6 huge details (including Totodile, Chikorita and Tepig as starters!) about Pokémon Legends: Z-A
It's been over three years since Nintendo and Pokémon combined to create the incredible game that was Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
What a game it was, man. Sure, it wasn't a mainline Pokémon game. But the sense of wonder that it left you with was just as fantastic. Legends: Arceus was arguably the most unique Pokémon game we'd ever seen before. The plot line was a bit cliché — you were a mysterious visitor who was pulled back into the past who had no recollection of how you got there. But the story had a lot of heart to it and it brought some gameplay mechanics to the table that few other Pokémon games had been able to pull off before.
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With that being three years ago, I can't help but be excited about what's coming with Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Pokémon released a new trailer showing off its new game and it looks like an absolute banger.
This looks like so much fun. There were so many details here that make this game look like a special one. Let's dive into a few of them here.
Like Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Z-A won't be introducing us to a new region. Instead, it'll be showing us a different perspective on a region — or, rather — a city in the game that we've been to before. The game will be set in Lumiose City — one of the more popular stops in the Kalos region from the Pokémon X and Y mainline games.
This new Legends game expands the city in a way we haven't seen before. The idea is that you're a new visitor stopping by the city as it undergoes an urban renewal plan that makes it a suitable place to live for both people and Pokémon.
Here's a big map of the city, via Reddit.
Official artwork of Lumiose City in Pokémon Legends Z-A, which is undergoing a large scale redevelopment project to add more greenery to the city and make it more hospitable to Pokémon. pic.twitter.com/uJHXatekCs
— PLDH (@PLDHnet) February 27, 2025
It's massive. The city's design is based on Paris, France, which is pretty cool.
There are three starter pokémon you'll get to choose from to start the game: Totodile, Chikorita and Tepig.
Is that a weird combination? Absolutely. You're pairing two Gen 2 pokémon in Totodile and Chikorita with a Gen 5 pokémon in Tepig. It's strange.
Do I care? No. They're adorable together.
Serebii Update: The starter Pokémon for Pokémon Legends Z-A are Chikorita, Tepig & Totodile https://t.co/NWlAdn5F0o pic.twitter.com/IxmRggOXf1
— Serebii.net (@SerebiiNet) February 27, 2025
Definitely going with Totodile here.
You've never seen Pokémon battles like this before. They're actually live. You can move around during the battle and dodge attacks along with your Pokémon.
I really love the real-time battles this time around. The pokemon really feel like your partner following you to dodge attacks. pic.twitter.com/TQYqk3n3wO
— VCreateArt (COMMS ARE CLOSED): (@VCreateArt) February 27, 2025
And when you want to catch a Pokémon, you can still weaken it with an attack from your partner.
This is pretty much what battling looked like on the Pokémon show. It's pretty neat to see that finally included in a game after all these years.
Will it work? I'm skeptical. But I'm keeping an open mind with it.
You're probably asking, "Wait, if the game is based in a city then where do I catch wild pokémon?" Don't worry! There's an answer for that.
The city is being revamped to make it habitable for pokémon, so there are "wild zones" included in the game where pokémon can roam free.
In Legends Z-A, wild Pokémon are encountered in 'Wild Zones': pic.twitter.com/A7zLM698Ay
— Bulbagarden - The original Pokémon community (@Bulbagarden) February 27, 2025
Folks. This is not a drill. We're seeing mega evolutions make a comeback in this game.
For those of you who don't know, pokémon mega evolutions were first introduced in Pokémon through the X and Y games. It's simply a new, temporary form a pokémon takes for a temporary power boost during battle. Think of it as a quick power-up.
We hadn't seen these in-game since 2020. It seems they're officially back now.
These Mega Evolution renders look so sick sheee pic.twitter.com/ujRDgCI9qW
— Orenji (@MunchingOrange) February 27, 2025
While all of this news is pretty exciting, it looks like we'll be waiting for this game to come out for a while. It isn't slated to release until "late 2025," according to the game's trailer. That could mean a holiday release date. With this being one of Pokémon's most anticipated games in a while, that'd make plenty of sense.
We'll have to wait and see. Until then, more details will undoubtedly arise in the meantime. Stay on the lookout for more here.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: 6 huge details (including Totodile, Chikorita and Tepig as starters!) about Pokémon Legends: Z-A
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