Pokemon Legends: Z-A has got fans celebrating the X and Y sequel we never got: “Pokemon Z is real, we just needed to wait a decade”

The newly-announced Pokemon Legends Z-A has got fans reminiscing about Gen 6 and the X and Y sequel we never got. 

On February 27, during a Pokemon Presents, it was revealed that we’d be getting another Pokemon Legends game, two years after Pokemon Legends: Arceus. The new game’s trailer didn’t give much away but we know that Pokemon Z-A is going to take place in Lumiose City – in the Kalos region just like in Pokemon X & Y – and will see the return of Mega Evolutions. Most importantly, the game is set to release sometime in 2025. 

Very quickly after Z-A’s reveal, Pokemon fans started reminding each other about Pokemon Z – a game that never actually existed. Traditionally, before DLC became the standard, The Pokemon Company had a habit of releasing two mainline games and then a sequel to complete them. For example: Gold, Silver, and Crystal; Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald; Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, and so on. 

This (+2025 release) is the best case scenario [oc] from r/pokemon

When Pokemon Black and White rolled out in 2010, fans thought Pokemon Grey would be next. Instead, we got Pokemon Black and White 2. When Pokemon X and Y came around, fans, once again, expected Pokemon Z to complete the trio, but instead The Pokemon Company jumped generations completely and released Omega Ruby and Sapphire. Ever since then, fans have been theorizing about what happened to Pokemon Z.

According to Pokemon developer Junichi Masuda, in an interview with Spain’s Official Nintendo Magazine back in 2016 (translated by DidYouKnowGaming), there wasn’t ever any plan to make Pokemon Z. Talking about the theorized game, Masuda said at the time: “People thought Pokemon Z would come next, but taking advantage of the fact it’s the 20th anniversary, we decided to deliver another surprise with Sun & Moon.”

Pokemon Z-A isn’t exactly the Pokemon Z we’ve been waiting for, but that hasn’t stopped fans from celebrating anyway. “Pokémon Z is real, we just needed to wait a decade,” one Twitter user joked. “They finally made Pokemon Z and it’s in the Legends style, hell yeah,” another fan said. “POKEMON Z WAS ALWAYS REAL,” another declared.

It’s been 3,000 years from r/pokemon

“No one had Pokemon f****** Z coming as a Legends game in their bingo,” a Reddit user has shared. “How am I supposed to ask ‘where Pokemon Z’ on every Nintendo presentation now?” another asked. This led another fan to reply: “Now you can start asking WHEN Pokemon Z!”

Wondering what pocket monsters we’re likely to see in the new game? Here’s the Pokemon Legends: Z-A Pokedex.