By: Tatum Robertson 8/25/25
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The announcement trailer said,
“URBAN DEVELOPMENT PLAN
—
LUMIOSE CITY”
Then the tape was peeled off the word before “City” and was revealed to say Lumiose.
That was when the excitement began.
Pokémon Legends Z-A is going to be set in Lumiose City, the capital of the Kalos region, where the games Pokémon X and Y were set, which generated a lot of excitement. The city will be the setting for Legends Z-A, and it looks like there will be some interesting changes from the original Kalos games.
Holocasters are the equivalent of phones in the Kalos region (although there was a phone in one of the trailer scenes), and they have been upgraded since the X and Y games, from small holograms of people to quite large ones. There was a shot from the Z-A gameplay that shows a person talking to a hologram of another person, just on the street, as if it's a normal thing.
Another thing that’s new about Lumiose is that there’s something that they call the Z-A Royale. At nighttime, you can compete in the Z-A Royale, battling other trainers throughout a fenced-off zone of the city. Your goal in the Royale is to “climb the ranks,” according to the Pokémon website, from Z to Y and so on. But the battling is much different from the traditional Pokémon way.
The Pokémon website puts it quite nicely, “In previous Pokémon video game series titles, Pokémon’s actions were turn-based. But in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Trainers and their Pokémon will move around in real time during battles, and Pokémon will unleash their moves at their Trainer’s command.” You also have to choose carefully when to switch out your Pokémon during a battle. These things make the game much more like the battles that one would see in the Pokémon manga or anime - fast-paced and with battling that requires some ingenuity.
Yet another new aspect in this game is the introduction of ‘Wild Zones.’ Wild Zones are places within the city limits that are outdoor, natural spaces, the homes of many wild Pokémon. This is where you should go if you want to capture some new Pokémon or hone your skills before the night’s battling.
A much-loved part of the X and Y games is Mega Evolution. Mega Evolution is a process that exceeds regular evolution. Pokémon that normally couldn’t evolve any further can temporarily evolve with a final “mega” evolution. Mega Evolving simply makes it so that a Pokémon is transformed into a stronger, more powerful version of itself. Only certain Pokémon can Mega Evolve, some of which are Absol, Kangaskhan, Tyranitar, Scizor, Steelix, Slowbro, Lopunny, Banette, Ampharos, Gardevoir, Sableye, Altaria, Lucario, Gyarados, and both Mega Charizard X and Mega Charizard Y, as well as an all-new Mega Dragonite! Also, there was another Pokémon recently confirmed on August 21st, and that Pokémon is Mega Victreebel! There were also some leaked Mega Evolutions that weren’t officially announced by the Pokémon Company, which may or may not be true. Those include Mega Evolutions of Scrafty, Starmie, Malamar, Emboar, Meganium, Feraligatr, Scolipede, Skarmory, Chandelure, Drampa, Clefable, Electross, Falinks, Hawlucha, Lopunny, and Excadrill. These may not be completely accurate, but NayTendo’s source seems to be reliable, based off of previous leaks that became true.
Another all-new aspect of the game is that, early in the game, you are recruited to Team MZ, whose goal is to protect the peace in Lumiose City. Team members include Lida, Naveen, and either Urbaine or Taunie, depending on what you choose to be your “look” at the beginning of the game. The team members have been brought together by strange means. Lida, now beloved and trusted by the team, came to them in exchange for lodging. Naveen, a fashion designer making a name for himself in Lumiose City, joined Team MZ in exchange for studio space. And finally, Urbain of Taunie (whichever one you get) joined the team for a reason unbeknownst to the Pokémon community. And then it seems that the player joins because Urbaine/Taunie convinced them to. What you are protecting the city from are the rogue Mega Evolved that have been appearing throughout the city. These battles are similar to Terra Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet, but more akin to the Frenzied Pokémon battles in Pokémon Legends Arceus. And, from gameplay that we’ve seen, these battles are NOT easy!
On another note, you encounter many people throughout the city that you help protect. You will have some encounters with random people on the streets of the city, the people in charge of Quasartico Inc. (who look interestingly similar to Rayquaza, a Pokémon from earlier games, Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald), but there are also returning characters from the X and Y games.
A Team MZ Meeting
A Rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon
Among the returning characters are Emma, once a quiet girl in Pokémon X and Y, now the best detective in Lumiose City. She will want help with her detective work. Mable, once a scientist for antagonistic group Team Flare, is now the acting director at the Pokémon Research Lab. She will want help capturing various Pokémon. Two other important returning characters are AZ and his unique Floette. Both of them are over 3,000 years old and are the owners of Hotel Z (technically it’s AZ who owns the hotel, but he does everything with Floette).
At least some of the returning Pokémon will likely have regional variants, which are ways that Pokémon’s types and looks change based off of where they live. One of those Pokémon will likely be Meganium, the evolution of Chickorita. This is somewhat likely because in the gameplay footage, we see Chickorita with a fairy-type move, which isn’t something that it has in other games. This is, however, pure speculation and could simply mean that there will be a type change when Meganium Mega Evolves.
Play this game on the Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 when it comes out on October 16, 2025!
Sources:
GameSpot
The Pokémon Company
GatorEX
Game Rant
Lockstin & Gnoggin
Austin John Plays
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