Summary
Pokemonfans around the world were shocked on Pokemon Day 2024, when thePokemon Presentsvirtual showcase ended with a big reveal. A sequel toPokemon Legends Arceuswill be releasing in 2025, titledPokemon Legends Z-Aand taking place entirely in Lumiose City of the Kalos region, which originally appeared in the 3DS titlesPokemon X & Yin 2013.
Many die-hardPokemonfans were blindsided by the reveal, especially due to Game Freak skipping over remaking the Gen 5 games and reiterating on the region of Unova before jumping ahead to Gen 6’s region, Kalos. While there’s still plenty unknown aboutPokemon Legends Z-A, here are some takeaways from the reveal trailer that only the most hardcorePokemonfans will have gotten.
7A Beautiful Vision
Where Have We Heard Of This Before?
While no gameplay footage is shown during the reveal trailer forPokemon Legends Z-A, there is a major implication relating to the storyline ofPokemon X & Y. Early in the trailer, text on screen reads the following:
A vision of beautiful coexistence between people and Pokemon…
Those who have playedPokemon X & Ywill recognize the language here as belonging to Team Flare,the villainous team terrorizing Kalos in the 3DS titles. Particularly, the word “beautiful” is used several times by team leader Lysandre to describe his dystopic vision for Kalos. Perhaps its use in the trailer is more innocent than this, but it just might be too close for comfort.
6Pokemon You Didn’t Notice
Surprising Appearances In Lumiose City
During the wireframe cinematic that takes up most of thePokemon Legends Z-Areveal trailer, plenty of Pokemon appear wandering the streets of Lumiose City. Some of these areexpected faces from Gen 6, including Litleo and Pyroar, Flabebe, Hawlucha, and Aegislash. There are also Pokemon from previous generations, like Gyarados, Pikachu, and Hippopotas.
However, those who have playedPokemon X & Ywill probably recall that there are no Pokemon available to catch in the city, aside from gifts and trades. Since Game Freak has confirmed the game will take place entirely in Lumiose City, this might mean the game will de-emphasize exploration and catching Pokemon, unlikePokemon Legends Arceuswhich centered on it.
5The Anime’s Zygarde Connection
There’s More To Lumiose Than Meets The Eye
Lumiose City features heavily in episodes ofPokemon the Series: XY, chronicling Ash Ketchum’s adventures throughout the Kalos region with gym leader Clemont, his little sister Bonnie,and his childhood friend Serena. The city also serves as the climactic setting of the series' final episode arc, in which Team Flare takes control of Zygarde’s cells to siege Lumiose City.
With that in mind, perhaps the anime will serve as inspiration forPokemon Legends Z-A, considering its title seems to imply the involvement of Zygarde.Although the Legendary Pokemon appears in Terminus Caveto be caught in the 3DS games, perhaps its origin lies in the metropolitan center of the Kalos region after all.
4Why Kalos Before Unova?
For Liberty And Justice For All…
ManyPokemonfans were perplexed as to why Game Freak is choosing to focus on the Kalos region rather than Unova, consideringPokemon Legends Arceuswas a tie-in withthe Gen 4 remakes released in 2021. However, this could be because they have bigger plans for Gen 5, which can be speculated on based on the regions' real-life inspirations.
As many die-hard fans know, Kalos is based on France, while Unova is based on the east coast of the United States; namely, New York City and parts of New Jersey. By visiting past Kalos first, Game Freak may create some tie-in between the two regions before returning to Unova for the nextLegendsgame. This could even be a reference to France gifting the U.S. with the Statue of Liberty in the real world.
3Legends Arceus' Plot May Be Relevant
The Answer Lies In Fashion
Some eagle-eyed fans who playedPokemon Legends Arceusmay have seen a trip to the Kalos region coming a long time ago. Some fans pointed out thatthe shirt the protagonist wears upon arrivingin the Hisui region is identical to a t-shirt that can be bought inPokemon X & Y, the first Pokemon game to incorporate different styles of clothing.
This could potentially mean that the player character fromLegends Arceusis actually a native of the Kalos region, which would explain their mysterious origin. PerhapsLegends Z-Awill have even greater ties toLegends Arceus, making the games a continuous story rather than a completely separate adventure in the Kalos region.
2The Familiar Title
One Specific Character Might Show Up
There’s one character inPokemon X & Ywho may play a huge role inPokemon Legends Z-A. Fittingly, the character’s name is AZ, who mysteriously appears throughout the game’s story. It is eventually revealed that he is the former king of the Kalos region, who was separated from his partner Pokemon, a Floette, after he attempted to bring it back to life following a war.
It’s possible that, given the game’s title, the 3,000-year-old king will play a major role inPokemon Legends Z-A. This would align withLegends Arceus, which introduces the ancestors of characters like Cynthia, Professor Rowan, and Cyrus.Maybe the game will even reveal moreabout this mysterious war fought in the Kalos region.
