sees Ansha on the roof of Hotel Z and asks what's up. Ansha still hopes to catch the Legendary Pokémon she's after, but she's sure she can hear a voice coming from inside the weird portal above the remains of Prism Tower. As the girls go back inside, a voice indeed can be heard in the portal, giving an ominous warning...

"Stay away."

(shudders)

Creepy. I wonder what that's about...

Touring with Ansha and Korrina, then another Rogue Mega to battle

The next day, Team MZ suggests that Ansha get some time out on the town before Corbeau calls us up again. Seems Ansha doesn't get much time to go out and about after all, so Korrina decides to fix that. First, we visit the museum and look at some exhibits and Ansha also opens up to us about how she met Hoopa and how she's insecure about becoming a trainer because her mother gives her much to live up to. It's really sweet seeing Korrina's softer side here as she encourages the young girl. As for how she met Hoopa? Ansha explains that she found Hoopa one day after it took a beating from a powerful Pokémon and fed it a doughnut to perk it back up. It's been by her side ever since. I bet this powerful Pokémon is something we'll battle later. Also, I wonder what the visitors at the museum think to Korrina walking around dressed like that with all those belts around her? XD

After the museum visit, we go to a cafe. Ansha...doesn't seem to like the coffee much, even wondering how her mum can drink it. Hey kid, I hate coffee too, so I can relate. XD

After we come back from our little tour, Naveen and Lida have a present for Ansha. It's her apron, but now it has Team MZ's logo on it, thus truly making her a part of the team now. It's flippin' adorable and I love it. Such a sweet scene. :D But we must move on, for next we have...

...Mega Tatsugiri.

(sigh)

Really GameFreak? You wasted a Mega on THIS piece of crap? So you can't give us Mega Flygon, but you CAN give us this Mega nobody asked for? Also, you bring awesome Gen 9 Pokémon like Ceruledge and Tinkaton back, but you give Tatsugiri a Mega instead of them?! LAME! =P And big shocker, Mega Tatsugiri is just as lame as regular Tatsugiri. It doesn't even look like a Mega Evolution, it just looks like all three Tatsugiri coming together to form a sushi platter that conveniently looks like the Mega symbol. Such a pathetic design for a Mega if you ask me. The fight itself was annoying as hell to deal with because THE DAMN THING DOESN'T STAY STILL! It's always moving about, making it annoying to try and land a hit on. Still, I beat it...

...and claimed the Tatsugirinite I absolutely have no intention of using. Seriously, who's the idiot who thought Tatsugiri needed a Mega...?

The Next Rogue Mega Battle

After doing some side missions in where I win some outfits that the other characters wear, I managed to find the Mega Stone for Golisopod. Unlike Tatsugiri where that thing is a waste of a Mega, Mega Golisopod is bloody awesome. I LOVE how it becomes Bug/Steel when it Mega Evolves and looks tougher and more ferocious with its four arms and four legs. I saw a comment on YouTube comparing it to a Droideka from Star Wars and now I can't unsee it. XD Anyhow, it was time to move on with the story and our next Rogue Mega battle. First I had to deal with Jacinthe and Griselle as they were bickering and Lida was beside me, but I didn't need her as I just swept the two with my Level 100 Golurk. It was amusing to see Jacinthe and Griselle bickering, especially since Griselle's one of the few people who doesn't seem to be afraid of Jacinthe. What wasn't amusing is Jacinthe punishing Lebanne for us taking care of Ansha instead of her. God, I wish Lebanne could just grow a spine and tell Jacinthe she's not her slave and won't be pushed around by a selfish, entitled brat like her! Anyway, now that's over with, it's time for the next Rouge Mega battle....

Which is Mega Meowstic. This one confuses me, because Meowstic is already available in the base game, but they waited until the DLC to give it a Mega? Why? That's so stupid! Same with the Mega Raichus, why weren't they available already? Why were they DLC exclusive? Ah well, unlike Mega Tatsugiri, this Mega doesn't suck. While I wouldn't say it looks great, it looks pretty decent all-in-all. I like how it evokes both genders with its mix-and-match blue and white colours. This Mega Meowstic was the perfect time for me to test the power of Mega Golisopod too as it's weak to Bug types. This battle was less annoying than Mega Tatsugiri, but it's still a tricky one since it likes to surround itself with barriers and then unleash a powerful explosion of energy that does a hell of a lot of damage. But Mega Golisopod held on...

...and the Meowsticite was mine to claim.

After going back to Hotel Z and having another celebratory feast with my team mates, we get one really funny moment and one hell of a big reveal all at once. First, the funny moment in which Ansha says this:

HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! No she isn't! =P Seriously Ansha, you need to see the real Jacinthe. She's NOT kind at all! Second is the big reveal...

ANSHA'S MUM IS DIANTHA?!?! Eh, actually not that surprised honestly. The fans pretty much saw it coming the moment her design was revealed and the game kinda makes it obvious too. Still, Diantha, former Champion of Kalos, is a mother. Who knew? Is this the first time in Pokémon where a Champion is canonically confirmed to have a child?

A Creepy Dream And The Next Rouge Mega Battle

After we've had dinner and go to bed for the night, what follows is one of the creepiest scenes I've ever seen in a Pokémon game. I wake up in this black void and no matter where I go, I just hear this one voice warning me to stay away. (shudders) It's so not like anything you get out of a Pokémon game. I wonder what this is all about...

The next morning, we get a visit from Emma and she lets us know what's going on. Ansha even offers her a doughnut, which is really nice. Afterwards, I go to Corbeau's office again where Canari and Ivor are causing a ruckus, so I have to deal with them. Corbeau then sends me out on some more missions, one of which sees me battle a Mega Golurk and claim its Mega Stone.

Mega Golurk is awesome. I love the huge fiery "wings" it has and how it looks like its true power has been unleashed. I was all too happy to get this stone. Eventually, I get enough points to unlock the next Rogue Mega battle...

And it's a Mega Evolved Heatran next to deal with. Yep, we're dealing with Legendary Megas now. I love how Mega Heatran looks less metallic and more blobby here, as if it's so hot that it's causing ITSELF to melt. That's just a perfect design for a Mega Heatran. XD It was also the perfect time for me to test my new Mega Golurk too since it has a double Ground weakness. This was the least frustrating of the new bosses to battle, mainly because Mega Heatran actually stays still since it's not the most mobile mon ever. Mega Golurk gave it a good shaking with its Earthquakes...

...and the Heatranite was mine.

We finish the day off with another celebratory dinner, but with a twist. We have croissant curry...with a doughnut added to it. That's just gross, and yet somehow Naveen ends up liking it, go figure. This game really doesn't skimp on the comedy, I swear. XD

Another Creepy Dream And Lumiose Goes Haywire

That night, I have another creepy dream in where I wake up in this secluded forest area and the voice talks to me again. It gives the usual warning once more, but then it finished off one final request...a call for help.

I'm called in to meet Corbeau again, but as we enter his office...well, we're not in his office. Instead, we end up in Hyperspace. It seems now Hyperspace Lumiose is threatening to swallow up Lumiose City and parts of it are starting to merge together. I have to spend precious minutes trying to find Corbeau and after finding him, he explains the deal. We then get an amusing moment where everything returns to normal...

...and Corbeau suddenly ends up on top of his desk. Whoops. XD

Corbeau then reveals what his recent research has dug up. It seems Hyperspace Lumiose is being created by a single Pokémon. A single Pokémon huh? I have a feeling I can guess what it is too. There's been a lot of emphasis on dreams and subconscious thoughts, and there's a Pokémon that specializes in dreams. Bad ones mostly, but still. As is, we're given a job to do. Now we have to stop this thing before it gets even more out of control and I suggest we combine the power of Mega Evolution with Hoopa's doughnuts to give it enough power to enter the distortion in the sky. Corbeau even dubs this mission "Operation Mega Doughnut!" Why is Lumiose City so full of dorks? XD

While doing more Hyperspace research, I come across a Mega Glimmora and battle it for its Mega Stone. Mega Glimmora looks pretty dope with its long spike and how its petals can float all around itself. It kinda looks like a floating cannon if you ask me. Now I wonder how powerful Geeta would've been if the Scarlet and Violet games allowed Mega Evolution? With Mega Glimmora, she might've been a little challenging.

After I'm done, we get Ansha to make the Bad Dreams Cruller doughnut, which bares a striking resemblance to Darkrai. Hmm...very suspicious, don't you think? I have to admit, it looks pretty scrummy. I'd love it if some culinary minded players can make that a reality some day. With the doughnut in hand, it's time for the final showdown...

The Final Boss

We get an awesome cutscene which shows all the main characters of the game using the power of Mega Evolution to power up Hoopa and once it eats the doughnut, it's into Hyperspace me, Urbain and Korrina go to put a stop to all this. The portal takes us to the strange forest area that I saw in my dreams and while exploring the place, we come across...

AZ?!

No, he's not suddenly alive again before you ask, this ties back into what the game was saying about Hyperspace being made of subconscious thoughts and such, so we're able to see AZ while we're here. What follows is a beautiful, heart-warming scene where the player, Urbain and Korrina get to say their final farewells to AZ for real this time and he bids us farewell too. Not gonna lie, I think that was one of the most touching scenes ever put into a Pokémon game. With that out of the way, we find the final boss...

...which is indeed a Darkrai, as I suspected. I mean come on, it was pretty obvious, don't you think? All the emphasis on dreams and such? They may as well put up a neon lit sign that says "DARKRAI'S THE FINAL BOSS!" But this isn't any normal Darkrai. Oh no...

...this Darkrai can Mega Evolve! Like some fans, I love the Lovecraftian theme going on with its design here and how it looks appropriately nightmarish as this giant floating eye with tentacles and Darkrai's head pokes out of the eye's pupil. Such an appropriately monstrous design for a Mega Darkrai, I love it. It's pretty tough too, especially as it can duplicate itself and attack from all angles at various points, which caused me to black out a couple of times. I used Mega Golisopod to fight it since Darkrai is weak to Bug-types and Leech Life gives it a handy way to replenish health and stay in the fight. It was a tough one, but I was able to win in the end, catch the Darkrai...

...and claim the Darkranite as a result. Yay, I have a nightmarish abomination at my disposal! I'd love to use it to give Jacinthe nightmares to make her pay for being such a horrible person, especially to Lebanne. XD

With that done with, the day is saved and Lumiose City is spared another crisis. But there's still one last thing to do, which is to help Ansha catch Rayquaza.

Before that, we get the end credits which give us this sweet scene of Team MZ...

...and this cute drawing Ansha did of her and all her new friends together. Just...aww! Ansha, you are an adorable cinnamon bun and I want to adopt you! You're that precious! :D Now then...

Achieving Ansha's Goal

This post-game plot was straight-forward, mostly, but required a lot of Hyperspace exploring to get the research points for these encounters and farm enough Hyperspace berries to make the right doughnuts. In the end, my hard work was paid off and I got to battle...

Primal Kyogre

Primal Groudon

And finally, Mega Rayquaza in order to catch it and achieve Ansha's dream for her. Groudon and Kyogre were more-or-less manageable, but Rayquaza was a tough one! If you die at any point against it, you have to start again and you don't get to carry over the damage you did already like with other Rogue Mega battles, which I think was pretty unnecessary. It does add an extra challenge for those looking for it though. I think I died two or three times before I finally beat Mega Rayquaza with Mega Froslass being my go-to-mon to handle it since it has a double Ice weakness.

We show Rayquaza to Ansha and naturally she's practically spellbound just seeing the mighty Pokémon. Just imagine her reaction if she Lucius' Black Rayquaza from Pokémon Horizons. ;) She wants to give it to Diantha, but Team MZ convinces her not to and instead to gift her dear mama stories about her adventures with us. She accepts and asks me to hold onto Rayquaza for now. The post-game story then ends with her narrating how she gifted Diantha her doughnuts and stories about herself.

She even drew a picture of herself and her mother together. Awww. ^^

Just before we wrap up, there's one last new Mega to show you all, and that's Mega Zeraora. This side-quest is only available after you beat the DLC main and post-game plots and after you've done the Mewtwo and Diancie events. Mega Zeraora is so cool to me. Yes, I do agree that the colours make it resemble Luxray, but I don't care. It still looks awesome! :D This one wasn't too tricky since I had a Mega Golurk at my disposal. A few Earthquakes, Digs and Bulldozes later and Zeraora was mine to catch...

...and I got the Zeraorite to boot. Fun fact: This game marks the first time I've ever obtained regular Zeraora. I got the shiny one that was given away in a Sword and Shield giveaway event years ago, and still have it, but I never got the regular Zeraora. Now I do. In fact, there's quite a few Mythicals available in this game I'll be able to get for the first time ever such as Volcanion, Marshadow, Genesect and more. Aside from that, that's pretty much it and I have nothing else to report for this playthrough...

Conclusion

Overall, that was my playthrough of Mega Dimension. A fine DLC all-in-all, but honestly the weakest Pokémon we've had so far. Sword and Shield and Scarlet and Violet gave you your money's worth with two new locations to explore, brand new stories, some new Pokémon to catch and lots of things to do while also being pretty challenging. This DLC only gives you Hyperspace to explore, adds two characters to the cast, has no new mons despite giving us a bunch of new Mega Evolutions and has this VERY repetitive play cycle that more or less feels like the same as the base game. That said, it is at least more challenging since even Level 100 Pokémon won't get you through it with ease and you'll really have to put in the effort to beat it. As is, it was only really worth getting for the new Mega Evolutions (especially Mega Raichu!) and the story did give us some of the funniest moments in the franchise's history. And it gave us Ansha, so the DLC was worth it for that. ^^ But yeah, GameFreak should've given us a bit more of our money's worth with this DLC. Maybe a new area to explore and one or two new mons would've made it worth the price. Still, I don't regret getting it and mostly had fun playing it.

That's all I have for this post. Of course, let's finish off with another Mega Photo Gallery...

Mega Raichu X

Mega Raichu Y

Mega Scovillain

Mega Staraptor

Mega Crabominable

Mega Absol Z

Mega Glimmora

Shiny Mega Glimmora

Mega Golurk

Mega Meowstic

Mega Golisopod

Mega Lucario Z

Mega Heatran

Mega Darkrai

Mega Magearna

And finally, Mega Zeraora. How fitting I had this picture with my character dressed as Canari, eh? XD

That's all for this Media Man Plays post. Hope you enjoyed it! I'll see you all again on Friday for my review of That Christmas. See you then media fans!

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