u/Matrixbeast

So I had stopped playing right before Vaporeon dropped due to lack of interest, but I decided to poke my head back in and see what's new and all that.

I knew there were going to be some changes coming prior to my break, but I'm just confused. Are Pokemon only able to be unlocked via this weird progression system now? Can I not buy who I want with coins? And must I pre-set my moves before every battle? Is there not an option to revert it to the original system?

Also, what does Mega Evolution do? I know they dropped Mega Charizard X before I had taken a break, but I never really understood the point beyond the visual change. Is it just a damage boost?