This morning, we got our first extensive look at Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Game Freak's futuristic Pokémon game set in the familiar Lumiose City from Pokémon X/Y. While the trailer showcased rooftop running, battle changes, and Mega Evolution, many questions remain about its placement within the Pokémon timeline and potential returning characters.
The community has already begun speculating. Unlike most standalone Pokémon games, the first Pokémon Legends title featured time travel and locations from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, set centuries in the past, with characters resembling ancestors from other games—or, in one notable instance, a direct transplant from Pokémon Black and White. Fans are keen to uncover Pokémon Legends: Z-A's temporal setting, any time-traveling elements, and familiar faces in Lumiose City.
Since the trailer's release, fans have unearthed intriguing connections. The most obvious is AZ, explicitly mentioned, whose immortality (granted 3000 years before Pokémon X and Y) makes his presence plausible regardless of the game's setting. In Z-A, he appears to run a Lumiose City hotel, seemingly happier after reuniting with his Floette.
az taller than a mf giraffe
byu/sam_90_ inpokemon
Subtle connections abound. One prominent theory centers on the Looker Bureau's potential presence. Looker, a popular detective from Pokémon Black and White and subsequent games, may appear, or his protégé Emma might be present, based on an office in the trailer closely resembling the Looker Bureau from previous installments.
Looker confirmed for Legends Z-A?
byu/PrimalPokemonPlayer inpokemon
A bolder theory links the protagonists to Ethan and Lyra from Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, due to a striking resemblance in character art. This suggests a potential time-travel scenario involving their transport from Johto to a futuristic Lumiose.
am i going crazy or the new mcs are literally ethan and lyra
byu/God-Kotsu inpokemon
Alternatively, another theory proposes a connection to Professor Sycamore and Grace (the protagonist's mother in Pokémon X and Y), though this is considered a more speculative interpretation, particularly regarding Grace, but still intriguing given the Legends series' focus on ancestry.
ZA protagonist relatives
byu/tismxtt inpokemon
Remarkably, these theories aren't mutually exclusive. The game's exact temporal placement remains unknown. The Pokémon timeline is fluid, incorporating alternate realities and, as seen in Legends: Arceus, time travel. AZ's presence in a hotel suggests a post-Pokémon X and Y setting, potentially centuries later given his immortality. Lumiose City's futuristic scale in Z-A further supports a distant future setting, implying the protagonists and Looker Bureau personnel are descendants of the characters they resemble.
ITS A SEQUEL?!?
byu/Slyme-wizard inpokemon
Another point of fascination is a mysterious woman in the key art, resembling a Hex Maniac from Pokémon X and Y.
New hex?
byu/Webby_webs inpokemon
This is especially intriguing due to the unsolved "Ghost Girl" mystery from Pokémon X and Y, a creepy encounter in Lumiose City involving a Hex Maniac who vanishes without explanation. The woman's presence in Z-A fuels speculation about this enduring enigma. If she's a ghost, she could have haunted the building for centuries.
Further discoveries and connections are undoubtedly forthcoming. Pokémon Legends: Z-A is slated for a late 2025 release, leaving ample time for speculation and analysis of the revealed information. Details from today's Pokémon Presents, including news on Legends Z-A, mobile games, Pokémon Champions, and more, are available [ttpp].
