Pokémon Legends Z-A Initial Trailer Thoughts

Pokémon day has come and gone with the announcement for legends Z-A coming in late 2025 (likely October/November you’d have to imagine). I imagine we will get more reveals in that time but I wanted to take some time over my initial thoughts. I’ve left this a few days to wipe out immediate reaction which was one of disappointment. This was mainly due to me expecting more from the announcement but I understand that is my issue so didn’t want it to determine the course of the thoughts. However, as someone who only uses new Pokémon or new regional forms for their teams on each generation I hope we get some reveal geared towards some of those in the near future.

Let’s start with the starter line up. For me having 2 for Johto meaning all three Johto starters (and 2 Unova) starters in 2 legends games I odd. I would’ve loved to see more variety to the generations chosen from and one from each I thought would be the way they would go. I do find the starters of generation 2 & 5 the weakest and my least favourite groups (I wanted French Blaziken I can’t lie). However, I do understand this gives these starters a fresh coat of paint (we’ve already seen Meganium looks to be Grass/Fairy type) so will reserve full judgement until I see the final forms. I do also now understanding the geographical significance to picking these three (which is from this video here) to make sense why they were chosen. I do hope that by the end of the game the three chosen have won me over. Hopefully Emboar can finally be something more then the 3rd Fire/Fighting type).

I have to admit from the initial trailer I thought this would be a renaissance era game so I was surprised the see it set in modern time to which I guess it will be 12 years post X&Y going by release dates. I think it gives an interesting look on this series that Legends games won’t just be set in the past. This leads me to think for generation 10 we will get one for Kanto to show us the region 30 years on from the initial games. For Kalos I think this is the best way to really give some unfinished points from the initial game their ending which they seem to have mainly in Zygarde.

Lumiose City seems to be the sole place the game takes place in which I think we will have to wait until the game comes out to determine if this is a good idea or not. For it to be the only place it needs to be huge and I think by doing this they can really get the sense of scale for how big the city is supposed to be which they attempted in X&Y but I think fell short off. Traversing the roof tops and the initial trailer seems to show new areas or areas redesigned. It’s ambitious to have one city be the full map but if it is a full as a normal map would be o think it should be fine. Lumiose is the only city this could really be done with so it’s the right one to attempt something like this with. If it works I dunno if you try an expansion plan for somewhere like Wyndon to add more London landmarks (just the Gherkin thanks) but all depends on audience reception and sales.

A release date while not definitive in the month but late 2025 gives time to have other big announcements/directs. I would imagine trailers focusing on the map, story and with those possibly showing new Pokémon in them as well. With us having I’d imagine 8/9 months before release it makes sense to hold back some information to continue interest and hype throughout the year. With only a few images released so far I did notice one with just Sandile & Krooorok but not Krookodile. Maybe I’m thinking too ahead but I wonder if this is one like with a new final evolution or regional form. If the map acts the same as Legends Arceus fully evolved Pokémon are seen in the wild from early in the game so could be something withheld but I guess we will see.

I did notice no new mega evolutions in the trailer. I have to wonder if we are getting any new ones or if it will just be a returning feature. If it’s being introduced to new Pokémon I would think it would be something to reveal even at least one right away but I wouldn’t be shocked to just see it return for those that already have it. Pokémon doesn’t really go back to gimmicks once done and if we had a legends game in Alola or Galar I’d be shocked to see new Z moves or Gigantamax forms but this is the first time they’ve returned to a discarded gimmicks so we will see.

Looking at this in isolation I think this trailer did what was required. It got people talking and thinking and keeping legends Z-A in conversations until that dies down ready for the next trailer sometime in the spring you’d imagine. Personally I did hope for more but I understand you have 8/9 months to spread news out it’s understandable but still you’d hope for constant news at least over the time frame to at least keep interest. I don’t imagine pre-order uptake was high on a vague release date so I imagine an official release date trailer will have some form of big hook ok it. When that is? I can only hope soon.