Highlights

  • Pokemon Legends: Z-A could be the long-awaited Pokemon Z fans hoped for, diving deeper into the lore of Zygarde and bringing back Mega Evolutions from Gen 6.
  • Players can expect more Mega Evolutions to take precedence over new Pokemon species in Pokemon Legends: Z-A.
  • In particular, Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde deserve more of a spotlight, with the box art legendaries finally getting their Mega Evolutions.

Over a decade after their first visit, players return to Pokemon X and Y’s Kalos region in Pokemon Legends: Z-A. The central Lumiose City is even more prominent than before, acting as Pokemon Legends: Z-A's primary, and possibly only, setting. An urban development project to ensure the city is a good habitat for humans and Pokemon appears to be underway, justifying it potentially being the only playable area while maintaining Pokemon's diverse wildlife. Details on how this works and affects gameplay are still under wraps, but it's a unique premise that should make for a worthy sequel to Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

That's not the only thing fans hope Pokemon Legends: Z-A makes good on. Compared to the distinct spin-off feel of Pokemon Legends: Arceus’ title, Legends: Z-A is much closer to the naming scheme of Pokemon X and Y. There's history behind this, largely concerning rumors of a Pokemon Z follow-up to the Generation 6 Pokemon games, which may have been canceled and had some elements, like Zygarde's cell hunt, rolled into Pokemon Sun and Moon. Pokemon Legends: Z-A could be the Pokemon Z that many were waiting for, and that means Zygarde and its fellow legendaries could finally benefit from one of Pokemon X and Y’s standout features.

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How Pokemon Legends Z-A Is the Perfect Foil to Pokemon Legends Arceus

Pokemon Legends Arceus explores the past, but Pokemon Legends Z-A presents the opportunity to explore the cyberpunk future of Lumiose City.

Pokemon X and Y's Mega Evolution Deserves a Comeback

Generation 6 was when Pokemon began experimenting with new gimmick mechanics in its battles. Special battle variants like double and triple battles had already appeared in prior games, and Pokemon X and Y had some new ones of their own, but those were nowhere near as prominent as Mega Evolutions. Serving as temporary mid-battle upgrades, Mega Evolutions demonstrated what various Pokemon could look like with one more evolutionary step, even if they were already capped at three stages. Even with complaints of overcomplicated designs and Generation 1 favoritism, Mega Evolution remains one of the best-received parts of Pokemon X and Y.

Mega Evolution Should Be Important To Pokemon Legends: Z-A

It's not a coincidence, then, that the Pokemon Legends: Z-A reveal trailer ended with a shot of the Mega Evolution logo. Much like how Pokemon Legends: Arceus introduced new regional variants, Pokemon species, and forms, Legends: Z-A is expected to do the same. Legends: Z-A’s timeline placement in relation to Pokemon X and Y is currently up in the air, but since this take on the Kalos region seems closer to the present than the first Pokemon Legends, it's likely that new Mega Evolutions will take precedence over new Pokemon species being injected into Lumiose City.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A Must Do Mega Evolutions Justice

This makes more sense after considering how much room Mega Evolution still has to grow. Despite the first and third Generations’ starter trios receiving Mega Evolutions, X and Y's starters never did. It took the Pokemon anime pushing the overpowered Ash Greninja to give them any more forms, and Mega Diancie is still Generation 6’s only true Mega Evolution despite X and Y introducing the mechanic. Pokemon Legends: Z-A is the perfect place to fix this, all while giving Mega Evolution the shot at story prominence it never had.

Legends: Z-A Should Finally Give Pokemon X and Y's Boxart Legendaries Their Mega Evolutions

Enter Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde. As the mascot legendaries for Pokemon X and Y, and possibly Pokemon Legends: Z-A in the future, they would be perfect for spearheading the wave of new Mega Evolutions. This follows Pokemon Legends: Arceus’ example of introducing Origin Formes for Dialga and Palkia, and Legends: Z-A could dive deeper into Mega Evolution’s lore due to its vague DNA and ore themes meshing with Zygarde’s unique means of evolution and ecological function. Realizing the potential of both Pokemon X and Y's mascot legendaries and Mega Evolution should be a priority in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, helping it give Pokemon's sixth generation the closure fans have been waiting for.