Of all the games that could have been announced during the Pokémon Presents stream this week, I’m not sure if a Pokémon Legends game set in the Kalos region’s Paris-inspired Lumiose City was on anyone’s bingo card. But, lo and behold, that’s exactly what we got. Pokémon Legends: Z-A got its first teaser trailer and is set to release on the Nintendo Switch at some point in 2025. What’s more, the upcoming game has the potential to explore some of the Pokémon series’ most interesting - but seriously dark - lore, that’s gone unused for years.
Not much has been officially confirmed yet about the upcoming entry but we can start to have some speculative fun as to what we can expect. On Twitter / X, Nintendo published a post stating that the game will take place “entirely” within Lumiose City, and the teaser trailer itself referred to an “urban redevelopment plan” taking place within the city with a “vision of beautiful coexistence between people and Pokémon.”
Now, it’s worth keeping in mind that the first Pokémon Legends game, Legends: Arceus, took place in a historical version of Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum’s Sinnoh region. Therefore, it’s a reasonable guess to say that Legends: Z-A could take place in Kalos’ past, too, although The Pokémon Company hasn’t directly confirmed this.
But what would this actually mean for Legends: Z-A’s story? Well, we can make some theories based on the lore from the 2013 3DS games, Pokémon X and Y - the games which first introduced the Kalos region. Of course, that involves discussing spoilers from those games, so consider this your spoiler warning if you want to experience the X and Y plot first-hand.
War, what is it good for?
In X and Y, players meet a mysterious character named AZ, who’s over 3,000 years old and the former king of the Kalos region. Players learn that the Kalos region was once involved in a brutal conflict with another country, and Pokémon were used to fight in the war. One of these Pokémon was AZ’s Floette, who was killed after several years of conflict. Distraught by this, AZ created an enormous machine - powered by the life force of Pokémon - to bring Floette back to life, and succeeded.
However, he didn’t stop there, and in his rage he turned the machine into the ‘ultimate weapon’ which was used to end the war, bringing huge casualties to both sides. Saddened by the circumstances of its rebirth, Floette left AZ behind, although it eventually returns to him during the events of Pokémon X and Y in a very heartwarming scene.
Emotional reunions aside, obviously the main points of interest here are set in the past. Although we got some details about these surprisingly tragic canon Pokémon events in the 3DS games, there was still much that was left unanswered. We never discovered what country Kalos was at war with, or why, for that matter. Beyond the temporary loss of AZ’s beloved Floette, we never saw the real impact of the conflict on the Pokémon world, either, despite how catastrophic it was described to be.
With the idea that Pokémon Legends: Z-A could also be set in the past, is it plausible that players may be able to see the events of the war and the destruction caused by the ultimate weapon play out first-hand? There’s certainly a chance, although with the war being described as lasting for several years, it could be difficult to translate all that into a single game.
New beginnings
This is pure speculation, but what seems more likely to me is the idea that Legends: Z-A could be set directly after the war. After all, the “urban redevelopment plan” referenced in the trailer suggests that Lumiose City needs rebuilding. We know that AZ’s ultimate weapon destroyed both factions during the war, so it’s reasonable to assume that Lumiose City could have also been left ravaged by the conflict. This would be a fascinating setting, as we’d likely be given far more information about the war and its consequences without seeing it unfold in front of us.
Despite the teaser trailer’s very light details, it’s also worth looking closely at the Pokémon Legends: Z-A logo, as the ‘A’ bears quite a close resemblance to the ultimate weapon seen in Pokémon X and Y’s flashbacks. Its shape and color are very similar, and, while this could be pure coincidence, it does suggest that we could be revisiting the concept of the ultimate weapon.
Of course, for all we know, Pokémon Legends: Z-A may not venture back to the past at all, in which case these theories may be way off the mark. However, we’re long overdue for a revisit to the Kalos region, even if this game is set solely within Lumiose City. After all, X and Y never received a third version or sequel like what we saw with Crystal, Emerald, or Platinum. Back in 2013, it felt like getting a game called Pokémon Z was a matter of when, not if. However, this never materialized, and, to this day, Kalos is the only region from a mainline Pokémon game that was never revisited in an additional game or expanded upon with downloadable content like with Pokémon Sword, Shield, Scarlet, and Violet.
Regardless of what story unfolds, I’m incredibly excited to see what Pokémon Legends: Z-A has to offer. Of course, we’ll have to wait a fair while for it given its scheduled release window of 2025. Personally, though, I’m thrilled about that part too, as it should give the game even more time to be polished and enjoyable at launch. Here’s hoping that it’s able to meet fans’ lofty expectations, and I'm fascinated to see if Pokémon is about to get thrown back to its canonical war-torn past.
Looking for your next Pokémon adventure? Be sure to check out our roundup of the best Pokémon games. You can also read our recommendations for the best Nintendo Switch games to expand your gaming library further.
