After a year of its announcement, Pokemon Legends Z-A officially gets an update on Pokemon Day (Feb. 27th). Trainers travel back to Kalos with the style of Legends Arceus. We travel ahead into the future of the series and welcome back one of the core aspects of X & Y’s battle system, Mega Evolutions.
Lumiose City in The Future
Game Freak and Nintendo have reimagined Lumiose City to become more high-tech while preserving wildlife. Pokemon Legends Z-A takes place after the events of X & Y. The city is now under new management with Quasartico Inc. in control. Leading the city development are CEO Jett and her secretary, Vinnie. Now, Lumiose City is more lively than ever and no longer feels isolated by city walls.
Returning from X & Y is AZ, the last living guardian. He was previously seen as the person who held the key to the ultimate weapon that could terrorize the world. After the Trainer defeated Lysandre and Team Flare, AZ reunites with his Pokemon partner, a red and blue Floette. They now run a hotel which will be the Trainer’s home base.
A Peek At Game Architecture
Pokemon Legends Z-A breathes new life into the series with its mixture of natural and futuristic landscaping. Wild Zones are established in Lumiose City to allow Wild Pokemon to easily adapt to their man-made habitat that is specialized for them. Here, Trainers can safely battle and capture Pokemon within city limits. During Z-A’s announcement teaser, viewers spotted symbols on Z-A’s blueprint map predicting they could be city factions or gyms. We can now assume those map symbols are Wild Zone locations.
The new game update trailer also offers an inside look at how Trainers will travel the city. They can traditionally travel by foot and use Holo-vators to transport onto rooftops. There is no confirmation if Pokemon Legends Z-A will bring back roller skates from X & Y as they offer players new pathways to explore routes including rail grinding. If Game Freak plans to use Legends Arceus’s gameplay ideology, we could see players using certain Pokemon to travel by swimming, flight, or faster running.
Rebuilding Pokemon Battles and Catching
Game Freak has significantly improved the gameplay set by Legends Arceus and Scarlet & Violet. Players can move freely during Pokemon Battles and see combat range and area effects for certain attacks. Your party members now require player precision and timing. They no longer will be waiting for chances for dodging. Pokemon will actively move during turn-based combat. Pokemon Legends Z-A has finally grounded their new formula that will excite veterans and new players alike.
Capturing Pokemon also gained an upgrade from its previous titles. Legends Arceus had set players to freely catch the creatures in an open field or on a turn during battles. One of the major problems players struggle with in the past is accidentally making a wild Pokemon faint before capture. Pokemon Legends Z-A has resolved this issue by allowing them to throw Pokeballs while their partner weakens them.
Mega Evolutions make their return to the series as well. They offered new formations and access to stat boosts. X & Y debuted this new battle tactic on the 3DS. Hopefully, Game Freak will implement Z-moves as well from Sun & Moon for battle finishers.
What To Expect from Pokemon Legends Z-A
While the new trailer has confirmed Legends Z-A takes place in the future, its continuity in the Pokemon Timeline is unknown. For those who have played Sun & Moon, you may want to keep your eyes peeled on Safeguard Zygarde. Zygarde played a large role in X & Y and Sun & Moon as the Trainer can collect its core and cells to recreate it.
Safeguard or 10% Form is a hound dog form that travels and battles for emergency uses. The Pokemon can’t maintain its body well with its single core. Quasartico Inc. could have reformed Lumiose City to have Wild Zones for possible surveillance of the legendary creature. Kind of like Lusamine when she had the Aether Foundation have operations in the Alola region to study Lunala, Sylvally, and Solgaleo.
Overall, Pokemon Legends Z-A could be the installment of what Pokemon fans need. The new battle system and exploration have captured their hearts during its Pokemon Day preview. The Pokemon Company COO Takato Utsonomiya has informed viewers that the game will launch in late 2025.
