Finally, the Pokemon game I always wanted!
The Legends series continues to evolve the series! While Pokemon Scarlet and Violet was a step in the right direction. Legends Arceus outshines these games by providing new features that the Pokemon franchise needed for a long time. Very long time!
Pokemon Z-A Legends will be continuing this evolution. I couldn’t be more excited about this game. And we are going to dive into what we know about this game so far!
Setting
Z-A Legends will take place in Lumiose City. It’s set years after the events of Pokemon X and Y. Lumiose City is undergoing an urban redevelopment plan to shape the city into a space where people and Pokemon can live together.
The redevelopment plan is being implemented by Quarsartico Inc. This is a large corporation in Lumiose City. Thanks to Quarsartico Inc, Lumiose City is a different city than it was in Pokemon X and Y.
As a result, Lumiose City had more greenery combined with cutting-edge facilities. You will find people in shopping arcades, cafes, and restaurants. All of these places co-existed with natural area waterfronts and verdant parks.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Lumiose City without Prism Tower. Prism Tower is the symbol of the city after all. The whole game will take place in the city of Lumiose.
Story
As the player character, your travels take you to Lumiose City. During your stay in Lumiose, you will be staying in an old hotel called the Hotel Z. The hotel is being run by AZ.
For anyone who played Pokemon X and Y, you’ll recognize him as the former king of Kalos from 3000 years ago. Accompanying AZ is his beloved, shiny Floette. And what old will AZ play beyond being your host is anyone’s guess at the moment.
Hotel Z will be your base of operations as you make new friends. Some of these friends are Urbain(male) or Taunie(female) depending on the gender of your player character. Of course, these two act as your rivals.
You will encounter some incidents in Lumiose City. There will still be incidents involving humans and Pokemon. The incidents can occur from humans, Pokemon, or both.
Wild Zones
Lumiose City now has “wild zones.” Wild Zones are spaces where people and Pokemon can share the city. These zones are also part of the redevelopment plan.
Wild Zones are where you can battle and catch Pokemon. Wild Zones are similar to the Wild Areas of Pokemon Sword and Shield. Wild zones are high-tech spaces for Pokemon to live within Lumiose.
Catching Pokemon
Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper Pokemon game without being able to capture any. Pokemon can be caught in wild zones, inside the city, or outside of it.
Since this is the sequel to previous Legends, you aim your Poke Ball and throw it at a wild Pokemon. Suppose the Pokemon doesn’t come out of the ball. The Pokemon is yours!
However, some Pokemon will flee from you. So, you will have to rely on stealth to sneak on them. Or you can hide behind cover and throw a Poke ball at them to catch them.
Of course, some Pokemon will break free and put up a fight! Naturally, you can battle them to weaken them. Making it easier to capture them.
You Can Catch Fainted Pokemon!
For the first time in Pokemon’s long history, you can now capture fainted Pokemon. That’s right! We can reduce a wild Pokemon’s HP to zero! And you can throw the Poke Ball to capture them now.
After years of catching Pokemon, this is an awesome quality-of-life feature. I no longer have to worry about reducing a Pokemon’s health to a mere inch of it. Or worry even more about making the Pokemon faint accidentally.
I hope this feature is implemented into all Pokemon games going forward. This is an evolutionary feature many of us have been waiting for. This alone makes Z-A Legends more evolutionary than Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Real-Time Battles
That is not only the first new feature for Z-A Legends. Another new feature is that Pokemon battles will now take place in real-time. That means no more turn-based battles.
For starters, trainers and their Pokemon can move around the battlefield. Trainers and their Pokemon can now evade opponents. We now actually dodge Pokemon moves.
Pokemon will unleash their moves once their trainers call them out. Pokemon moves will have different ranges, areas of effect, and times required for moves to take effect. Also, new gameplay elements will require precise timing for executing moves and switching Pokemon.
This is a massive evolution from the battle system from Legends Arceus. Battles were still turned-based. But the amount of turns that you and your opponent get was determined by their speed.
Outside of these turned-based battles, you would have boss fights with Noble Pokemon. In these boss fights, you had to dodge the bosses’ attacks. While you’re dodging these, you throwing special items at the Noble to stun them.
While the Noble is stunned, you enter a turn-based battle with them. Here you could damage or defeat the Noble Pokemon. Boss battles with Noble Pokemon allow you to have a hybrid system of the revamped turn-based combat and the new action elements.
Now it seems that Pokemon Battles are fully real-time. But Legends Z-A is keeping the spirit of old school battle formula of Pokemon. As type matchups still played a huge role in Pokemon Battles.
Mega Evolutions Return!
Mega Evolutions are back! Mega Evolutions are a special type of evolution that temporarily transforms a Pokemon. The Mega Evolved Pokemon will change their appearance.
But that’s not all. Not only do Mega Evolved Pokemon become more powerful, but their types can also change as well. And they gained new abilities too.
Winning battles when Mega Evolution is involved will require how efficiently you use Mega Evolutions. Type matchup is one way that Mega
Evolution can used efficiently. But the real-time mechanics will play a big role on how trainers will implement Mega Evolutions.
New Mega Evolutions?!
But will there be new Mega Evolutions? And could the starter Pokemon for Legends ZA have new Mega Evolutions?
While X and Y starters, Greninja, Delphox, and Chestnaught did not receive Mega Evolutions. Other Pokemon starters like Charizard, Blastiose, and Venusaur did get Mega Evolutions in X and Y. Blazeiken also received one in X and Y with Sceptile and Swampert achieved them in Pokemon Omega Ruby and Sapphire.
So, Chikorita, Totodile, and Tepig’s fully evolved forms get Mega Evolutions as well? Also, we have to consider that Typholsion, Samurott, and Decideye had regional variants in Hisui. So, is it possible that we could use Mega Evolutions of Meganium, Ferilgator, and Emboar in their regional variant forms?
Legendary Pokemon: Zygarde
Pokemon Z-A Legends features the Legendary Pokemon: Zygarde. Zygrade’s various forms are shown in Lumiose. Its cells are scattered throughout Lumiose City too.
What role will Zygarde play in Legends Z-A? Its first initial, Z, could be “Z” in Legends Z-A. So, Zygarde could be the main legendary Pokemon in Pokemon Legends Z-A? Zygarde was a legendary Pokemon that never got the spotlight like its counterparts Xernsas and Yvetal.
Pokemon X and Y never received a third game or an upgraded version of the game. There were many rumors about a third game, Pokemon Z, coming out during the sixth generation. It never came out if the rumors were true.
The rumored game would have featured Zygarde. Zygarde played a major role in the Pokemon XYZ anime. And its various forms debuted in the anime.
Releasing Late 2025
It’s going to be a long wait for Pokemon Z-A Legends to launch. However, I am willing to wait and let Game Freak cook. They are creating something evolutionary and special with Legends Z-A.
So far, Legends Z-A is evolving and innovating Pokemon immensely. But it is respecting the spirit of the other core Pokemon games. Thus, Legends Z-A is continuing the work that Legends Arceus led the groundwork for. Like its predecessor, Legends Z-A will be worth the wait.
Sources: Pokemon Legends Z-A Website
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