Summary
InPokemon Legends Arceus, players are transported into the past. Now, the newly announcedPokemon Legends Z-Aseems to transport players into the future. Rather than exploring the wilds around a feudal village,Z-Awill have players hit the streets of Lumiose City, a Paris-inspired metropolis of lights. Game Freak was perhaps tired of the countryside when it approached the drawing board for the newPokemon Legendsgame becausePokemon Legends Z-Acould very well be considered the futuristic counterpart toPokemon Legends Arceus' blast from the past.
Pokemon Legends Z-A Takes Place Entirely In Lumiose City
Recent tweets from Nintendo have confirmed thatPokemon Legends Z-Awill take place entirely within Lumiose City. The circular city map is a significant upgrade from the streets players ran down inPokemon XandY, but this announcement was still met with some controversy.
The countryside, namely patches of tall grass, has been essential to the design of all previousPokemontitles.Pokemon Legends Arceustook this a step further by limiting “urban” areas to a single village, rather than the system of towns and cities typically scattered across a region.
If players think of the upcomingPokemon Legends Z-Aas the futuristic sibling ofArceus, then the pivot to an entirely urban environment makes sense. While certain types of Pokemon thrive in forests and plains, there are plenty of Pokemon that are city-dwellers. Urban Pokemon like Trubbish are obviously suited to the alleyways of a city, for example, while Furfrou, a poodle-like Pokemon, was introduced in Generation 6 and makes sense more as a resident of Lumiose City rather than wandering in the wilds.
The Future of Pokemon is Mega Evolution According to Z-A
WhilePokemon Legends Arceustook players into the past,Pokemon Legends Z-Amight take players into the future, or at least a version of the present. Though it is confirmed that the game will take place in Lumiose City, the trailer does not say when the game will take place, and its setting may be the only way to determine that. Notably, the new title pulls from the Generation that introduced many firsts for Pokemon: Pokemon-Amie, the Fairy type, riding on the backs of Pokemon like Gogoat, and, of course,Pokemon’s Mega Evolutions.
Mega Evolutions were a big step forward forPokemonat the time and involved old favorites getting deserved upgrades. More Pokemon might receive the Mega Evolution treatment, considering thatMega Evolutions are indeed returning inPokemon Legends Z-A.
The “science” behind Mega Evolutions is scant, so perhaps the phenomenon will be further examined in the new game, especially if the game is set in the not-so-far-off future.
Pokemon Scarletand Violetalso explore the future and the past through the inclusion ofparadox Pokemon. It is possible that these Pokemon, or new ones, could be included inPokemon Legends Z-A. Or, if the game really does take place in the future, players could witness the transition between the Pokemon of this era (Volcarona, for example) and the cyberpunk Iron Moth of the far-flung future.Pokemon Legends Z-Apresents itself as a perfect platform to explore what’s next in the Pokemon timeline; players have already conquered the past, andZ-Apresents a great opportunity to glimpse the future, if true.
Pokemon Legends Z-A
The sequel to Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Pokemon Legends: Z-A takes Pokemon trainers back to the Kalos region’s Lumiose City.
