How many legendaries do you want/predict for X & Y?

[Toastie]

So, apart from the two mascots, Xerneas and Yveltal, we don't know X and Y's legendaries. I've seen some people complain about an over-abundance of legendaries recently, while others like have lots of event Pokémon to download. My question is - How many legendaries do you want to be in X and Y, and how many do you think Game Freak will actually add?

Personally, I don't mind having more legendaries, as long as they aren't wasteful. For instance, in Gen IV, we had a virtually identical legendary trio, all of which were pure psychic. We randomly got a volcano legendary that served little purpose. However, in Gen V, all but 4 of the 13 legendaries weren't event Pokémon, and these 9 played a part in the story. Additionally, many of them had unique type combinations (including our first pure Flying-type). Of course, it's annoying to have a unique type combination restricted to a legendary, but at least it makes it memorable.

Also, in terms of actually encountering legendaries and not downloading them from Nintendo Wi-Fi or trading for them, Gen V is fairly low (Trio masters that require traded Pokémon, such as Regigigas and Landorus are included).

[Using first game of each generation]

Gen I: 4/5 (Mew [Event])
Gen II: 5/6 (Celebi [Event])
Gen III: 6/10 (Kyogre/Groudon [Version Exclusives], Latios/Latias [Version Exclusives], Jirachi [Event], Deoxys [Event])
Gen IV: 8/14(Dialga/Palkia [Version Exclusives], Darkrai [Event], Manaphy [Event], Phione [Event/Breeding], Shaymin [Event], Arceus [Event])
Gen V: 7/13 (Reshiram/Zekrom [Version Exclusives], Tornadus/Thundurus [Version Exclusives], Victini [Event], Keldeo [Event], Meloetta [Event], Genesect [Event])

So going by this, the amount of Legendaries enountered within the game hasn't increased much, but the amount of event Legendaries has. With the DLC capabilities on the 3DS and not having to store downloadable content in the game, we could get our first true mid-gen Pokémon in the form of event Legendaries that we would have known about in previous Gens because they would have already been in the game. This would mean that we wouldn't be so overwhelmed with new Legendaries.

I feel that Gen V struck a good balance. 10 of the 13 legendaries were part of a trio or group, which made them fit into the plot more coherently. As long as Game Freak keeps the legendaries interesting and unique, I have no problem with having over 10 legendaries.

My prediction is that, with the aforementioned 3DS DLC, Game Freak will try and add a few downloadable missions that include Legendaries. I'm going to say that there will be between 10-15 legendaries, but a lot of them won't be in the game at first, and will be released in the future.

 

[KoL]

I think it's safe to say that Game Freak will be sticking with the "many legendaries" route as of Gen IV, which I don't mind as long as the legendaries seem like and are treated as such. As awesome as he may be, I think many would agree that Heatran doesn't feel like nor is he treated as a legendary Pokemon. Not only does he have a gender that isn't fixed, but his backstory seems to be little more than "he lives in a volcano." If that's all it takes to be legendary Magcargo could be considered legendary too. I felt Gen IV had a problem with this in general to be honest; Shaymin and Manaphy I just don't get how they're legendary (and event legendary to boot,) the Psychic Pixie Trio were rather uninteresting overall (especially when Uxie is merely a worse version of another legendary from the same generation) and combined with the aforementioned Heatran it pretty much served to summarize Gen IV in general: mediocre.

Gen V was this same system done right. All the legendaries bar Meloetta were treated as at least somewhat significant in their own way, and as long as the games have done this then having a larger number of legends is alright for me. Of course, the strength of the legendaries is also important to me, and while I get that you can't have every legend be amazingly stronk without making them too similar to one another, it's a bit jarring to see something like Entei labelled as "legendary" when in practice many non-legendary Fire-types are more effective than he is in battle.

As for events, since downloadable events have become the norm for Pokemon now, it's likely that we'll be seeing more event Pokemon since they're a lot more accessible to players. Granted, they lose the original epicness associated with being so hard to obtain due to this, but it's also a bit unfair that, for example, anyone who missed the Deoxys event had to play through a god-awful Ranger game for a chance to get the thing again.

 

[Toastie]

I think many would agree that Heatran doesn't feel like nor is he treated as a legendary Pokemon. Not only does he have a gender that isn't fixed, but his backstory seems to be little more than "he lives in a volcano."

Yeah, and when it appeared in Arceus and the Jewel of Life, it was under the ownership of a trainer, and was defeated pretty easily.

Another example is Phione. That thing is so useless that it is disputed whether it is even a legendary at all. It has completely average stats, a boring typing and one can get an infinite supply of them. However, for some reason, they're banned from the Battle Subway.

 

[Coreysawrus]

I think I want a duo and a trio and then maybe 3 event Pokemon. Which is pretty similar to Gen III except there is an extra event Pokemon and one less trio.

But I agree some Legendaries need to have some significance behind them but at the same time I don't want them to be plot central. I feel Manaphy, Phione and Meloetta needed something more about them. Heatran had the whole Magma Stone thing but it could have needed a bit more. Shaymin though got quite a bit of acknowledgement and relevance in the spin-off series iirc.

 

[Toastie]

I feel Manaphy, Phione and Meloetta needed something more about them.

Meloetta has the forme changing gimmick, as well as two unique types. However, yes, in terms of the storyline, Meloetta doesn't really have much of a backstory or involvement in the plot. I agree with you on Manaphy, although arguably Manaphy isn't native to Sinnoh (I seem to recall), and is actually from Almia, where the second Ranger games are set, so it would make sense that it didn't have much to do outside that region.

 

[Carmen Lopez]

I too think that we're sticking to the double digit number of legendaries now. While I would've had a fit about a few years ago, I've soften my stance on it with Gen V. The reason the large number of legenadaries was so annoying in Gen IV was that it nearly eclipsed the rest of the regional Pokedex which had rather slim pickings to begin with. Gen V at least had a strong regional dex to go with it's 13 legendaries so it was much less of an issue.

That said, I wouldn't mind seeing 10-12 legendaries in Gen VI. This time we do have returning Pokemon so I don't want the legendaries to overshadow the new non-legendaries. Since we have Wi-Fi now, event legendaries aren't an issue so I'm not opposed to those either.

 

[Stark]

I'll be different, then.

I wouldn't mind there only being Xerneas/Yveltal/Zxxxxx in these games.

Sadly this will never happen. Legendaries will probably be around 10~ in number as usual.

 

[Coreysawrus]

Meloetta has the forme changing gimmick, as well as two unique types. .

It has one unique type because Girafarig xD

 

[Toastie]

Meloetta has the forme changing gimmick, as well as two unique types. .

It has one unique type because Girafarig xD

Ah, I'd forgotten about Girafarig. Still, Normal/Psychic is an interesting/memorable typing.

 

[Doubled]

Personally, I'll be okay if we have somewhere around 10 or so legendaries, but as said, I don't want them to go the route of Heatran. THAT being said, one thing you have to give Heatran credit for is that you actually had to battle for it, same with Darkrai or Arceus. I like little notes and tadbits like in BW or BW2 with Pokemon like Keldeo or Genesect, but they literally just...gave the Pokemon to us. I'm not saying that we ABSOLUTELY need a mini arc for each legendary, but if we're going to get event Pokemon, I want there to be a challenge to it. They can even make the events available by wifi or whatever, but I don't want a freebee. If they want to give us a Pokemon like Manaphy or Phione, fine, but don't make them legendaries, or at least make them available in game.

However, and this is where the pitch forks and torches come in, with the new 3DS cartridges, perhaps it would be possible for some sort of optional mini arc, sort of like DLC episodes for other games. I love stories, and I love the build up that we get in game for the mascots, but I dread just happening to find a legendary to fight it (though I still prefer this than just being handed one), so maybe a mini quest? Something like the puzzles to find the Regi trio in RSE would be nice, but, let's look at Gen IV. You have Arceus, supposedly the Pokemon GOD, and Team Galactic aren't even slightly curious about it? I'm just saying, I want to actually see in context how the last generation 6 Pokemon is so powerful rather than just stats and a dex entry. I mean look at Genesect. Yes you have backstory, but still, it's the last Gen 5 Pokemon and a Pokemon like Reshiram or Zekrom gets more attention than it (then again I know nothing about stats, but you see my point) from the evil team.

Anyway, before I get too carried away, I would like maybe... 1 trio for the mascots (XYZ/XZYZ/XX/YY?), a duo like Latios and Latias, another trio that has reverence in local folklore like the legendary beasts of Johto, and a final (perhaps with its own plot?) Gen 6 Pokemon (A chimera of some kind?). sooo.... roughly 9 or more.