Castelia City Deserves a Second Chance

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Instead of revisiting Kalos exclusively, there’s an argument for future Pokémon games to explore other major cities from past generations. Unlike Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which transformed the Sinnoh region into a feudal frontier, Pokémon Legends: Z-A piqued curiosity due to its unique and experimental setting centered on Lumiose City rather than Kalos as a whole. In doing so, Pokémon Legends: Z-A will be among the first games in the series to focus on a single city.

Through the latest previews and presentations for the game Legends: Z-A, we now have a better understanding of how Lumiose City will be utilized within its narrative and mechanics, including the part Quasartico Inc. plays in the city’s renovation and the method players will engage in trainer battles via the Royale Z-A. Even though Legends: Z-A is slated for release in 2025, if its single-city setting demonstrates its creative prowess, it could pave the way for future games. While Pokemon‘s Gen 10 may be planning to introduce an entirely new region, there’s a chance that another Pokemon Legends title might revisit the cityscape of Gen 5’s Castelia City.

Pokemon’s Castelia City Set The Stage For Lumiose City

In contrast to the transition of the main Pokemon series to 3D starting from Pokemon X and Y, Castelia City stood out as a notable feature in Pokemon Black and White. With Generation 5 aiming for significant changes in the Pokemon games, such as an almost entirely new Pokedex and the first-ever direct sequels (Black 2 and White 2), Castelia City deviated from the typical approach of smaller cities seen in the series. Although Unova was modeled after New York City, it was Castelia City that most accurately represented the city that never sleeps with its tall skyscrapers, expansive bridges, and lively ports.

Starting with Gen 5, Game Freak began to expand their depiction of metropolitan cities more significantly. For instance, the return of Lumiose City from Legends: Z-A mirrors its appearance in Gen 6, while subsequent Pokemon games introduced sprawling urban areas like Hammerlocke and Wyndon from Pokemon Sword and Shield, or Mesagoza and Levincia from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. The advanced hardware of consoles such as the Switch has greatly enhanced the development of these large-scale cities, a feature that could be applied to Lumiose City in Legends: Z-A, originally released on the 3DS. However, cities like Lumiose may not have been created without the pioneering example of Castelia City from Gen 5, serving as a conceptual blueprint for metropolitan hubs in future games.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Lumiose City Can Return The Favor For Castelia City

Before the upcoming release of “Legends: Z-A” this year, Game Freak has unveiled a map of Lumiose City along with some initial gameplay footage, showcasing how the game will utilize its single-city setting. This includes Pokemon roaming even on rooftops and a revamped day-night cycle in the traditional “Pokemon” style. Additional trailers have subtly suggested that “Legends: Z-A” may incorporate Zygarde and its cell-collection into Lumiose City’s design, given the game’s apparent connection to Gen 6’s “X” and “Y”. Interestingly, many Pokemon players had expected the forthcoming game to take place in a new region, contrary to what was revealed.

Amidst anticipation for possible remakes of “Black” and “White”, as well as speculation about a new “Pokemon Legends” game focusing on Gen 2 or 5, the unexpected reveal of the setting for “Legends: Z-A” in Lumiose City was surprising. However, this could be part of Game Freak’s strategic plan to break away from their remake cycle and potentially revisit the Unova region in a future “Pokemon Legends” game instead. By merging the historical context of “Legends: Arceus” with the single-city approach of “Legends: Z-A”, the next “Pokemon Legends” game might reimagine New York City during its Gilded Age, depicting the rise of Castelia City as portrayed in “Black” and “White”.

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2025-04-14 16:37