Of course, there was no way I could buy the Xerneas model kit without picking up the opposite game's mascot too! Representing Pokémon Y is the legendary dark/flying type Yveltal - a legendary Pokémon that continues its lifespan by sucking the life energy from everyone around it. However this Pokémon Plastic Model Collection version (numbered 34 in the "Select Series") is of course made of plastic, so I should be fine from any life-sucking shenanigans.
Yveltal is packaged in an identical way to Xerneas (and thus, most standard model kits) and the box is emblazoned with a picture of the Pokémon in flight, with a background similar to that of the battle animation in the game when you finally encounter it. The contents include three plastic runners (one red, one black and then one that's a red/black/grey/clear combo), one sheet of stickers and an instruction booklet. Time to get building!
Once again Yveltal is a relatively simple build, with most of the colourscheme made up by the plastic pieces. Stickers are mainly needed for the black vein-like shapes that run through the Pokémon's body, which are quite thin and can easily be misplaced without a fair amount of precision. Luckily, where exactly you need to place these stickers is marked out by raised sections, so as long as you keep your hand steady you should have any real problem applying them. My only real compaint is the ridiculous way the feet were handled - moulded in grey plastic and then using red wrap around stickers to cover everything but the talons. As well as meaning the feet end up looking more crudely than they should, surely it would have been easier to cast them in RED plastic and then use stickers on the talons?
The Destruction Pokémon features a little bit of articulation, but not really enough than you can get many different poses out of it. The legs do rotate, however the tail is not hinged enough to move back and allow the kit to stand on its feet so that already reduces you to just mid-air poses. The head can move up and down (the collar can lift to accommodate more motion) and the jaw can also open. The tail and wings are hinged, but still don't really have a whole lot of motion to them. Flapping wings are certainly possible, but they can't be brought right back or forward.
The clear stand features the same Pokéball base as the Xerneas release, but naturally the connection is a little different. As well as a rod to give it a bit more height, Yveltal's base has more of a unique rack shape to it that can hold the model in two different ways. You can either place it on the top with the stomach face down to replicate standard flight, or alternatively the model can be hooked onto the front for a pose like the official artwork/in-game design.
If you've read my review of the Xerneas model kits, my thoughts on Yveltal are pretty much identical. It certainly isn't the most complex or articulated kit out there, but it makes a damn fine displace piece and is also ludicrously cheap. Yveltal has quickly become one of my absolute favourite legendary Pokémon so I'm thrilled to own it in plastic form, and will look great on display with his fellow mascot and relevant game cases. I'm not about to go gaga over this line by any means, but when they make a Zygarde (I'm 100% confident it will happen) I'll definitely be in for that too.
