Image: The Pokémon Company
The Pokémon Company shocked fans like a Pikachu using Thunderbolt with the surprise announcement of Pokémon Legends: Z-A during the Pokémon Day 2024 Pokémon Presents. However, one fascinating detail is missing from the trailer — Pokémon Legends: Z-A will take place completely within Lumiose City, the iconic metropolis from Pokémon X and Y.
This unique twist on the typical formula was revealed shortly after Pokémon Presents when Nintendo of America reposted the trailer on X (formerly Twitter). Their caption states: “Watch to see the reveal trailer for #PokemonLegendsZA, a new adventure set entirely within Lumiose City, coming to #NintendoSwitch in 2025.”
This bold decision sparked a sea of replies flooding Nintendo’s post, ranging from pure bewilderment to complete excitement — as well as the expected “It’s been 3,000 years…” GIFs littered between every 2-3 posts.
For those who missed out on Pokémon X and Y back in 2013 (yes, it’s really been that long), Lumiose City was a location heavily inspired by Paris and the largest city in the game by far. It hosted numerous shops, cafés, a train station, restaurants, and, of course, a gym.
Pokémon Legends’ previous (and only) entry was Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which allowed players to travel through the entirety of Hisui — an ancient version of Sinnoh from Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. Combined with the typical regional formula in mainline Pokémon titles, it’s understandable why fans were expecting a new version of Kalos to explore.
While Lumiose was undoubtedly big in X and Y, the true grandiosity of the city was held back by the 3DS’ limitations As the second most populated city in the Pokémon world (according to Bulbapedia), I’m eager to see how Game Freak will expand Lumiose and transform it into a metropolis with an entire region’s worth of content to explore.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A is set to launch for Nintendo Switch in 2025.
