Pokemon LEGENDS: Z-A - General Discussion/Speculation Thread

[Kazuniya]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1762609795234988233

I wonder if Quasar might be the new bad guys? Their logo is on the urban redevelopment file, so they seem to be in charge of the whole project.

 

[Xuxuba]

I want to know how we're gonna find all of the Pokemon if the entire game takes place in Lumiose City. What about the Pokemon normally found in the ocean? The ones found in caves like Zubat, ones that are in the snowy areas.

The legendaries? I know the story will probably take care of them but still. Are they just chilling in the city the entire time?

YW did something similar to be honest. With the exclusion of the national dex since SwSh, i reckon they will most likely focus on including pokémon from urban areas. Even then, we are bound to find some pokémon that we normally wouldn't expect in an urban enviroment like the Gyarados from the trailers just casually swimming in the city river's.

I'm hoping that battling is more involved over catching in quests to progress further into the game. I found it too tedious in the Arceus game.
It looks like Mega evolution will be involved in some way though so that may be a good sign for more battling quests.

I think it will judging by the random npcs freely battling in the trailer. Back in Hisui, it made sense for not that many trainers to exist because the population were afraid of pokémon. In this trailer, it seemed like pokémon were coexisting with humans rather fine, so i am guessing battles would be more common in this scenario.

This is probably what I’m the most curious about at the moment. As in, what makes a Legends game a Legends game (besides GF labeling as such). What little we have seen so far doesn’t really seem to lend itself well neither thematically or mechanically to the things PLA are known for.

I am very confused about that myself. Maybe it's not mechanics themselves, but the focus on the lore of a less explored legendary pokémon?

 

[ebevan91]

Maybe this Legends game will focus more on battling than catching. Obviously though, to battle, we need Pokemon.

 

[Cyclone]

I think the "A" character will be a new legendary that represents the ecosystem.

Zygarde's Pokedex talks about how much it hates the ecosystem being disrupted.
The A symbol is seemingly comprised of leaf veins, so probably a grass type. Possibly connected to representing the ecosystem at large.
Lumiose is undergoing a new urban development... could be related to harming the ecosystem (or helping it)

 

[bruhidk]

While Pokemon has their World Tree equivalents of Hresvelgr, Nidhoggr, and Eikthyrnir, it does not have Ratotoskr, the little messenger squirrel that relays messages to Nidhoggr.

Considering Zygarde intervenes when the world's ecology is threatened, and Z-A is about renovating a huge megapolis like Lumiose, this would be a good setup to introduce it. Amidst all the renovating and terraforming, there's an unknown squirrel Pokemon flitting about, too quick to contain, inspecting the area and how humans are handling it, and relaying that information to Zygarde/Zygarde's Cells, and part of the gameplay is gaining its trust and seeing what its up to do and what it wants.

Plot twist: that's the true rumored yellow mythical mon and the gorilla sketch was just to make Area Zero look more otherworldly and weird

 

[Pokefan_1987]

Maybe this Legends game will focus more on battling than catching. Obviously though, to battle, we need Pokemon.

That is a much better version. Grinding the research number version is exhausting. And please no player fainting effects (from wild attacks)

 

[Xuxuba]

Honestly, one of PLA's strongest points was how innovative the mechanics were. So perhaps it will not have the same mechanics as PLA, but still try to get out of the traditional formula when it comes to core aspects of the series like battling or catching pokémon.

That said, i hope aiming still is a thing, even if it's applied in a different way. Shooting things with the motion controls were probably the most fun part about the game for me.

 

[bruhidk]

That is a much better version. Grinding the research number version is exhausting. And please no player fainting effects (from wild attacks)

Since this is about the reconstruction of Lumiose City and not the formation of the pokedex, I doubt it will be as grindy

 

[Smeargle-Sketch]

I think the A in Z-A, just stands for Axis.

Z-Axis

Or based off of how japan seems to be pronouncing it, its just a complicated way of saying Pokemon Legends ZetA

 

[Autobot N]

I think the A in Z-A, just stands for Axis.

Z-Axis

Or based off of how japan seems to be pronouncing it, its just a complicated way of saying Pokemon Legends ZetA

Idk the A definitely has a different pattern on it than the Z. If there weren't another Pokemon in the title I don't see why they wouldn't just call it Legends Zygarde

 

[Smeargle-Sketch]

Idk the A definitely has a different pattern on it than the Z. If there weren't another Pokemon in the title I don't see why they wouldn't just call it Legends Zygarde

in all honesty its giving me Ultimate Weapon vibes.

Since itself looks like a crystaline flower.

 

[RileyXY1]

Idk the A definitely has a different pattern on it than the Z. If there weren't another Pokemon in the title I don't see why they wouldn't just call it Legends Zygarde

I think that the "A" refers to a new Pokémon, with the title as a whole referencing both Zygarde and the new Pokémon together.

 

[Smeargle-Sketch]

It seems like they had good communication through letters at least. Hisuian Snows show travells and Cyllene even had a photo that Professor Laventon must have send to her to be know when he arrives [1], showing that they had postal communications through far away regions.

But if the Pokémon World History mimicks some aspects of ours, the scientific community in Galar and Kalos didn't strongly collaborated in this period.

keep in the mind that game took place in the late 1800s

the royal postal service was created in the 1600s

 

[Xuxuba]

Since this is about the reconstruction of Lumiose City and not the formation of the pokedex, I doubt it will be as grindy

I don't mind the grind as long as it's optional, includes different options for completion and you have proper rewards for it.

Most dex tasks were optional (you really didn't need to complete a lot for the main story), there was quite a lot to chose from and the rewards were great, including improved shiny odds, recipes, etc.

That said, i don't really think they need to be implemented into the main story as the rewards themselves are enough motivation to go after them if you want to. I also think getting money should be easier without catching,
which could be easily fixed with more trainer battles and a rematch feature that is not exclusive to only a few of the trainers, aswell as something perhaps akin to the repeatable sidejobs from XY. Variety is always welcomed.

 

[PrinceOfFacade]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1762609795234988233

I wonder if Quasar might be the new bad guys? Their logo is on the urban redevelopment file, so they seem to be in charge of the whole project.

This is what Rayquaza is named after, right? Perhaps this could be a reference to it? Rayquaza is the supposed source of Mega Evolution, no?

 

[UltimateNinja]

I really didn't like Legends Arceus and I hope they dont repeat the same mistakes from it for Legends Z-A.

The battle mechanics introduced in Arceus are just so extremely flawed and the speed and power techniques were just so incredibly stupid and unbalanced that they actually make the use of some of the weaker Pokemon like an absolute punishment to survive through the games because set ups and sweeps are pretty much not possible. These are the reason why the Volo fight was just so horrendous. This is not difficult, its a bullsh** of a fight.

The main quest was also boring. The catching was okay, not that much fleshed out because the dex quests are so repetive. This is something Z-A NEEDS to improve if catching is still the main focus of the game. If not and they make the games focus more on battling then yeah, thats a good thing because catching alone wont make it this time. So either they balance it out this time or they are focusing on the story and battling.

And speaking of the story, I expect also a lot more than Arceus which had a pretty straight forward story with the climax being the only thing worth mentioning. Its kinda similiar to SV's story structure, but SV was a hella more character driven and the characters were just a lot more fleshed out and a lot better. Now they have more freedom with this Legends game. Use the scrapped story from XY that was leaked years ago with the aliens and mature stuff and tell something more fresh and interesting than the Legends Arceus.

 

[Kazuniya]

This is what Rayquaza is named after, right? Perhaps this could be a reference to it? Rayquaza is the supposed source of Mega Evolution, no?

Holy crap, I never picked up on that. You're absolutely right.

But don't OR/AS and X/Y have contradictory explanations about what created Mega Evolution?

 

[Noy]

Honestly, one of PLA's strongest points was how innovative the mechanics were. So perhaps it will not have the same mechanics as PLA, but still try to get out of the traditional formula when it comes to core aspects of the series like battling or catching pokémon.

That said, i hope aiming still is a thing, even if it's applied in a different way. Shooting things with the motion controls were probably the most fun part about the game for me.

Maybe it'll be a quest focused game, instead of just battling and catching mons, we go around the developing city, completing various tasks to help it develop more. Things like using mon abilities to complete jobs (lifting, watering, battle/training, minigames, hunting other mons for parts, etc.)

 

[Mr.Munchlax]

I'm kind of hoping that they'll nerf mega evolution so that it only works if a pokemon has high happiness/affection (aside from wifi battles if the game has them).

It kind of bothered me that X & Y kept saying how a trainer & pokempn needed a strong bond in order to mega evolve, but in game you were able to pull it off as soon as you got the necessary stones.

 

[Missingno.Fan]

I’m willing to give the game a chance and I’m open to new information, but I’m not super excited right now. I’m not really a fan of the Legends series, and I don’t like Kalos that much. I also was expecting remakes of BW so I think I just got my hopes up.