Here’s why Pokemon Legends Z-A needs to tap into franchise’s rich lore

Each new Pokemon game expands on the franchise’s rich history, and Legends Z-A needs to bring a renewed narrative focus to leave its mark across Pokemon lore.

Pokemon trainers all over the world are waiting for the announcement of Pokemon Legends Z-A‘s release date. This will mark yet another opportunity for Game Freak and The Pokemon Company to expand the already impressive worldbuilding behind the series.

So far, the narrative pillars in Pokemon have always been outshined by the myriad of gameplay features on offer. Each game added more Pokemon species, more Gym Leaders to beat, more places to explore, more friends to meet, and of course, new protagonists.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet shed more light than ever upon the shared world between Pokemon and humans. But will players still be pleased with a familiar story when it comes to the narrative in Pokemon’s next game?

I was pleasantly surprised to see Pokemon Scarlet and Violet expand on the options that players can take with three different storylines they can follow at their own pace. This was great for players since it created something fresh and new for fans of the series to explore.

With the release of The Teal Mask and Indigo Disk DLC, I also experienced a new style of storytelling and the potential the franchise could tap into if it really shifted from the typical route. Kieran proved to be more than a rival to conquer, and the DLC story was richer in lore than anyone expected

We saw some of the potential that a game less focused on the traditional aspects of Pokemon titles can offer players with Legends Arceus. But will Legends Z-A be able to repeat the feat? The answer depends on whether Game Freak takes advantage of the rich narrative constructed around the lore of the franchise. A great example of this is recurring characters that appear throughout the games.

Remember when Professor Oak made several cameos throughout the series? How about the infamous Mindy, who traded you a Haunter with an Everstone? I’ll certainly never forget the legendary Ghost Girl.

The series has a treasure trove of characters and unresolved mysteries to explore like the case of Cubone’s mother, which was solved in Pokemon Sun & Moon. Or the even greater mystery of Mew and Guyana. Will players be able to visit that region in the future?

If Pokemon Legends Z-A grasps the rich lore of the franchise and manages to elevate it even further, then the future of Pokemon games could offer a much more diverse experience, and of course, a better tale for the next generation of players.