Xerneas and Yveltal

and  are two legendary Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise, debuting as the version mascots in the 2013 Nintendo 3DS games Pokémon X and Y. Both creatures were jointly designed by Ken Sugimori and Atsuko Nishida over a period of 18 months. Their designs draw inspiration from Norse mythology and are based on the shapes "X" and "Y". Known as the Life and Destruction Pokémon, respectively, Xerneas and Yveltal are powerful creatures said to have shaped the history of the Pokémon world. Xerneas and Yveltal appeared in many other games and media since their debut.

Concept and characteristics
The development of Pokémon X and Y began in 2010, and the games were released worldwide on October 12, 2013. The titles X and Y, representing the x-axis and y-axis—also reflecting different forms of thinking—were chosen early in development. At the request of game director Junichi Masuda, the shapes "X" and "Y" were used as the framework for the boxart legendary Pokémon: Xernas and Yveltal. Following tradition that began with Red and Green, Ken Sugimori was tasked with designing these two legendary Pokémon. Normally, Sugimori designs the legendary Pokémon by himself; however, he suffered from artist's block and required assistance from designer Atsuko Nishida to create Xerneas and Yveltal. Finalization of their designs took about 18 months, 3 times longer than normal.

Xerneas is a large stag-like Pokémon adorned with glowing antlers, and Yveltal is a large y-shaped avian Pokémon with some draconian traits.  Part of a Legendary trio, the designs of Xerneas and Yveltal are rooted in Norse Mythology. Xerneas traces to the Eikþyrnir, a stag that stands atop Valhalla, while Yveltal is inspired by the Hræsvelgr, a giant eagle able to make the wind blow by flapping its wings. 

Xerneas and Yveltal represent eternity and destruction, respectively. Xerneas can grant eternal life while Yveltal can absorb life energy. Xerneas donned the newly introduced Fairy-type and a new ability called Fairy Aura, which raises the power of all Fairy-type attacks in-battle. Yveltal is a dual Dark- and Flying-type with the unique ability Dark Aura which has the same effect as Xerneas' ability but for Dark-type attacks. Additionally, both Pokémon have unique attacks: Geomancy for Xerneas and Oblivion Wing for Yveltal.

Appearances

In video games

Within the main series games, Xerneas and Yveltal were at first only available in X and Y, respectively, but were made once again available for capture without an in-game event when Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon were released in 2017. They serve a pivotal role in  X and Ys story, providing the energy necessary for Team Flare to power their super weapon. They must be caught for the story to progress and can only be encountered once. From May 11 to 17, 2016, a shiny in Xerneas was distributed via Wi-Fi to players using X, Y, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire. An identical distribution of a shiny Yveltal took place the following week from May 20 to 28.

Yveltal appears as one of the antagonists in Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, turning numerous characters to stone while under control of the primary antagonist "Dark Matter". During the story's climax, Yveltal is turned to stone by Dark Matter before being saved by the player character. After Dark Matter is defeated, Xerneas appears from the "Tree of Life" and enables to player to evolve any party member. Xerneas and Yveltal also appear in multiple other spinoff titles, including Pokémon Art Academy, Pokémon Rumble World, Pokémon Battle Trozei, Pokémon Shuffle, and Pokémon Picross. Yveltal is featured in the 2015 fighting game Pokkén Tournament as an assist character that can temporarily stop the player's opponent from using their Synergy Gauge. The 2016 mobile strategy game Pokémon Duel features both as EX-level figures. Additionally, Xerneas appears as an assist character and trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.

Other media

Both Xerneas and Yveltal appeared in the seventeenth Pokémon movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction and its manga adaptation. They also made minor appearances in the Pokémon: XY anime, and Yveltal further appeared briefly in Pokémon Generations. The two legendary Pokémon reprise their role from X and Y in the Pokémon Adventures manga during the X & Y chapter. They also made minor appearances in the Let's Play the Pokémon Card Game XY! manga. Furthermore, both appear on multiple cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Promotion and reception
Xerneas and Yveltal were revealed on January 8, 2013, as part of the announcement of Pokémon X and Y during a Pokémon Direct broadcast. Three limited-edition Nintendo 3DS XL bundles were designed for Xerneas and Yveltal, a blue and red one featuring both Pokémon and a gold one featuring Xerneas, Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie. Pre-orders of X and Y in Japan were bundled with miniature figurines of the two legendary Pokémon. In 2014, three limited edition Nintendo 3DS XL systems featuring Xerneas and Yveltal were distributed at football matches played by Yokohama F. Marinos, Urawa Red Diamonds, and FC Tokyo.

In an IGN poll with more than 8 million participants, Yveltal ranked as the second-most popular of the then 69 known new Pokémon in X and Y and Xerneas ranked fourth. A later publication by IGN in May 2019 ranked Xerneas as the tenth-best Legendary Pokémon, citing its influence on the competitive metagame and its "beautiful yet intimidating presence". In an official poll in Japan, Yveltal ranked twenty-sixth and Xerneas thirty-seventh out of the then-721 Pokémon. Screen Rant placed Xerneas as the eleventh-best Legendary Pokémon while Yveltal did not make the top 16. Ben Skipper of the International Business Times praised the designs of the two creatures, calling Xerneas "one of the strongest legendary designs produced to date" and complimented the freshness of Yveltal.

Within the competitive metagame of Pokémon, Xerneas became a staple of championship teams. Its Fairy-typing, signature ability, and signature move Geomancy made it a dominating force that reshaped the competitive field. Starting with the 2016 Pokémon World Championships, Xerneas made regular appearances on top-placing teams. Even teams with dedicated counters to Xerneas could fall due to its overwhelming power. By 2019, Incineroar surpassed Xerneas as the most-used Pokémon. In stark contrast, Yveltal saw only one top team placement in 2016.

Footnotes

References

External links
Xerneas on Bulbapedia
Yveltal on Bulbapedia
Xerneas on Pokemon.com
Yveltal on Pokemon.com

Category:Fictional birds
Category:Fictional characters who can manipulate darkness or shadows
Category:Fictional deer and moose
Category:Fictional fairies and sprites
Category:Pokémon species
Category:Video game characters introduced in 2013
Category:Video game characters with air or wind abilities
Category:Video game mascots