After last week’s nonchalant presentation of a Nintendo Direct, fans were really hoping that the Pokemon Presents that arrived today would be something they could actually hang their hats on. For much of the presentation, nothing was coming up aces. And then, a trailer dropped at the end to highlight that there’s still life in the Switch and this franchise. The only catch is that we must wait until next year! That’s because Pokemon Legends ZA is coming to Nintendo Switch in 2025, and despite what ALL the rumors have been saying, we’re not going back to Unova; we’re going back to Kalos.
The teaser didn’t offer much. However, it did unveil a “redevelopment plan” for Lumoise City, which is the “Paris” of the Pokemon world if you didn’t know. This city was a key part of the Pokemon X&Y games and stands as the beacon of the Kalos region. Now, not unlike in a certain other “Legends” title, the teaser would infer that this is going to take us back in time to when Lumoise City was born, not unlike what happened with Jubilife Village.
However, when you look at the wording, you’ll see it’s called an urban “redevelopment plan,” which could mean that we’re seeing Lumoise in the present and how it’s being “redeveloped” for a new age. Or, to piggyback off the Jubilife reference, we’ll see it go from a small village to being developed into the Lumoise City we know from the 3DS titles. Only time will tell on that front.
The big thing here is that Pokemon Legends ZA will FINALLY let fans know the story of Zygarde, who was teased via the logo at the end. Zygarde was the third legendary Pokemon of Kalos who never got any attention outside of being able to capture it. There was supposed to be a third game in the Kalos line, but it never got developed, making it the only generation that never got an “extension” title or DLC or a “sequel line” of games like Unova or Kalos got. Curiously, the anime did a deep story about Zygarde, and that will leave more questions about what the game will show:
Another tease they gave during the trailer is the return of Mega Evolutions, and that likely means we’ll get MORE Mega Evolutions by the time it comes around. That leaves us with the final “tease.” They note that it’ll have a “simultaneous release” in 2025. That would imply that when it comes out, the Nintendo Switch successor might be out as well.
