Pokemon Champions is now on mobile, and with it comes 11 more Mega Evolutions. Some of those Mega Evolutions, and the abilities they bring, are experimental, to say the least, which is why the arrival of Mega Staraptor in the competitive Pokemon battler has caused quite a stir.
Mega Staraptor debuted in the Pokemon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension DLC that launched at the end of 2025. It's so new that until it arrived in Champions this week, it didn't have a passive ability. Now it does. It's called Contrary, and it's the reason why, all of a sudden, pretty much every trainer you're up against has a Staraptor in their line-up.
Contrary reverses the effect of moves that are intended to change a Pokemon's stats. That means, if you wade in and try to reduce Mega Staraptor's speed or attack, you'll just make it faster and stronger. So, to avoid Contrary having too negative an effect on you, just don't attempt to reduce any of Mega Staraptor's stats, right?
If only it were that simple. Since what Mega Staraptor's Contrary is capable of has become common knowledge so quickly, those using the Flying-type have already started taking matters...
