As part of the Pokémon Day celebrations, we got a new look at Pokémon Legends: Z - A, and there is a lot to be excited about. It’s already clear that Legends: Z - A has tried to differentiate itself from mainline Pokémon games through new gameplay innovations and its map. Unlike most Pokémon games, Legends: Z - A will take place primarily within one city, meaning Lumiose City has been scaled up significantly since we last saw it in Pokémon X and Y.

Pokémon Legends: Z - A’s Lumiose City is undergoing a new development project during the game, which explains why it is so different from the last time we visited. This newly redesigned city comes with some interesting gameplay changes, both in of exploration and combat. While a lot has changed, there is also room for some familiar faces, most notably the three starter Pokémon in the game, though they may not be the three you’re expecting from a game set in Pokémon’s Kalos region.

Everything We Know About Lumiose City

Lumiose City Has Areas For Wild Pokémon To Roam

According to the Extended Look for Pokémon Legends: Z - A, Lumiose City is currently undergoing a development project to make the city a place where both people and Pokémon can live side-by-side. As part of this effort, the city has established Wild Zones where Pokémon roam freely. In these zones, you will encounter wild Pokémon that you are free to battle and catch. These serve as a substitute for the types of wild areas where you would normally find Pokémon since you won’t be leaving the city in Legends: Z - A.

It’s hard to say right now what role these Wild Zones will play in of the game’s narrative. It seems strange that the city would set up what are essentially nature preserves, just to let people walk in and beat up on the Pokémon living there. That said, Pokémon has always had a “don’t think about it too hard” policy about this type of thing, so it may not have a strong narrative explanation outside of simply being a way to incorporate random encounters into a city setting.

Aside from being much larger than the average city in Pokémon games, it also looks like we will be getting to explore it in new ways. Pokémon Legends: Z - A’s release date trailer on the company's Zygrade being a collectible in Pokémon Legends, though it won’t be the player’s partner Pokémon.

Pokémon Legends: Z - A's Starters Are Very Familiar

Pokémon Legends: Z - A’s Starters Are Totodile, Chikorita, And Tepig

Instead of sticking with the Kalos region starters, Pokémon Legends: Z - A will have Totodile and Chikorita from Gold and Silver, and Tepig from Black and White. This may be because these Pokémon were chosen to get Mega Evolutions, seeing as the Kalos region introduced the concept in the first place. I’ve seen players wanting Gen Two starters, and even making their own like the Mega Feraligatr from the fan game Pokémon Insurgence. Cyndaquil was likely swapped out for Tepig since Cyndaquil was a starter in the last Pokémon Legends game.

The extended-look trailer also showed that starters from other games will be available, even if they aren’t starting options. There is a clip of a trainer using a Mega Charizard, so you’ll be able to get at least a Charmander at some point. The trailer also confirms that Mega Evolutions are part of the game, though it’s not clear if we’ll see any new ones for the starters, or if the game will stick to established ones like Charizard and Kangaskhan.

Pokémon Legends: Z - A Will Have Big Gameplay Changes

Pokémon Legends: Z - A Introduces New Combat Mechanics

While the game’s starters are familiar, Pokémon Legends: Z - A looks to be making some big changes to how the game is played. The biggest change is the new combat mechanics, which allow players to maneuver their Pokémon during a fight. This lets you dodge incoming moves or position yourself better to unleash your own attacks. The way Pokémon attacks work has also changed, with some attacks now being area-of-effect moves, and others creating physical obstacles on the battlefield.

Because battles now have more real-time elements and important movement and positioning features, combat will require more active input than in previous games. It’s nice to see some innovation being made to Pokémon combat, and it makes sense to do it in Pokémon Legends: Z - A first as opposed to making a massive change to how mainline Pokémon games work. It will be interesting to see if these new mechanics find their way into other games down the line.

Source: The Official Pokémon YouTube channel