Summary
- Kalos region takes center stage in Pokemon Legends Z-A, teasing connections to the storyline from Pokemon X & Y.
- Lumiose City in the game features unexpected Pokemon sightings, hinting at potential gameplay changes from its predecessor.
- Fans speculate on ties between Legends Arceus and Z-A, with hints from the protagonist's fashion choices and possible character appearances.
Pokemon fans around the world were shocked on Pokemon Day 2024, when the Pokemon Presents virtual showcase ended with a big reveal. A sequel to Pokemon Legends Arceus will be releasing in 2025, titled Pokemon Legends Z-A and taking place entirely in Lumiose City of the Kalos region, which originally appeared in the 3DS titles Pokemon X & Y in 2013.
Many die-hard Pokemon fans 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 about Pokemon Legends Z-A, here are some takeaways from the reveal trailer that only the most hardcore Pokemon fans will have gotten.
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7 A Beautiful Vision
Where Have We Heard Of This Before?
While no gameplay footage is shown during the reveal trailer for Pokemon Legends Z-A, there is a major implication relating to the storyline of Pokemon X & Y. Early in the trailer, text on screen reads the following:
A vision of beautiful coexistence between people and Pokemon...
Those who have played Pokemon X & Y will 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.
6 Pokemon You Didn't Notice
Surprising Appearances In Lumiose City
During the wireframe cinematic that takes up most of the Pokemon Legends Z-A reveal trailer, plenty of Pokemon appear wandering the streets of Lumiose City. Some of these are expected faces from Gen 6, including Litleo and Pyroar, Flabebe, Hawlucha, and Aegislash. There are also Pokemon from previous generations, like Gyarados, Pikachu, and Hippopotas.
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However, those who have played Pokemon X & Y will 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, unlike Pokemon Legends Arceus which centered on it.
5 The Anime's Zygarde Connection
There's More To Lumiose Than Meets The Eye
Lumiose City features heavily in episodes of Pokemon 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 for Pokemon Legends Z-A, considering its title seems to imply the involvement of Zygarde. Although the Legendary Pokemon appears in Terminus Cave to be caught in the 3DS games, perhaps its origin lies in the metropolitan center of the Kalos region after all.
4 Why Kalos Before Unova?
For Liberty And Justice For All...
Many Pokemon fans were perplexed as to why Game Freak is choosing to focus on the Kalos region rather than Unova, considering Pokemon Legends Arceus was a tie-in with the 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 next Legends game. This could even be a reference to France gifting the U.S. With the Statue of Liberty in the real world.
3 Legends Arceus' Plot May Be Relevant
The Answer Lies In Fashion
Some eagle-eyed fans who played Pokemon Legends Arceus may have seen a trip to the Kalos region coming a long time ago. Some fans pointed out that the shirt the protagonist wears upon arriving in the Hisui region is identical to a t-shirt that can be bought in Pokemon X & Y, the first Pokemon game to incorporate different styles of clothing.
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This could potentially mean that the player character from Legends Arceus is actually a native of the Kalos region, which would explain their mysterious origin. Perhaps Legends Z-A will have even greater ties to Legends Arceus, making the games a continuous story rather than a completely separate adventure in the Kalos region.
2 The Familiar Title
One Specific Character Might Show Up
There's one character in Pokemon X & Y who may play a huge role in Pokemon 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 in Pokemon Legends Z-A. This would align with Legends Arceus, which introduces the ancestors of characters like Cynthia, Professor Rowan, and Cyrus. Maybe the game will even reveal more about this mysterious war fought in the Kalos region.