Pokémon Legends: Z-A is one of the franchise’s most hotly anticipated games, being from a set of spin-offs titles separate to the often formulaic mainline series. If Pokémon Legends: Arceus is anything to go by, Legends: Z-A looks like it will push Pokémon forward in brave new ways. With the relative failure of Scarlet andViolet, the next Legends title has quite the hill to climb, but in declaring its region, it may have given away where the series will go in the next game.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A will be set in the Kalos region, the area in which Gen 6 and Pokémon: X & Y were set. The region is loosely based on France, which can be seen in its capital and the tower in its center that is inspired by the Eiffel Tower. It is likely that Legends: Z-A will have elements from Gen 6, since there is a theory that players could be the trainers from X & Y, given that Arceus had protagonists very similar to Gen 4’s Dawn and Lucas.
The region for Pokémon: Legends Z-A was theorized and guessed some time before it was announced. Other than the last title’s connection with Gen 4 and Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, it also visually hinted at the next region with an Easter egg that was a t-shirt. The male protagonist of Arceus wore a t-shirt from the Kalos region, which just so happened to be the region in which the next title was set. It seems too convenient to be a coincidence.
While the male protagonist of Arceus wore a Kalos t-shirt, the female protagonist wore a t-shirt from the Galar region, and this could hint at where the series goes next if the other shirt is anything to go by. The Galar region is loosely based on the United Kingdom and was the setting for PokémonSword and Shield. It is the eighth generation of the series, and is not as widely loved as other gens, so this could be a risky decision.
Then again, the next Pokémon Legends title could set out to redeem the region in the eyes of fans by giving it another go. It also seems that the Legends series is sticking to Pokémon‘s even numbered entries, since Arceus is based in Gen 4 and Z-A is based in Gen 6. This could also point to Game Freak having plans for its popular Gen 5, possibly resulting in remakes for Black & White, since the Legends titles are steering well clear of it.
Many Pokémon players did not like its Gen 8 titles. Many found that Sword and Shield was lackluster, especially when it came down to its graphics quality. Since it was a Switch title, many expected an epic leap, like what Zelda: Breath of the Wild achieved, but even the title’s gameplay proved to be unimpressive. This did not mean that people did not like the actual region, however. It seemed that British charm and decent Pokémon designs did a great deal to endear players to the area.
Many Pokémon fans regard the Galar region as wasted potential, but that means there is potential to begin with. Revisiting Hammerlocke and Rose Tower in a game with better hardware and visuals could allow the region to grow in most players’ estimations. If the female protagonist’s shirt in Legends: Arceus is indeed hinting at the Galar region for the next game in the series, then it will give fans something to look forward to after Pokémon Legends: Z-A releases.