Pokémon Legends Z-A will include new Mega Pokémon, it’s been confirmed, with today’s Pokémon Presents broadcast revealing the first.
The new Switch and Switch 2 game, due to launch for both consoles on October 16, sees the Pokémon series return to X and Y’s Kalos region. With this comes a renewed focus on the franchise’s popular Mega Evolution mechanic — something that’s taken something of a backseat in recent years.
Now, we know that Pokémon Legends will feature all-new Mega Evolved Pokémon — such as Mega Dragonite.
A previous trailer confirmed the return of other, already-existing Mega Evoutions, such as Mega Kangaskhan, Mega Absol, and Mega Charizard X.
While something of a spin-off from the main series of Pokémon games, fans had expected Pokémon Legends Z-A to indeed feature new Mega Pokémon, just as Pokémon Legends: Arceus also introduced new species.
But where Arceus offered a different time period for its version of Sinnoh, retitled Hisui (something that allowed it to offer now-extinct Pokémon to catch and add to the franchise’s Pokédex), Legends Z-A is set in the modern day, making adding all-new entries to the Kalos region’s Pokédex more difficult. Except, of course, if those entries are Mega Pokémon — additional evolution stages that don’t require their own bespoke Pokédex number.
Legends Z-A will see players recruited to join Team MZ, a group of heroes whose mission is to protect the city of Lumiose. Your friends and teammates include fashion designer Naveen, professional dancer Lida, and either Urbain or Taunie, depending on the appearance you choose for your player character.
Lumiose City’s day and night-time gameplay sees you exploring and catching creatures during daylight hours, before competing in the Z-A Royale ranks using the Pokémon you’ve caught. It’s throught the Z-A Royale you’ll come to meet Corbeau, boss of the Rust Syndicate, a nefarious-looking organization operating in the city.
Outside of battling, you can spend time customizing your player character with different hair styles and colors, eye styles and shades, plus numerous outfits — something that will come in handy when looking your best in the game’s Photo Mode.
Another ally on your journey will be Emma, described as the best detective in Lumiose City — and someone who will be very familiar to Pokémon fans. Now running her own detective agency, it looks like you’ll pick up side-quests to help the city’s residents from her — such as leading a group of Trubbish back to some trash cans.
Then there’s Mabel, acting director of the Pokémon Research Lab, who will reward your Pokédex progress with items such as TMs.
As for the game’s main story, it involves the seemingly-spontaneous Mega Evolution of local wild Pokémon, here dubbed as Rogue Mega Pokémon. You’ll need to utilise your own Mega Pokémon to take them down, and you can also bring in help from another of your Team MZ allies to battle alongside you. But exactly what’s going on here (I blame the Rust Syndicate), how the mysterious figure of AZ factors in, and what’s going on with Zygarde are all questions for another day.
In the meantime, players have a few more months to speculate which other Pokémon will also receive Mega Evolutions in Pokémon Legends Z-A.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
