Pokemon Legends: Z-A Likely Hasn’t Played the ‘Volo’ Ace Up…

This article contains spoilers for Pokemon Legends: Arceus' major twist.

With more information about Pokemon Legends: Z-A's characters and Mega Evolutions emerging ahead of its October release, fans can start to get an idea of what type of adventure they are in for. While the Z-A Royale seems to be the main source of Pokemon Legends: Z-A's story, there is a lot of room for the game to tie up the loose ends left by Pokemon X and Y. However, the game is likely to keep one important card up its sleeve until release in order to repeat one of Legends: Arceus' best tricks.

One of the most surprising parts of Pokemon Legends: Arceus was its twist villain and their associated boss battle. Having an unassuming character like Volo come out of left field as the game's true antagonist with an unexpectedly tough battle was a highlight of Legends: Arceus. However, if leaks about Legends: Z-A's villain are true, the game may want to take a different approach with how it advertises this character to maintain the mystique until launch.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A is Likely Saving its Twist Villain for Release

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Volo Was Part of Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Pre-Release Marketing

In the months leading up to Pokemon Legends: Arceus' release, several of the game's characters were showcased, many of whom sparked speculation among fans as to which existing characters they may be related to. With Legends: Arceus' setting in the Hisui Region, over 100 years before the modern-day Sinnoh Region fans were familiar with, seeing a character like Volo revealed immediately drew parallels to the Gen 4 Champion, Cynthia. Although Volo was introduced as an unassuming merchant for the Gingko Guild, it was obvious he was hiding more than he let on, given his clear relation to Cynthia.

Unlike Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Legends: Z-A will be set in a modern to near-future version of Lumiose City.

Keeping Volo's True Nature a Secret Was One of Legends: Arceus' Best Twists

Throughout Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Volo acts as an ally to the player, teaching them about the Hisui Region and even going so far as to support them after they are banished from Jubilife Village. This makes Volo's twist as the game's antagonist, bent on harnessing the power of Arceus to create a new universe, all the more shocking. To make matters worse, the boss fight against Volo flips the script on what players have come to expect from a traditional Pokemon battle by using a total of seven mons and forcing players to defeat Volo's Giratina in both its Altered and Origin Formes, making this villain one of the most memorable in the series.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A's True Villain Hasn't Been Shown Yet, If Leaks Are True

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According to credible story rumors and leaks for Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Team Flare's Lysandre is said to return as a villain once again. However, the way in which he appears in the game seems to follow Volo's arc from Legends: Arceus. Lysandre is rumored to appear as a mysterious figure dressed much like AZ in X and Y, tasking the player with collecting all of Zygarde's Cells and giving them the Zygarde Cube.

While this sounds amicable enough, it's likely that the mysterious man's true identity and motives as Lysandre won't be revealed until the game's climax, setting players up for an exciting showdown with an old foe. However, if this character were revealed during Legends: Z-A's pre-release marketing, it might undermine some of the mystique surrounding their in-game introduction, as fans could likely deduce their identity as Lysandre before the game is even released. As such, it's a smart move on The Pokemon Company's part to keep this rumored villain officially under wraps in order to have a shot at creating Pokemon Legends: Z-A's own "Volo" moment.

These leaks also note that Lysandre's ace will be his Mega Gyarados from his X and Y team.

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