This morning, we got our first extensive look at Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Game Freak's futuristic Pokémon game set in the familiar Lumiose City from Pokémon X/Y. While the reveal showcased features like rooftop running, revamped battles, and Mega Evolution, many questions remain about its placement within the Pokémon timeline and the potential return of beloved characters.
The community has already begun investigating. Previous Pokémon Legends games incorporated time travel, featuring locations and characters from earlier games, sometimes centuries in the past. This has sparked intense speculation about Pokémon Legends: Z-A's setting, potential time-traveling elements, and returning faces in Lumiose City.
Since the trailer's release, fans have uncovered several intriguing connections. The most obvious is AZ, directly mentioned in the trailer. Given his immortality (granted 3000 years before Pokémon X/Y), his presence, seemingly running a hotel in Lumiose City, is plausible regardless of the game's timeline. He appears significantly happier, reunited with his beloved Floette.
More subtle connections have also emerged. Fans have noted a striking resemblance between an office shown in the trailer and the Looker Bureau from previous games, suggesting the presence of Looker or his protégé, Emma, in Z-A's Lumiose City.
A particularly intriguing theory proposes a link between the protagonists and familiar characters. The protagonists' designs bear a resemblance to Ethan and Lyra from Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, leading to speculation about a time-traveling scenario where they're transported to a futuristic Lumiose.
Another theory suggests a different origin story, drawing comparisons between the protagonists and Professor Sycamore and Grace (the protagonist's mother in Pokémon X/Y). This theory, especially the connection to Grace, is less concrete but aligns with the ancestral themes in the Legends series.
Interestingly, these theories aren't mutually exclusive. The game's placement within the timeline remains unknown. The Pokémon timeline is loosely sequential, sometimes featuring alternate realities and time travel, as seen in Legends: Arceus. AZ's presence suggests a post-Pokémon X/Y setting, potentially centuries later, considering his immortality. Lumiose City's futuristic, expansive design in Z-A also supports this theory. If this is the case, the protagonists and Looker Bureau personnel could be descendants of the characters they resemble.
Another captivating character is a mysterious woman featured in the key art, resembling a Hex Maniac from Pokémon X/Y. This is particularly intriguing due to the unsolved mystery of the "Ghost Girl" in Pokémon X/Y. This Hex Maniac's appearance raises hopes of finally unraveling this long-standing enigma.
The coming days will undoubtedly reveal further discoveries, easter eggs, and connections within the newly released footage and art. While Pokémon Legends: Z-A is slated for a "late 2025" release, the abundance of new information provides ample material for speculation in the meantime. You can find all the announcements from today's Pokémon Presents, including Legends Z-A news, mobile gaming news, Pokémon Champions, and more, here.
