My Thoughts on Dynamaxing

I never really got around to trying Mega Evolutions and Z-Moves. As far as I was always concerned, Z-Moves seemed boring to me, while Mega Evolutions looked fun and stupidly powerful. Then we have Dynamax, which, when I originally first saw it, looked like Mega Evolutions but worse. Your Pokemon gets all big, grows extra features and gets some cool moves in the process. The whole system is introduced in the first cutscene of the game, by a Gigantamax Charizard with wings made of fire. If you had shown me a picture of either of Charizard’s Mega forms alongside its Gigantamax form, I’d have thought they were basically the same thing.

Of course, I was completely wrong about all that.

I mean, it’s still kinda like a Mega Evolution, but Dynamax is genuinely different. You still need a special item to activate Dynamax, just like Z-Moves and Megas, but we were handed magical Dynamax bands literally half an hour into Pokemon Shield. Or way less, if you don’t dilly-dally on the way like I did.

But I think I can be excused for my ignorance, because, well, look at that Charizard! That’s not a normal one, it has extra features! Like some sort of weird tattoo on its now luminous belly. And, frankly, Dynamax works a lot like Mega Evolutions. The difference is that Dynamax is limited for three turns, before you go back to normal. And instead of one special move, like a Z-Move, Dynamax moves all become Max-Moves, which obviously do more damage.

However, here’s what’s nice about Dynamax: pretty much every Pokemon can Dynamax. What every Pokemon CAN’T do is Gigantamax. Gigantamax is what uses the massive, Mega-like models. That ability only belongs to specific Pokemon though, so I can’t just grab any Pikachu and have that Gigantamax, there’s conditions that have to be met. And I admittedly don’t know what they are. In fact, the only Gigantamax-capable Pokemon I own is, get this, a Charizard. Because Leon gifts me one as a reward for becoming champion.

There is a bit of a drawback though. Dynamax only lasts for three turns. So if your Pokemon gets hit by something like Paralysis or Sleep, then it will waste your time. So there is a little bit of risk when you use Dynamax. It’s not a massive risk, like a Mega or missing a Z-Move thingy, but it IS a once-per-battle trick and should be used as such. Heck, I managed to beat Raihan due to putting his Gigantamax Duraladon to sleep, making him waste two of his turns.

An Unexpected Opinion.

I’m perfectly fine with Dynamax. I originally thought I wouldn’t like the whole Dynamax system, but it’s quite fun, even if the animations for Dynamaxing go on for a tad too long. The fact that any Pokemon (almost) can become a massive monster, and that the game has clearly been built around Dynamax, I think it all works very well. Against NPCs, the only problem is how predictable they are when they use Dynamax – it’s always on their last Pokemon.

And when it comes to my team, it makes me feel like all my Pokemon are a bit more equal. Sure, Rillaboom and Salazzle led the way in my team, it was Aaby the Lapras who got the last laugh and the last Dynamax to beat Leon. If I wanted to, I can grab my Growlithe from a box, put him on my team and Dynamax him. In fact, that was literally what I did with the first gym in Pokemon Shield. I Dynamaxed a little Growlithe. And it kinda worked, I guess. Then again, Pokemon Shield is stupidly easy.

But that’s why I like Dynamax. Anyone can do it. Unless your name is Eternatus and you’ve been captured by a ten year old girl.

As for playing against other players? Eh, if Mega Rayquaza is anything to go by, I’m gonna assume that these guys aren’t particularly good for PvP stuff…