WithPokemon Legends: Z-Aset to follow in the footsteps ofPokemon Legends: Arceusleading the franchise in a new direction, many fans are eager to see how the two games will connect. AlthoughPokemon Legends: Z-Ais set within the Kalos Region’s Lumiose City, it’s very likely that the game will feature some kind of reference toPokemon Legends: Arceus' Hisui Region. This connection was already teased inPokemon Legends: Arceusthrough a subtle reference that went mostly unnoticed by players until after the reveal of this new title.
Before it was officially revealed, rumors about the next mainlinePokemongame were suggesting that a new game was to be set in the Unova Region and was driving fan speculation in that direction. Many fans were anticipating aPokemon Legendsgame set in Unova orPokemon Black and Whiteremakes, and very few expected the Gen 5 games to be skipped in favor ofPokemon Legends: Z-Ataking players back to Gen 6’s Kalos Region. However, in hindsight, there was areference to the Kalos Regionright underPokemon Legends: Arceusplayers' noses that should have been an obvious hint at a new game taking place there.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus Hid a Legends: Z-A Teaser in Plain Sight
Although this hint is subtle, somePokemon Legends: Arceusfans noticed that the player character’s shirt in the beginning of the game looks nearly identical to one found inPokemon X and Y. The plot ofPokemon Legends: Arceusrevolves around the main character being transported back in time to theHisui Region, where they help Professor Laventon and the Galaxy Expedition Team survey the surrounding region’s environment and Pokemon. When the player first awakens in the Hisui Region, the outfit they are wearing includes a shirt from the Kalos Region, implying that they were originally from that region before being transported back in time.
The shirt in question appears as the default shirt on the male player character when they first arrive in the Hisui Region and matches one of the shirts the male player character starts with as a customization option inPokemon X and Y. While the shirt inPokemon Legends: Arceusis the default print available in Pokemon X and Y, players can obtain the same pattern in different colors, making it a recognizable piece of clothing in the game. This reference provides a clear connection betweenPokemon Legends: Arceusand the Kalos Region, cluing in players to the notion that the nextPokemon Legendsgame would take place in Kalos beforePokemon Legends: Z-Awas even announced.
What Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Kalso Shirt Could Imply About its Connection to Legends: Z-A
This simple reference could have much bigger implications for the series than might be initially clear, as it suggests that the male protagonist fromPokemon Legends: Arceusis originally from the Kalos Region. If this is the case, there could be a direct connection betweenPokemon Legends: ArceusandPokemon Legends: Z-Athat goes beyond simply following a similar gameplay formula. PerhapsPokemon Legends: Z-Ais a direct sequel toPokemon Legends: Arceus, with the player character being whisked away once again by Arceus back to his home in Kalos.
With few details shared aboutPokemon Legends: Z-Aoutside of its setting inLumiose Cityand the teased return of Mega Evolution, there is still a lot of room to speculate on how the game could connect to its predecessor. IfPokemon Legends: Z-Ais set around the same time asLegends: Arceus, it’s feasible that the player character from that title could have traveled from Hisui to Kalos for this new game. Alternatively, ifPokemon Legends: Z-Ais set in the future, perhaps the player ended up there after a failed attempt at trying to return to their own time, opening the door for a variety of ways the two games could directly connect.
