With Pokemon Legends: Z-A adopting a more modern approach than Pokemon Legends: Arceus’ feudal setting, the upcoming sequel will have the advantage of building its cast of characters from across the series. Thanks to the historical backdrop of Legends: Arceus, players quickly recognized that many of the people they encountered throughout the game were likely ancestors of many familiar and fan-favorite Pokemon characters. But since it appears that Pokemon Legends: Z-A will either be set in the series’ present day or near future, its characters may not be as distantly removed from their forebears as in Legends: Arceus.

While it seems probable that Legends: Z-A will introduce original characters within the Pokemon series just as Legends: Arceus did, its full cast could include several returning faces. But unlike Legends: Arceus which relied on its time travel twist to feature classic characters like Gen 5’s Ingo, Legends: Z-A will have simpler options to do the same, ranging from increasing a character’s age to introducing their children or even grandchildren. The direct links these characters could offer might give Legends: Z-A an edge over Legends: Arceus by following up on lingering stories, questions, and mysteries from past Pokemon games.

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Pokemon Legends Z-A Can Finally Answer So Many X and Y Mysteries

Pokemon Legends Z-A has the opportunity to pick up where Pokemon X and Y left off, tie up some curious loose ends, and solve some mysteries.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Cast Could One-Up Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Ancestors

As one of Legends: Arceus' more creative and ingenious features, its cast of familiar ancestral characters paved the way for some of the game's best moments, such as the reveal and confrontation with Volo that reimagined Gen 4's infamous Pokemon Champion challenge against Cynthia. But now that players are aware of this potential twist, Legends: Z-A would have struggled to achieve the same effect had it also been set in Pokemon's history. With the added complication of potentially including its predecessor's use of time travel, a shift from the past to one of the options below could help Legends: Z-A improve on Legends: Arceus in new ways.

  • Legends: Z-A is set in or close to the present day.
  • Legends: Z-A is set in the near future.
  • Legends: Z-A is set in the distant future.

What if Pokemon Legends: Z-A Takes Place During the Present?

bird's eye view of lumiose city in the pokemon anime

Should Legends: Z-A be set sometime after Pokemon X and Y following Lumiose City's urban redevelopment, this might be its greatest advantage over Legends: Arceus as it would allow virtually any Pokemon character to return. Beyond the many X and Y characters like Professor Sycamore or AZ on a long wish list of returning features for Legends: Z-A, this could include various other Pokemon characters, ranging from series staples to those more obscure. For instance, while someone like Professor Oak would be an obvious choice, Legends: Z-A and its inclusion of Zygarde's multiple forms could see Professor Rowan return thanks to his specialty in form changes.

What if Pokemon Legends: Z-A Takes Place in the Near or Distant Future?

Is Pokemon Legends Z-A a Mainline Game? Explained

While it hasn't been confirmed when Legends: Z-A takes place, this hasn't stopped fans from speculating based on the trailer's unusual artistic style of futuristic neon and digital geometry. With the only specific detail being that Legends: Z-A will take place in a redeveloped Lumiose City, this seems to hint at a time gap between it and other Pokemon games. If true, then unlike Legends: Arceus' ancestors, Legends: Z-A could go in the opposite direction with a cast of familiar but older characters, such as Lumiose City's gym leader Clemont, or the descendants of Pokemon couples like X and Y's own Yuu and Ami.

The advantage Legends: Z-A gains from this is the ability to build on the existing stories of previous Pokemon characters, which is something Legends: Arceus wasn't in a position to do. For example, an older, more experienced Clemont would be perfect for a theorized futuristic Legends: Z-A since he was an inventive child prodigy and played a key role in Pokemon's X and Y anime. But with a bigger time gap, Legends: Z-A could feature the children or grandchildren of Pokemon characters, again doing what Legends: Arceus couldn't by creating new stories about the future lives and families of these familiar names and faces.