We will be making our long-awaited return to Lumiose City in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Anyone who enjoyed their time with Legends: Arceus is surely looking forward to this next entry, but unfortunately, there is very little known about the new game. All we have gotten is a trailer telling us that the city is being rebuilt to accommodate people and Pokémon. It’s no fun to wait patiently for the game to come out to find out more, though. Here are some Pokémon Legends: Z-A predictions we have.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A predictions
Release window
Traditionally, Pokémon is a series that releases in or around the fall months. With it being one of the biggest franchises ever, it can easily sit in the holiday timeframe and sell very well regardless of any competition. For that reason, we would guess October or November 2025 will be when the game comes out. The first Legends game came out in January, but we would guess there was a delay at some point to push it to that time. It would be really cool if it came out earlier in the year and was a day-one Switch 2 release, though.
Story
The only story detail given in the announcement teaser is that Lumiose City is undergoing a redevelopment plan. It sounds like this is an attempt to structure it similar to the Detective Pikachu movie’s Ryme City. The intention is for the city to house and accommodate the Pokémon as much as it does humans. With that in mind, here are some beats we could see happening:
- Obviously, the Z in the title refers to Zygarde. We think the A is a hint that Arceus will still have a role to play in this game as well.
- Where Legends: Arceus was set in the past, Legends: Z-A will be in a future timeline. Arceus will bring you forward in time and then Zygarde will lead you through the story. During this time, the city is much bigger than you know it to be in X and Y.
- There will be two antagonistic groups to contend with. The first will be obsessed with nature and life, which will represent Xerneas. They want to make the city completely controlled by Pokémon and get all humans pushed out. The second, representing Yveltal, will be a group that uses a lot of vampire influence and wants the power to get rid of Pokémon.
- Both of those groups will look to harness the power of each respective Pokémon until Zygarde comes in and puts a stop to it.
- Instead of a researcher like in Arceus, your character will be part of a detective group looking to stop the groups mentioned above.
- Starter choices will be Froakie, Chikorita, and Litten. All will have their normal final evolutions, unlike in Arceus, but they will be getting brand-new mega evolutions.
Mega evolutions
Mega evolutions were the big gimmick advertised alongside Pokémon X and Y, and the teaser trailer for Z-A showed the symbol for it at the end, so we are assuming it will be back. We already mentioned above that the starters for the game will have new mega evolutions, but here are some more Pokémon from the X and Y Pokédex that never got one in the past that we guess are represented this time around:
- Pikachu and/or Raichu
- Xerneas
- Yveltal
- Zygarde
- Talonflame
- Miltank
- Pyroar
- Florges
- Scizor
- Magnezone
- Garbodor
- Conkeldurr
- Scrafty
Other predictions
Here are a variety of other Pokémon Legends: Z-A predictions we have:
- There will be a bigger focus on keeping your Pokémon happy. For example, bonuses when they are, and debuffs when they are upset.
- Instead of catching tons of the same Pokémon to research them, you will hide away and watch them from a distance. Watching how they move and act gives you a leg up on catching them or tracking down one of the groups mentioned above.
- You will also have to study clues to find your next lead in the case.
- While the entire game will take place within the Lumiose city limits, there will be a large nature reserve to catch Pokémon.
- Battles can play out anywhere outdoors, including in the middle of a crowded street.
- Progressing through the story involves eliminating different heads of the antagonistic groups rather than settling the anger of various Noble Pokémon, like in Legends: Arceus.
Obviously, we have no insider info, and all of this is just for fun. We like the idea of a Pokémon game outside of Detective Pikachu, taking on a more investigative nature.