Is Alola Next? Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Day-Night Cycle Teases Gen 7 Link!

by

In addition to a novel battle system, the style of trainer battles in this game appears unusual when compared to Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s day-night cycle, potentially hinting at new directions for future Pokemon Legends games. The inclusion of internal batteries in Game Boy Color cartridges allowed Pokemon Gold and Silver to introduce an in-game day-night cycle, a feature that has since become a staple in the Pokemon series. Prior to Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s latest unveiling, only Pokemon Sun, Moon, and their Ultra counterparts had dabbled with this aspect.

In a similar vein connecting “Legends: Z-A” and the Generation 7 games, it might be suggested that the “Pokemon Legends” series from Game Freak wasn’t merely offering alternate views of the Pokemon universe across different generations. Starting with “Pokemon Legends: Arceus,” there seems to be a possible connection between its Space-Time Distortions and Generation 7’s Ultra Wormholes, and the upcoming game appears to carry on this link, first with Zygarde and cell-collecting, and now with “Legends: Z-A”‘s day-night cycle. As the story unfolds, it could imply that Alola, from Generation 7, will serve as the setting for the next “Pokemon Legends” game, bringing everything full circle.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Day-Night Cycle Seems Reminiscent of Pokemon Sun and Moon

Ever since the debut of Pokemon in Gold and Silver, the day-night cycle has been a key feature in the series, as some Pokemon can only be found or encountered during specific times. Sun and Moon tried to expand upon this by alternating their day-night cycles as a form of version exclusivity, with Moon and Ultra Moon being offset by 12 hours. This didn’t significantly affect gameplay, but rather influenced certain cutscenes and in-game sequences that took place during the day or night. If given another opportunity, Game Freak could have taken this concept even further.

As a dedicated Pokémon fan and gamer, I can’t help but notice the striking similarities between the latest games, Pokémon Sun, Moon, and their Ultra counterparts, and the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A. For example, the unveiling of the new battling system in Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels like a potential direction that Game Freak might have been aiming for, as trainer battles were previously tied to specific times of day but are now seemingly more flexible.

Moreover, it’s fascinating to see how many elements from Gen 7 appear to have made a comeback in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. For instance, the return of Mega Evolutions, which haven’t been seen since Gen 7, and the potential cell-collecting mechanic reminiscent of Zygarde are intriguing connections that I can’t help but ponder. While some similarities might be coincidental, the growing number of links between Gen 7 and the Pokémon Legends series is becoming increasingly hard to dismiss.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus Already Had Possible Ties to Gen 7

In a different phrasing:
The connection between Pokemon Legends and Generation 7 didn’t begin with the release of Legends: Z-A, but theories about the Space-Time Distortions in Legends: Arceus suggested they might be related to Ultra Wormholes. However, it was later revealed in Legends: Arceus‘ story that these distortions were caused by Giratina. Yet, the player character and Ingo falling through these distortions bears a striking resemblance to “Fallers” who have traveled through Ultra Wormholes. Furthermore, Looker, whose narrative has been significant in Generation 5 and Generation 7 games, with connections to Ultra Beasts and Fallers, saw his story develop more fully during the play of Pokemon X and Y .

The Next Pokemon Legends Game Could Come Full Circle With Gen 7

Game Freak could be tying together the stories of Gen 7, “Legends: Arceus”, and the upcoming “Legends: Z-A”. The historical setting in “Legends: Arceus” and the futuristic introduction of Quasartico Inc., a company named after a celestial body like the sun and moon, might suggest that “Legends: Z-A” is meant to conclude this trilogy. However, we’ll have to wait for “Legends: Z-A” to be released to see if it reveals more connections and possibly hint at an Alolan “Pokemon Legends” game coming next.

Read More

2025-04-05 15:06