Pokémon Legends: Z-A is bringing us back to the Kalos region to help with the urban redevelopment plans of Lumiose City, but fans still aren’t convinced we’ll be trapped within that one area.
One of the biggest takeaways from the initial Legends: Z-A teasers was it’s going to be “a new adventure set entirely within Lumiose City,” according to Nintendo. This suggests the story will revolve around us building a safe space for humans and Pokémon to live together in harmony in the Kalos capital, possibly while dealing with the aftermath of a violent conflict. It’s a pretty refreshing new concept we haven’t seen from a mainline Pokémon game so far, but it feels a little unrealistic for Z-A to take place “entirely” in one city.
Many Pokémon players believe—or at least hope—there’s a chance we’ll have access to areas outside of Lumiose City despite the teaser’s wording. There are a few different reasons why this might be the case, according to a March 23 Reddit thread. For example, there are tons of areas outside Lumiose that are enriched with Kalos mysteries and lore like the Sundial in Anistar City. Back in X and Y, the huge pink crystal was directly linked to Mega Evolution, powering up the Mega Ring thanks to the Mega Stones underground.
In particular, Mega Evolution was teased at the end of the first Z-A trailer, so the Sundial would no doubt be an important place to visit to learn more about the strange phenomenon.
Another spot is Terminus Cave, where you encounter Zygarde in X and Y. The green and black hexagonal design in the Z-A logo is screaming Zygarde, so one can only imagine the Dragon/Ground-type Legendary Pokémon is the upcoming game’s mascot. And while it’s entirely possible for Zygarde to just pop up in Lumiose City, it’d be cool to explore the cave to help us learn more about the Legendary ‘mon.
Even if these key locations were included in Legends: Z-A, they wouldn’t need to be huge like we’re expecting Lumiose to be. Players used the example of Cogita’s Ancient Retreat in Legends: Arceus, which was just a small spot away from the main hub of Jubilife Village. Z-A could easily do something similar with the Sundial, Terminus Cave, or other significant places in Kalos.
And in a world where Legends: Z-A does end up trapping us inside Lumiose City, I’m sure the map will still feel massive without growing stale too quickly. After all, Lumiose is a huge area that’s easy to get lost in and Game Freak can use this opportunity to fill the space with meaningful content rather than the many buildings we couldn’t even enter in Scarlet and Violet.
I’ll be happy as long as we get to ride Gogoat around the city and witness another spooky sighting of the infamous Lumiose ghost girl from X and Y.
