Characters / Pokémon: Aura Trio

Main Character Index > Pokémon Generation VI Families >
Chespin to Hawlucha (650 - 701) | Dedenne to Volcanion (702 - 721) | Aura Trio (Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde) (716 - 718)

0716: Xerneas (ゼルネアス zeruneasu)
0717: Yveltal (イベルタル iberutaru)
0718: Zygarde (ジガルデ jigarude)

Life Pokémon, Destruction Pokémon, Order Pokémon

Kalos' resident Legendary trio and the only group of Legendary Pokémon introduced in Generation VI. The first two are mascots of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. Zygarde is to be a titular character of Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

The life-granting Xerneas resembles a large blue deer with elaborate antlers and acts as the mascot of Pokémon X, while the destructive Yveltal resembles a horned vulture with huge claws on its wings and tail and acts as the mascot of Pokémon Y. Three thousand years ago, one of the two was used to power AZ's ultimate weapon, which had the power to bring back life by taking many more. Xerneas and Yveltal may enter a dormant state once their energy has been spent, with Xerneas taking on the form of a tree while Yveltal resembles a cocoon. Alongside the starters, Xerneas and Yveltal were the first Generation VI Pokémon revealed to the public.

Zygarde is the third Legendary Pokémon that resembles a green and black serpent with hexagon patterns, said to bring order between Xerneas and Yveltal. Zygarde, much like Rayquaza, Giratina, and Kyurem, has multiple formes. Each forme is made up of a combination of Zygarde Cells and its "brain", Zygarde Cores. While it usually remains in its serpent-like 50% Forme, in emergencies, it can send out a single Core as its 10% Forme, which resembles a dog, and in grave situations, it can combine with other Cells and Cores to attain its Complete Forme, which is the most humanoid, but is also gigantic and otherworldly.

In a break with series traditions, Zygarde's formes did not debut in a third version or sequel set in the Kalos region, but rather as part of Pokémon Sun and Moon. This, combined with the semi-replacement of Aura Break (a Power Nullifier against Xerneas and Yveltal's Abilities) with Power Construct, seems to suggest that Zygarde has been interpreted as more than just a mediator between Xerneas and Yveltal. Zygarde is, in an odd twist of tradition, set to play a prominent role in the upcoming Legends game, Pokemon Legends ZA, a little over a decade after its debut.

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Tropes Shared by all Three

• Adapted Out: Outside of Pokémon: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction, their role in the main animé is severely downplayed from what it was in the games, with Team Flare's plot eschewing AZ and the Ultimate Weapon in favor of a new plan focusing on Zygarde instead, while the cast never even encounters the duo outside of the movies (atypical from how past version mascots were portrayed in previous seasons).
• Adaptational Villainy: In X & Y, it was implied that they resented being used in Lysandre's evil plan. In Ultra Sun and Moon, after being used to destroy his world, they willingly serve him to help him destroy yours.
• Advertised Extra: Xerneas and Yveltal are the literal box Legendaries of their respective games and are a Sword of Plot Advancement, and yet they are only mentioned a few times throughout the story (and even then, the first mention of them wasn't even until the player's seventh Gym), and if you didn't know about it prior, you only learn their actual names once you're in battle with them. For Zygarde, trailers and other promotional materials make it look like Zygarde has a prominent role in the seventh generation games. In the actual games, while the quest to collect all the Zygarde Cells can encompass the entire game and post-game, it really doesn't have any impact at all. And the only thing special about the five "rare" Zygarde Cores is that each one stores a powerful move in the Zygarde Cube for it to learn willy-nilly; otherwise, they're treated just like the more mundane Cells.
• Amazing Technicolor Battlefield: Despite being encountered in a basement (the basement of an evil stronghold, but a basement nonetheless), the battle against them takes place against an appropriate, otherworldly backdrop, with a bright arena surrounded by a tree branch fence for Xerneas, and a dark, almost cosmic background for Yveltal.
• Animalistic Abomination: Xerneas and Yveltal give a strong otherworldly vibe despite their familiar shapes, a deer and a bird respectively. In its 10% Forme, Zygarde resembles a doberman, and in its normal 50% Forme, it assumes its regular wormlike shape.
• Astonishingly Appropriate Appearance:
  • Xerneas' branching multicolored horns not only have many Xs in them, it has X-shaped pupils and it resembles an X from the front when it splays its legs.
  • Yveltal's tail is approximately the same size and shape as its wings, thus it looks like a stylized "Y" when its wings are unfurled; similarly to Xerneas' horns.
  • Zygarde's letter motif is presented by it resembling a stylized 'Z' in its constant striking position in 50% Forme.
• The Artifact:
  • Pokémon X and Y place emphasis on Zygarde being the mediator between Xerneas and Yveltal, and the balance between life and death. Its Aura Break Ability even reflects this, as it specifically counters the two's own aura Abilities. But in Pokémon Sun and Moon, this relationship is all but ignored (save for Complete Forme Zygarde's Pokédex entry) since the two not only have no role in the plot, but aren't in the game at all.
  • Despite Zygarde being relegated to a post-game encounter in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, it still appears in the middle of the Alola Pokédex. In Pokémon Sun and Moon, its strange position made more sense since a player could gather Zygarde Cells as soon as Akala Island, and Zygarde itself could be obtained shortly before Po Town.
• The Atoner: Xerneas/Yveltal helps you stop Lysandre because it regrets being used as a Weapon of Mass Destruction, and wants to redeem itself.
• Badass in Distress: Depending on the version, Team Flare is in possession of one of them during the main story. Subverted in that they were resting as a tree or cocoon and proceed to end up breaking themselves free with no effort when they wake up.
• Chromatic Arrangement: Yveltal, Xerneas, and Zygarde are a trio of related legends associated with the primary colors red, blue, and green respectively.
• Confusion Fu: Both Xerneas and Yveltal have identical stats, which includes equal attack and special attack, allowing them to actually put their many different moves to use.
• Foil: Yveltal's theme is death/destruction as opposed to Xerneas' life/creation. Xerneas is also associated with the land (the horizontal x-axis), while Yveltal is associated with the sky (the vertical y-axis). Zygarde serves as a thematic foil to Xerneas and Yveltal, as well as rounding out their red, blue, and green color scheme. Also serves as a visual foil to Lunala and Solgaleo with a black and green color scheme in contrast to their predominately white designs.
• Giant Space Flea from Nowhere: Compared to most major Legendaries, there's very little in the way of backstory, lore, or foreshadowing on Xerneas or Yveltal - the game just reveals shortly before their appearance that one of them was used to power the Ultimate Weapon, and not much is revealed beyond that point. Zygarde is even more egregious, appearing in a random cave in the postgame of X and Y with no hint on why it's there.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: In addition to the potential of suffering the effects of Zygarde's Aura Break (see below), Xerneas and Yveltal's signature Abilities, Fairy Aura and Dark Aura, can lead to this more directly, as they respectively power up the Fairy- or Dark-type moves of all Pokémon on the field... including the opponent's. Granted, with 131 base Attack and Special Attack, both Xerneas and Yveltal are among the hardest-hitting Pokémon of their types (and can close the gap with Mega Evolved Pokémon by holding a power-boosting item), so the trope is downplayed for them, as they can hit their opponent harder with their STAB attacks than their opponent can hit them with the Aura-boosted attack type. Yveltal in particular doesn't have to worry much about Dark Aura being used against it, since Dark-types resist Dark-type attacks; Xerneas has a bit more potential to have Fairy Aura backfire on it, since Fairy-type moves have neutral effectiveness on Fairy-type Pokémon. However, Xerneas and Yveltal do have to worry for their Fairy/Dark-weak partners in Double and Triple Battles, since their Abilities allow opposing Fairy/Dark-type attacks to hit harder regardless of who's using them on whom. To make up for the type disadvantages that Zygarde has against them, Aura Break reverses the effects of Fairy Aura and Dark Aura on Xerneas and Yveltal, respectively. However, since Fairy Aura and Dark Aura affect all Pokémon on the field, including Xerneas/Yveltal's opponents, inverting them can backfire on Zygarde itself, lowering the power of Zygarde's Crunch and (in Double/Triple Battles) the Fairy/Dark moves of Zygarde's allies.
• Immortality: Both Xerneas and Yveltal's Pokédex entries indicate they have some form of it. In Xerneas' case, it can grant eternal life. In Yveltal's, it steals life and has Resurrective Immortality.
• Life/Death Juxtaposition: Xerneas and Yveltal represent life and death respectively, which is reflected in how Xerneas is capable of granting everlasting life, while Yveltal absorbs the life force of every living creature in its immediate vicinity upon dying before reverting to its cocoon form.
• Life Drain:
  • Xerneas learns Horn Leech, a damaging physical Grass-type attack that heals the user for half the damage it dealt.
  • Yveltal's Secret Art, Oblivion Wing, heals the user for 75% of the damage it deals. Yveltal also apparently does this on a massive scale to revive itself.
• Lightning Bruiser:
  • Like all the mascot Legendaries, Xerneas' and Yveltal's "bad" stats are only bad in comparison to other Olympus Mons. Interestingly, both of them have exactly the same stats: High HP, Attack, and Special Attack and lower, but still good, Defense, Special Defense, and Speed. However, Xerneas' Geomancy and Yveltal's Sucker Punch make them terrifying Lightning Bruisers.
• Magic Knight: Their Attack and Special Attack stats are each 131 (which, for comparison, rivals Scizor's and Ho-oh's Attack stat), and they can learn a decent amount of moves that abuse both.
• Mascot Mook: Xerneas for X and Yveltal for Y. Zygarde for Z as in Z-A.
• Occult Blue Eyes: Yveltal and Xerneas; they're both Legendary Pokémon associated with life and death.
• Olympus Mons: They're one-of-a-kind beings with control over life and death, while Zygarde is a protector of the environment of Kalos. Showing up in Sun and Moon implies it's watching over the entire world.
  Dexio: Zygarde is said to maintain the order of the Kalos region... then why is it in Alola...? Is it a sign that something is about to happen?
• Our Dragons Are Different:
  • Zygarde is a bug-like snake and outright alien-looking. Its other forms resemble a blob, a Doberman, and a Humongous Mecha-like Humanoid Abomination with a Belly Mouth; aside from its reptilian 50% form, none of its forms are conventionally dragonlike at all, outside of its vaguely scale-like hexagon motif. Admittedly, when it shows off how the ends of its wings can open up to reveal what appear to be mouths, it looks a bit more like a multi-headed humanoid dragon.
  • Yveltal isn't Dragon-type nor is it a lowercase-"d" dragon like Charizard, but it has some dragon-like traits and learns a wide variety of Dragon-type moves, like Lugia.
• Pals with Jesus: Xerneas and Yveltal are described by Lysandre as opening up their heart to a human when you capture them. Can be invoked with max affection in Pokémon-Amie.
• Power Glows: Xerneas will take a glowing appearance in battle, while out of it it stays in a more subdued palette, Yveltal's body will glow a bright crimson when preparing to fight or using certain moves. Zygarde's scales glow in odd patterns while in battle.
• Recurring Element: Legendary version mascots tied into the plot and into the scheme of the evil team. They're also the second duo of cover Legendaries after Reshiram and Zekrom to represent some version of light and darkness, complete with light-up "powered-up" modes.
  • Defied in a series first. Zygarde is the first built-in third member of a mascot duo to not receive its own game in the same generation. Blastoise rounded out the Red, Green, and Blue versions in Japan, and Suicune (not even a member of Ho-oh and Lugia's cohort) was made into a mascot for a Crystal version. Instead, it received its own game three generations later in the form of Legends: Z-A.
  • Like Rayquaza, Giratina, and Kyurem, Zygarde is the third Dragon Legendary in a trio that is found post-game. Zygarde also continues the tradition set by Rayquaza and Giratina, the one who acts to correct any damage caused by the other Legendaries of its generation, and like Giratina and Kyurem, its 'true' form is not shown in the games that its counterparts mascot for.
  • A third Legendary related to the title Legendaries who, when "complete", incorporates elements of the other two in its design. Are we talking about Kyurem or Zygarde? The only real difference here is that Zygarde doesn't physically incorporate Xerneas and Yveltal, and it has one complete design that reflects both of them at once with one blue and one red wing.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Yveltal is the destructive and Dark-type Red Oni, while Xerneas is the serene, eternal life-granting, and Fairy-type Blue Oni.
• Secret Art:
  • Xerneas gets the move Geomancy, a Fairy-type Status Buff that increases Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed by 2 stages when used^note notable as this is the first time a mascot's signature move has not been an actual attack, but a status move instead. However, it takes two turns to activate. It also has the exclusive ability Fairy Aura, which increases the damage of all Fairy-type moves by 30% while it's on the field (regardless of which Pokémon is using them).
  • Yveltal gets the moves Oblivion Wing and Focus Blast, along with the ability Dark Aura. Oblivion Wing is a Flying-type Special attack with above-average power that heals the user for 75% of the damage it deals to the target. Focus Blast is a Fighting-type TM with widespread distribution, but Yveltal is the only Pokémon that learns it via level-up. It also has the exclusive ability Dark Aura, which increases the damage of all Dark-type moves by 30% while it's on the field (regardless of which Pokémon is using them).
  • Zygarde has the distinction of having the most signature moves of any Pokémon.
    • Initially, Zygarde's exclusive traits were Land's Wrath and the ability Aura Break. Land's Wrath is a Ground-type physical attack that is slightly weaker than the widespread Earthquake, but will not harm allies if used during a Double or Triple Battle. Its Aura Break ability reverses the effects of Xerneas' Fairy Aura and Yveltal's Dark Aura abilities, causing them to reduce the damage of Fairy- and Dark-type attacks instead of buffing them.
    • Sun and Moon added a couple:
    • Zygarde's other ability introduced in Sun and Moon was Power Construct, which causes it to enter its 100% form when it is at half health or less.
    • Thousand Waves, a herd-hitting Ground-type physical attack which deals damage and prevents foes from fleeing.
    • Thousand Arrows, a unique herd-hitting Ground-type physical attack which has the distinction of not only being able to hit Flying-types or floating Pokémon (who normally No-Sell Ground moves), but actually shoot them down and ground them to remove their immunities.
    • Core Enforcer, a powerful Dragon-type special move which deals damage and, if the opponent moved first, disables their Ability.
• Sword of Plot Advancement: As with Zekrom and Reshiram, you are forced to capture them. Defeating them won't even give any experience.
• Taken for Granite: Yveltal's Oblivion Wing has this effect on Pokémon and vegetation in the anime movie, as the attack sucks the life force out of anything unfortunate enough to be in the shot. Xerneas' powers over life are shown to cancel the effect and revive the victims of the attack.
• Wave-Motion Gun: Yveltal's Oblivion Wing has the look. Zygarde Complete Forme also has a signature move with this look, called Core Enforcer. Should Zygarde be outsped before launching this attack, it nullifies any enemy abilities currently in effect.
• Weak, but Skilled: Relatively, compared to the previous major Legendary Pokémon. On paper, Yveltal and Xernas lack the raw power most Legendaries before them had, only offensively outperforming Lugia and Ho-oh in terms of sheer stats^note while Lugia is a Stone Wall through and through, the gap between Ho-oh's base Attack and Xerneas and Yveltal's base Attack and Special Attack is a mere 1-point difference, which can easily be made up for by IVs alone if Xerneas/Yveltal doesn't have a perfect offensive IV, and even assuming all perfect IVs, Ho-oh can close the gap through Min-Maxing. Their abilities, combined with movepools almost perfectly designed to abuse them, however, make them as, or even more threatening to face in battle. In a sense. Other than HP, Complete Forme Zygarde has high, balanced stats that are nonetheless fairly low by Legendary standards. However, its insane amount of HP lets it perform a variety of roles, one of which is boosting its offensive stats and Speed to ridiculous proportions with Dragon Dance and/or Coil while having the bulk to perform it multiple times safely. Add in the fact it can use an unavoidable Ground-type Attack with Thousand Arrows, and you've got yourself a ridiculous powerhouse.

Xerneas

Xerneas

• Animal Gender-Bender: Similar to female Sawsbuck, Xerneas has a feminine design and is depicted with a female voice in the anime, but for most Real Life cervids, only the males have antlers. Can be somewhat justified, as there is one species that serves as an exception, which is Reindeer.
• Confusion Fu: Xerneas naturally learns or can be taught Fairy-, Bug-, Grass-, Dragon-, Fighting-, Steel-, Electric-, Psychic-, Normal-, Ice-, Dark-, and Rock-type attacks.
• Exotic Eye Designs: Xerneas' pupils are, fittingly, shaped like the letter X.
• Final Boss: Xerneas is the final Pokémon encountered in New Pokémon Snap.
• Horn Attack: Xerneas naturally learns moves like Megahorn and Horn Leech. Whenever it uses a Physical attack, it's animated so that it hits the target with its antlers.
• Light Is Good: Xerneas, as the Pokémon of Life, is portrayed as a benevolent force of nature. It is also the Big Good in Pokémon: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction.
• The Marvelous Deer: Xerneas, who's based on a deer and is very otherworldly and graceful.
• Our Fairies Are Different: Xerneas is the first Fairy-Type Legendary Pokémon. It isn't small or cute like most other Fairy-types, but it does have the "otherworldly, numinous, and majestic" characteristics of older depictions of fairies.
• Silk Hiding Steel: Think Xerneas looks pretty and elegant? It naturally learns Close Combat and Outrage. Geomancy makes its special attacks terrifyingly fast, powerful, and extremely hard to stop, too.
• Status Buff: Geomancy gives a buff equivalent to a double Quiver Dance at the end of the turn after which you use it. Combine with a Power Herb, and hold on for deer life.
• "X" Makes Anything Cool: A recurring motif for Xerneas — not only is there an "X" in the name, its design incorporates numerous saltires as well (while Yveltal's design essentially does the same with the letter "Y" for an alternate take on the trope).

Yveltal

Yveltal

• Action Initiative: Yveltal learns Sucker Punch, a powerful priority attack that only works if the target used a damaging attack on the same turn. Boosted by Dark Aura, STAB, and a fantastic attack stat^note At base 131, Yveltal has the highest attack stat of any Dark-type capable of learning Sucker Punch, with the exception of Mega Absol, Yveltal's Sucker Punch is the single strongest priority attack in the game.
• Blow You Away: Yveltal is a Flying-type. Its exact inspiration is difficult to pin down, as it has traits from several bird species.
• Casting a Shadow: Yveltal's Dark type manifests in this way rather than in the typical Combat Pragmatist way of Dark-types. Even the Flying-typed Oblivion Wing gives off this vibe.
• Combat Pragmatist: Yveltal learns Dark moves based off dirty fighting via level-up, namely Taunt, Foul Play, and Sucker Punch.
• Dark Is Evil: Yveltal, of course, at least before Team Flare pushes it to its limits. It's known as the Destruction Pokémon and drains the life force out of organisms every time it awakens. However, it's more of a deadly, life-draining force of nature rather than a sinister villain with malicious plans, as many of the human villains are. In keeping with this, it's the Big Bad of Pokémon: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction, but it acts as a deadly force of nature rather than a malevolent schemer.
• Dark Is Not Evil: Yveltal, during the story of Y. Despite being a Dark-type whose theme is death and destruction, Yveltal breaks free and is willing to help the player character. It's also noted that Yveltal is not an avatar of mindless destruction; it embodies destruction which paves the way for future creation. However, seeing as it drains the life force out of organisms by default, it's entirely possible that it is not outright benevolent, but simply resents being used for more destruction than is necessary, leading to it assisting you against Lysandre.
• Death from Above: Yveltal uses Oblivion Wing by flying into the air and shooting a laser beam at a target down below.
• Destroyer Deity: This is Yveltal's purpose and niche amongst the legendary Pokémon, with Xerneas and Zygarde being its cohorts that undo or limit the damage that it causes.
• Even Evil Has Standards: While Yveltal is a very dangerous Pokémon whose very purpose is to bring death and destruction, its use by Team Flare to wipe out almost all life on the planet is enough to compel it to join the hero's party.
• Feather Fingers: Yveltal appears to be sporting these in a similar vein to Lugia, though much more claw-like.
• Feathered Dragons: Inverted with Yveltal. Like Lugia, it has traits of both birds and dragons and can learn a wide variety of Dragon-type moves, but is more clearly based on an eagle and/or vulture with dragonlike traits tacked on.
• Feathered Fiend: Yveltal is a gigantic bird that embodies death and destruction.
• Giant Flyer: Yveltal is almost 6 meters/19 feet in size! Yeah. That's a greater Height measure than LUGIA.^note However, whether it's actually bigger or not is not clear. Yveltal's size could have been measured from wingtip to wingtip or from head to tail. The height stat in Pokémon is a little dubious at times.
• God of Evil: Yveltal is Pokémon's equivalent of this, being the embodiment of death and destruction.
• The Grim Reaper: Yveltal is essentially this, being the Pokémon world's embodiment of death.
• Ki Manipulation: As of Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Yveltal holds the distinction of being the only Pokémon to learn Focus Blast via level up, as opposed to needing a TM to learn it.
• Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Yveltal itself is based on an archaic spelling of "evil", and its Secret Art is called Oblivion Wing (or Death Wing in Japanese, which isn't much better). Oddly enough, though, the move is Flying-type, not Dark/Evil-type.
• Never Say "Die": The name of Yveltal's Secret Art is called "Death Wing" in Japan. It was changed to "Oblivion Wing" in international releases, though that's actually even scarier. This trope is also why Yveltal is labeled as the Destruction Pokémon rather than the Death Pokémon, even though its counterpart Xerneas is the Life Pokémon rather than the Creation Pokémon.
• No, I Am Behind You: Yveltal learns the Ghost-type Phantom Force, which is visually this. It's shown using it in one of the trailers.
• Obviously Evil: While Yveltal makes a Heel–Face Turn and joins the player's party, it's not hard to believe that it's the Destruction Pokémon. It is Dark-type, has Dark Aura as its ability, has a red-and-black color scheme, its Secret Art is called "Oblivion Wing", and one piece of official art shows it destroying castles.◊
• The Phoenix: Yveltal is an interesting variant; while it lacks an obvious association with fire and instead embodies death and destruction, it is said that when it is dying, it will sap away life energy from every living thing and revert to a cocoon state in order to be reborn later.
• Red and Black and Evil All Over: Yveltal's design embodies this, being the Destruction Pokémon.
• Resurrective Immortality: Yveltal can die, but revives itself into a cocoon and drains the life out of everything in the vicinity. Including the thing that likely killed it.
• Scavengers Are Scum: Yveltal appears to draw at least some inspiration from vultures and is depicted as a God of Evil.

Zygarde

Zygarde 50% Forme

^{Zygarde 10% Forme}

^{Zygarde Complete Forme}

Zygarde 10% Forme and Zygarde Complete Forme debut in Sun and Moon

• Action Initiative: Zygarde is among the few Pokémon that learn the powerful Extreme Speed, a powerful Normal-type priority attack that goes before other priority attacks.
• Adaptation Expansion: In lieu of another Kalos game, Zygarde and its different formes got much more focus and explanation in the XY&Z season of the anime.
• Anti-Air: Its Secret Art Thousand Arrows is a Ground-type move that ignores immunity to Ground moves and it knocks victims down to the ground, leaving them vulnerable to other Ground moves.
• Area of Effect: Zygarde's Secret Art, Land's Wrath, hits every adjacent Pokémon on the opposite side of the field, making it safer to use in Double or Triple Battles than Earthquake, although it's slightly weaker.
• Badass Adorable: Zygarde Core is almost cuddly, yet can coalesce parts of itself to become an enormous and powerful Eldritch Abomination.
• Balance Between Good and Evil: Zygarde, between Life and Destruction. This is also reflected in its ability, which turns Xerneas' and Yveltal's auras against them. Ironically, being a Dragon/Ground-type makes it weak against Xerneas's Fairy-type moves and have a hard time against Yvetal's Flying-type.
• Belly Mouth: Complete Zygarde has a mouth-like orifice on its chest, which is referred to as such by its Ultra Sun Dex entry.
• Bishōnen Line: Zygarde, who goes from some Animalistic Abomination forms to a Humanoid Abomination Complete form.
• Bizarre Alien Biology: The way Zygarde's formes work is incredibly unusual and complex, even by Pokémon's standards:
  • Zygarde Cells are just that: a tiny fraction of the whole creature. They are non-sentient. Since they can't use any moves, scientists question whether they actually count as Pokémon.
  • Zygarde Cores are similar to Zygarde Cells, except they do possess a brain and are self-aware. They can communicate with other Cores and Cells via telepathy. When the ecosystem changes, Cores decide to take action and combine with Cells and other Cores.
  • The other formes (10%, 50%, and Complete) come about depending on how many Cores and Cells make up the whole. The more of them are assembled, the larger and stronger the forme.
• Bragging Rights Reward:
  • In X and Y Zygarde can only be caught in the post-game, but there's little else in the game where it can be used afterward other than trainer rematches and the Looker Episode.
  • To get a Zygarde with the Power Construct ability, and by extension Complete Forme, you have to scour every inch of Alola for all 100 Zygarde Cells and Cores. Given that some of them can only be found in the post-game, you are very much earning it. That said, one can use Pokémon Bank to transfer a Zygarde from Pokémon X and Y over and use that for an extra 50 Cells to get the forme early.
• Breaking Old Trends: Unlike its predecessors and successor, Zygarde is the only third Legendary trio member that didn't receive a game it was a mascot of. It got an appearance in Sun/Moon, but no Gen VI game centered around it was made (and to add insult to injury, it was relegated to post-game in Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon). At least the anime picked up the slack with XY&Z, but even then, it's a separate continuity.
  • Now slightly Subverted, as Zygarde is set to play a prominent role in a Legends game of its own, Legends Z-A, albeit a little over a decade after its debut.
• Brought to You by the Letter "S": Core Enforcer fires a laser in a Z-pattern, leaving a giant glowing Z on the ground.
• Chromatic Arrangement: Their main colors are the primary colors, with Xerneas being blue and Yveltal being red. Zygarde's Complete Forme has colors from its base design with influences from Xerneas and Yveltal, with blue and red on its shoulder extensions.
• Clip Its Wings: Thousand Arrows is a Ground-type move that can hit ungrounded Pokémon^note Flying types, any Pokémon with Levitate or using Magnet Rise, under the effects of Telekinesis, or holding an Air Balloon which would otherwise No-Sell moves of that type and ground them, also interrupting the phases of Fly, Bounce, and Sky Drop where the user is in the sky.
• Collection Sidequest: In Sun and Moon, Zygarde is split into ninety-five Cells and five Cores, all spread out throughout the Alola region.
• Crippling Overspecialization: Zygarde's ability inverts the buffs that Xerneas' and Yveltal's abilities give, but that's it. Thankfully, gathering all of its cells averts this by allowing it to use the much better Power Construct, which changes its form at half health.
• Damage-Sponge Boss: Complete Zygarde has balanced stats across the board, with the only real differences between it and a 50 percent Zygarde being a slight increase in Special Attack and a slight decrease in Speed... and packing double the amount of HP, meaning that nothing short of Ice-Type attacks and very powerful Fairy and Dragon-Type attacks are going to put much of a dent in it.
• Demoted to Extra: Zygarde was never a huge part of Pokémon Sun and Moon to begin with, but players could undergo the Collection Sidequest to get themselves a Legendary Pokémon before the climax. In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, however, the quest is gone, and Zygarde is encountered as a post-game Optional Boss.
• Detachment Combat: Zygarde has the ability to split itself down to its cores and cells to cover a wide area. It can even split its larger forms into its smaller forms, and recombine itself as necessary. Closely observing its Thousand Arrows and Thousand Waves attacks shows that it fires its cells before recombining them for the former, and coalesces them into a massive wave for the latter.
• Dishing Out Dirt: Zygarde is a Ground-type.
• Draconic Humanoid: Complete Forme Zygarde is probably the most humanoid Dragon-type of all, resembling a mecha-like kaiju with some vaguely draconic features.
• Dug Too Deep: Zygarde resides at the bottom of Terminus Cave, which the map describes as an Abandoned Mine due to a monster living within it.
• Eldritch Abomination: Zygarde looks... otherworldly, to say the least. Being made out of multiple creatures also helps to support its otherworldliness. This, in combination with the existence of multiple Zygarde Cores which act independently, means that Zygarde functions very differently compared to all other Pokémon. Zygarde's Cells are described as confusing to scientists, as it's unknown whether or not they should even be classified as Pokémon at all, since they are non-sentient and can't use any Pokémon moves.
• Fragile Speedster: 10% Zygarde has a good speed stat of 115, but both of its defensive stats (especially the physical one) are lower than its higher Formes and its HP base stat is half the amount of 50% Zygarde's.
• Fusion Dance: Zygarde is comprised of several Cores (each with their own will and thoughts) and Cells that, in emergencies, can split off into its 10% Forme or combine even further into its Complete Forme. When assembling Zygarde, the player can opt to add or subtract Cells from a given Zygarde to change it between 10% and 50%. Compiling all the Cells together to give it Power Construct also permanently prevents the player from disassembling their Zygarde to create several of them.
• Gaia's Vengeance: In times of environmental disaster, Zygarde will reveal its Secret Art, Land's Wrath, and unleash it on all responsible. In worst-case scenarios, it will absorb all of its scattered cores and cells and assume Complete Forme.
• Gentle Giant: It's implied that Zygarde is a pretty nice creature, unless you damage the environment and earn its full wrath.
  Sun: This is Zygarde's form when it has gathered 50% of its cells. It wipes out all those who oppose it, showing not a shred of mercy.
• The Gods Must Be Lazy: For a powerful protector of the ecosystem, Zygarde seems to love not doing its job:
  • In X and Y, despite Team Flare obtaining Xerneas/Yveltal and sacrificing many Pokémon to power the Ultimate Weapon (something that would wipe out all life excluding Team Flare itself), Zygarde doesn't do anything to stop them, or even appear until the post-game (where the entrance to its lair is suddenly free from the contextless NPC blocking it earlier).
  • Despite seemingly moving to Alola in response to an imminent threat in Sun and Moon, no mention is made of Zygarde helping out once the Ultra Beasts arrive in Alola and start wreaking havoc. Given its modus operandi of defending the ecosystem (something that extradimensional Pokémon would definitely impact), its absence is all the more conspicuous.^*Even if one justifies it by saying the player can collect over half its cells, thus limiting its effectiveness, there's still a great deal of them in the wild prior to this moment.
  • In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Necrozma shows up to drain away the universe's light; something just as devastating to the ecosystem as the appearance of Ultra Beasts. And despite Zygarde being in the game, it still does nothing to help; in fact, thanks to the omission of the Collection Sidequest and Zygarde being restricted to the post-game, it's even less effective than before!
• Godzilla Threshold: Zygarde never resorts to using its Complete Forme unless it has no other choice and the familiar form we all know and love has no chance of handling the problem. This even shows in gameplay — where, rather than being a forme it can change into outside of battle, its alternate ability, Power Construct, lets it morph into its Complete Forme when it reaches critical health.
• Gotta Catch Them All: If the alternate name of its Complete Forme isn't already enough to clue you in, there are 100 pieces of Zygarde to find in Alola; 5 Cores, and 95 Cells.
• Heroic Second Wind: Power Construct only activates when a Zygarde with the ability reaches 50% HP, but once it activates, it can easily turn the tide of battle.
• Humanoid Abomination: In Complete Forme, Zygarde resembles a kaiju-esque Humongous Mecha with its mouth on its chest that weighs more than half a tonne.
• Humongous Mecha: Subverted for Complete Forme Zygarde. It's a fully organic being (and therefore skews closer to Kaiju than this trope), but has some characteristics of stereotypical mecha such as its overall design, its streamers resembling Vertical Mecha Fins, its "combining" gimmick, and the "face" on its chest similar to mecha such as Gurren Lagann and others.
• Informed Ability: Despite supposedly being the balance between Xerneas and Yveltal, Zygarde's typing puts it at a disadvantage against the two (Yveltal's Flying-type makes it immune to Zygarde's Ground-type moves, while the Fairy-type Xerneas is immune to Dragon attacks and hit back hard). It can learn some moves to help even the odds, however (including Thousand Arrows).
• Informed Flaw: 10% Forme Zygarde's Sun Pokédex entry notes that the Zygarde Core cannot maintain its body indefinitely and will fall apart after a period of time. You can create a 10% Zygarde and never have to worry about it collapsing into cells at all.
• Jack of All Stats: 50% Forme Zygarde has good, but not spectacular, stats all around, leaning towards physical defense.
• Kaiju: 50% Forme and Complete Forme Zygarde are gigantic beasts, with Complete Zygarde in particular resembling an organic take on a Humongous Mecha.
• Late Character Syndrome:
  • While the player is able to collect Zygarde Cells almost as soon as arriving on Akala Island, Zygarde cannot be assembled until Route 16, which is quite a ways into the game. Even then, the best a player can get by then is a Level 30 50% Forme with Aura Break, since some Cells (and therefore a Zygarde with Power Construct — and by extension its Complete Forme) are locked off until the post-game, at which point there's not much it can do with its new power. This is, of course, assuming one doesn't transfer a Gen VI Zygarde over for extra Cells.
  • In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Zygarde becomes an Optional Boss, and as such can't be accessed until becoming the Champion (and dealing with Blacephalon/Stakataka). Though it comes at Level 60, it loses out on much of the game beyond Episode RR — and strangely enough, it still appears in the middle of the Pokédex.
• Limit Break: Zygarde's Complete Forme can't be achieved outside of battle. Instead, it has to reach critical health levels before it transforms, regaining all of it and doubling it.
• Mix-and-Match Critters: 10% Zygarde is a bunch of Draconic Abomination cells taking the exact form of... a dog.
• Multiform Balance: A Power Construct Zygarde can freely switch between the frail but speedy 10% Forme and the sturdier (and slightly slower) 50% Forme, and both are capable of turning into Complete Forme when Zygarde Turns Red.
• Multiple Head Case: Played with for Zygarde's Complete Forme. To begin with, all Zygarde forms are colonial animals similar to the Portuguese man 'o' war, where each Cell and Core has a mind of its own and they work together as a single organism. Complete Forme Zygarde only has one true head, but has a facelike motif on its chest, though the mouthlike opening is specifically referred to as an "orifice" and not a mouth. When it fires energy beams from its wings, they look like additional heads/mouths.
• Non-Indicative Name: Given its appearance in Sun and Moon, which have Totem Pokémon and Ultra Beasts that use auras to boost their stats, you'd be forgiven for thinking Aura Break would negate or invert these. Nope, they still only affect the auras of Xerneas and Yveltal (who, unlike Zygarde, can't be found in Alola, making the Ability useless).
• Non-Malicious Monster: Zygarde looks alien and somewhat creepy, but it's always monitoring the ecosystem and keeping everything in balance. If something threatens said ecosystem, however...
• Obvious Rule Patch: The games won't stop your Zygarde Cube from holding more Zygarde Cells via separating outsider Zygarde, but you can't get the Zygarde Cores through this method.
• One-Winged Angel: Starting with Sun & Moon, Zygarde can morph into its Complete Forme when its health reaches critical levels, thanks to its Ability.
• Optional Boss:
  • In Pokémon X and Y, Zygarde is fought within an area of Terminus Cave accessible only after becoming the Champion.
  • In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Zygarde appears in Resolution Cave in its 50% Forme after becoming the Champion.
• The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Zygarde is the protector of the ecosystem, and acts as a mediator between Xerneas and Yveltal while dealing swift punishment on those that threaten the environment. That said, we never see it acting as a mediator, and in the game canon, there are at least three instances of ecosystem-destroying calamities^*Team Flare exploiting the power of Xerneas/Yveltal and the Ultimate Weapon for mass genocide in Pokémon X and Y, the Ultra Beasts attacking Alola in Pokémon Sun and Moon, and Necrozma draining the light of the Pokémon world on top of the Ultra Beast invasion in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon occurring while Zygarde's around, and in all three, we never see it do anything to curb them.
• Power Nullifier: Its Secret Art Core Enforcer erases the Abilities of any opponents that have already used a move on the same turn that it's used. Complete Forme synergizes with it very well due to losing speed in exchange for special attack.
• Purposely Overpowered: Banned from the Battle Facility and official tournaments.
• Rain of Arrows: Its Secret Art Thousand Arrows invokes this. Appropriately enough, it's a Ground-type move that can even hit Flying-types.
• Retcon: With its inclusion in Sun and Moon, Zygarde has been presented less as a mediator between Xerneas and Yveltal and as more of an independent force.
• Single Specimen Species: Zygarde zig-zags this — while it can become one complete being, it is made up of several Cores (each with their own thoughts) and Cells. The player can even create multiple Zygarde — each with their own unique stats, nickname, etc. — provided they have enough Cells (and they haven't assembled an inseparable Zygarde with Power Construct). However, Sun and Moon implies that there is only one Zygarde collective, and the one split throughout Alola is explicitly the same one from Kalos.
• Sinister Geometry: Subverted with Zygarde. It really does make the wyrm look creepy, but in reality, it's just a nature-loving Eldritch Abomination. That, again, will kill you if you harm the environment.
• Sliding Scale of Gameplay and Story Integration: Zygarde is said to only enter its Complete Forme in a Godzilla Threshold situation, where there's no other options and it believes itself outmatched. Gameplay-wise, this is how Power Construct works in Sun and Moon, which lets 10% Zygarde or 50% Zygarde assume Complete Forme if its HP reaches a critical level.
• Spider-Sense: Strangely enough, Zygarde may have some form of precognition, if it emigrating all the way to Alola from Kalos just in time for the invasion of the region's ecosystem by alien creatures from another universe is anything to go by. Dexio even believes Zygarde is in Alola because something big is going to go down.
  • This might be somewhat of a justification for why it doesn't intervene in times of crisis- it already knows that some little kid is going to take care of it and doesn't bother, and it only comes in in a situation where it's actually needed.
• Status-Buff Dispel: Zygarde's Aura Break, which causes Fairy Aura and Dark Aura to weaken their respective moves instead of boosting them.
• Stone Wall: Zygarde's Complete Forme, for Legendary standards, having a massive HP stat as well as good (but not spectacular) defenses, but comparatively low Attack, Special Attack, and Speed. Notably, unlike Zen Mode Darmanitan - another 'mon with a Forme change ability that triggers upon reaching low health - Complete Zygarde does not revert to its normal Forme until the end of the battle, even if its health goes back above 50%. This makes it a fantastic Rest user, capable of leveraging the full extent of its massive health pool
• Scissors Cuts Rock: Its Secret Art Thousand Arrows is a Ground-type move that hits Flying-types. All other Ground-type attacks normally cannot hit Flying-types.
• Super Mode: In dire situations, Zygarde can reabsorb all of its scattered cores and cells to assume Complete Forme. While its stats are largely the same as the 50% Forme, where it truly shines is its base HP stat of 216, making it nigh-impossible to take down.
• The Swarm: Thousand Waves shows Zygarde dissembling into Cells and swarming the enemy before reassembling themselves into the whole.
• Sweeping Laser Explosion: Core Enforcer has it carve a giant Z into the ground with a giant laser which then erupts once Zygarde is done drawing it.
• Took a Level in Badass: Zygarde is weaker than its Legendary brethren and has an Ability that is useless when they're not around (and outright detrimental if they're on Zygarde's side in a Double Battle), but that all changes once it becomes Complete, becoming much stronger than them.
• Transformation Sequence: If it has its hidden ability Power Construct, Zygarde gets one of these when it reaches half HP and turns into its Complete forme.
• Transformation Is a Free Action: Zygarde's Power Construct doesn't take up a turn when it activates.
• Useless Useful Spell:
  • Aura Break might actually be useful if it affected more than two Pokémon, both of which Zygarde will likely never face outside of multiplayer battles. If Xerneas or Yveltal happen to be on the same team as Zygarde, Aura Break will do more harm than good. A broken Dark Aura doesn't hinder Yveltal's Flying-type advantages against Zygarde and it also ends up causing its Crunch to be weaker than usual.
  • Land's Wrath is a weaker Earthquake, but has the advantage of not damaging allies in Double Battles. However, Thousand Waves/Arrows not only do exactly the same thing, but also have beneficial effects that Land's Wrath simply lacks.
  • Core Enforcer looks very impressive, and would be quite a dangerous move... if it weren't a special move on a Pokémon that generally favors physical Attack, even after receiving a Special Attack boost in its Complete Forme. Also, its added effect of nullifying a target's Ability only works if the target moves faster than Zygarde, making said effect fairly impractical for 50% Forme Zygarde (who is still faster than average) and outright useless for the 10% Forme. And as a final insult, it ends up making a weaker Z-Move than a move of its Base Power could normally become.
• The Worm That Walks: Zygarde is actually composed of many smaller creatures known as Zygarde Cells, as well as other small creatures called Zygarde Cores, which serve as the "brains".
• Your Size May Vary: In Pokémon X and Y, Zygarde is shown to be noticeably larger than the player in the overworld◊. It has another overworld model in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, and it seems to be a fraction of its original size◊.
• You Will Not Evade Me: One of Zygarde's Secret Arts, Thousand Waves, prevents Pokémon hit by it from switching out.

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