Escape the Rat Race Forever:
Pokémon Legends Z-A will be the ninth generation of the treasured series, acting as the official sequel to Pokémon X and Y
The game, developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, will return the series to Luminose City last seen in X and Y, with the city having undergone significant redevelopments its familiar boulevards will be filled with new discoveries and hidden gems.
With the release set for late 2025, this list has everything you need to know to start catching ’em all immediately.
Inside the new-look Luminous City
The city is reshaping itself to become a place for people and Pokémon to live together in harmony, with new facilities and shops to use, new green “wild zones” where you can battle and catch the roaming Pokémon, all while the iconic Prism Tower remains as the centre of the city.
As the game will play out entirely within Luminous City, the wild zones have been created in place of the traditional shrubbery where players are used to finding their Pokémon.
New Battle System
Another major change to the traditional Pokémon experience comes with how battles operate. In previous titles, “Pokémon took action once per turn”, but in Pokémon Legends: Z-A “Pokémon will move around [the arena] in real time” and “unleash their moves when their trainers command them to”.
Game Freak continue to explain the system saying: “There will be new gameplay mechanics to consider, such as the precise timing for swapping out your Pokémon or using moves, the different lengths of time moves will take to launch, and how big an area the moves will impact. This unprecedented style of Pokémon battling is one of the most thrilling parts of this title.”
Return of Mega Evolutions
Mega evolutions were introduced as a powerful new feature in X and Y. Their ability to transform battles and overpower their enemies has made it a fan favourite ability that will be carried into Z-A. The ability is explained as a process that “goes beyond the limits of regular Evolution.”
“Only certain Pokémon can Mega Evolve. Doing so imparts power greater than regular Evolution by temporarily unleashing the energy hidden within the Pokémon. Pokémon change their appearance when they Mega Evolve, and certain Pokémon may even change types.”
Starter Pokémon Revealed
All Pokémon game’s start with one crucial decision: what Pokémon will you start your journey with? The original trio, Squirtle, Charmander and Bulbasaur, launched the pattern of a choice between ‘water’, ‘fire’, and ‘grass’ which has been followed since.
The only two starters who did not fall into these categories have been Eevee in Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee and Pikachu in Pokémon Yellow and Let’s Go, Pikachu.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A will see Totodile (water), Tepig (fire) and Chikorita (grass) join the player as their first choices.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A will be available on Nintendo Switch in late 2025.
