Lumiose City is a massive, sprawling mess of circles. If you played the original X and Y back in 2013, you probably spent half your time getting lost in those Parisian-style backalleys or accidentally triggering a cinematic camera shift that sent your character running into a wall. Now, we're going back. But things are different this time. Pokémon Legends: Z-A isn't just a sequel; it’s an urban redevelopment project.
The teaser trailer dropped a bombshell that most people are still wrapping their heads around: the entire game takes place within Lumiose City. That changes the stakes for the Pokémon in Legends ZA roster significantly. We aren't wandering through the vast, open tundras of Hisui anymore. We’re in a construction zone.
Honestly, the shift from the wild frontier of Legends: Arceus to a single metropolitan hub is jarring. It makes you wonder how the ecosystem even works. Are we catching Pidgeys on rooftops? Are there Grimer in the sewers? Game Freak is pivoting hard toward an "Urban Pokémon" concept that we’ve only ever seen in glimpses.
The Mega Evolution Factor
You can't talk about the Pokémon in Legends ZA without mentioning the rainbow-colored elephant in the room. Mega Evolution is back. This isn't just some gimmick; it's the core identity of the Kalos region. When that "Mega" symbol flashed at the end of the reveal trailer, the internet collectively lost its mind. It was a promise.
We know for a fact that the Kalos starters—Chesnaught, Delphox, and Greninja—never got Mega Evolutions in the original games. That felt like a snub for a decade. It’s almost a certainty that this game fixes that. Imagine a Mega Greninja that actually feels like a part of the game’s lore rather than just a weird tie-in to the anime's "Ash-Greninja" form.
But it goes deeper than just the starters. There are so many Kalos-native species that were introduced in Generation 6 but felt unfinished. Heliolisk. Gogoat. Pyroar. These are cool designs that fell off because they couldn't keep up with the power creep. Giving them a "Mega" or even a new "Urban Form" would be the smartest move Game Freak could make.
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Predicting the New Starters
Let’s look at the patterns. Legends: Arceus didn’t use the Sinnoh starters. Instead, it pulled Rowlet, Cyndaquil, and Oshawott from different regions and gave them Hisuian final evolutions. If the Pokémon in Legends ZA follows that trend, we aren't starting with Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie.
The rumor mill is spinning fast, but looking at the "Urban Redevelopment" theme, certain Pokémon fit better than others. Snivy is a popular theory. Why? Because Serperior fits that aristocratic, French-inspired aesthetic perfectly. Torchic is another one—Blaziken is a fan favorite, and it already has a Mega, making it a "safe" pick for a game centered around that mechanic. Piplup or even Totodile could fill the water slot.
The point is, these starters won't be the versions you grew up with. They’re going to have new secondary typings. They’re going to look like they belong in a 19th-century Parisian industrial revolution.
The Mystery of Zygarde
Zygarde is the "Z" in Z-A. It’s the legendary that got robbed. When Pokémon Z never happened and Game Freak jumped straight to Sun and Moon, Zygarde was just sort of shoved into the Alola region as a side quest. It was weird. It was unsatisfying.
The Pokémon in Legends ZA is clearly Zygarde’s redemption arc. In the lore, Zygarde is the "Order Pokémon." It monitors the ecosystem. If the urban redevelopment of Lumiose City is destroying nature, Zygarde is going to have a problem with that. We’re likely going to see its 10%, 50%, and Complete Forms integrated into the story in a way that actually matters.
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Maybe the "A" in the title stands for something else. Some fans think it refers to AZ, the 3,000-year-old king from X and Y who built the Ultimate Weapon. If we’re traveling back in time—or seeing a vision of the future—AZ’s Eternal Flower Floette has to be there. It’s a Pokémon that exists in the game code but has never been officially released to players. This is the chance to finally put it in a Pokéball.
Urban Ecosystems and Wild Encounters
How do you fit hundreds of Pokémon in Legends ZA into a single city? You get creative with verticality.
- The Sewers: Grimer, Muk, and Trubbish. Obviously. But maybe also regional variants of fossil Pokémon like Tyrunt or Amaura that were "unearthed" during the city's construction.
- The Parks: Lumiose is famous for its plazas. This is where your classic "cute" Pokémon like Sylveon or Flabébé will hang out.
- The Skies: Talonflame and Noivern circling the Prism Tower.
- The Construction Sites: We saw blueprints in the trailer. This suggests we might see Pokémon helping with the labor. Timburr, Gurdurr, and Conkeldurr are shoo-ins.
This isn't just about catching 'em all. It's about seeing how these creatures live alongside humans in a cramped space. It's a different kind of immersion.
The Eevee Problem
People love Eevee. It’s the unofficial co-mascot of the franchise. Since we’re back in the region that introduced the Fairy-type and Sylveon, the speculation about a new "Eeveelution" is at an all-time high. A Dragon-type or a Steel-type Eevee would fit the "Nature vs. Industry" theme of a city being rebuilt.
Is it likely? Honestly, probably not. Game Freak has been hesitant to add more Eevee forms lately. But Legends games are where they take risks. If there was ever a time to drop a Steel-type "Armoreon," this is it.
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What to do while we wait
The wait for 2025 is long. But you can actually prepare for the Pokémon in Legends ZA by looking back at the original Kalos Pokédex.
First, go back and finish your Pokédex in Pokémon Home. We know the game will likely have connectivity. Having a living dex of Kalos Pokémon will make it easier to spot what’s new and what’s changed the moment the game drops.
Second, pay attention to the "redevelopment" theme. The trailer showed a digital, wireframe version of Lumiose. This suggests the game might deal with "Cyber" themes or perhaps a "Future vs. Past" narrative. If you enjoy the lore, re-read the dialogue from the NPCs in Pokémon X and Y regarding the history of Lumiose City. There are dozens of tiny clues about the city's architecture and the secret organizations that funded its growth.
Lastly, keep an eye on the "Mega" roster. There are currently 48 Mega Evolutions. It’s highly probable we’ll hit over 50 or 60 with this release. Pokémon like Flygon and Luxray have topped "Most Wanted Mega" polls for years. Now is the time to start training those specific species in your current games so you're ready to transfer them over when the time comes.
The city is waiting. Zygarde is watching. And the Pokémon in Legends ZA are going to redefine what we expect from a monster-catching game. It's not just a walk in the park anymore; it's a revolution in the streets.
Next Steps for Players:
- Audit your Pokémon Home: Check if you have the "Battle Bond" Greninja or any Kalos-native Shinies.
- Revisit Lumiose City in X/Y: Walk the streets again to familiarize yourself with the layout before the "Redevelopment" changes everything.
- Track Zygarde Cores: If you haven't completed the Zygarde quest in Sun/Moon or Sword/Shield, do it now to understand the "Complete Form" mechanics.