Since the announcement of Pokemon Legends Z-A, fans have been actively debating the time period in which the game is set. A theory from a prominent Pokemon content creator suggests that the answer was hinted at back in X and Y.
While Pokemon Legends Arceus was quickly recognized as a title set in the distant past, determining the era for its sequel is more complex. The trailer’s Tron-inspired aesthetic and the hinted Lumiose City “Urban Redevelopment Plan” suggest a futuristic setting, yet developers have not provided specific details regarding this return to the Kalos region.
This ambiguity has sparked numerous fan theories, including one by Pokemon YouTuber Light, who proposes that an easily overlooked line from the Generation 6 games may confirm that Legends Z-A is indeed set in the future.
According to Light, a non-playable character (NPC) in X and Y mentions a device capable of transforming people into Pokemon. He draws a comparison to the Synchro Machine featured in Scarlet and Violet’s Indigo Disk DLC, which allows trainers to synchronize their consciousness with their Pokemon.
This may be proof that PLAZA is set in the future.Is already mentioned in XY that there is a device that makes you become a Pokemon.In PLZA seems there is a Synchro Laboratory.So I would like to be a fusion between Let’s Go feature from SV and the Synchro Machine feature.In… pic.twitter.com/xXOQPagWnN
— Light (@Light_88_) September 25, 2024
Light also points to a structure on the map displaying the same logo as the Synchro Machine, potentially indicating the presence of a Synchro Laboratory. This observation leads him to conclude that Legends Z-A may take place in the future.
The YouTuber envisions various features emerging from this theory: “I would like to see a fusion between the Let’s Go feature from Scarlet and Violet and the Synchro Machine feature.
“This would allow us to ‘farm experience’ by ourselves as Pokemon and introduce even more elements.”
While this theory, especially the link between the Synchro logo and the map icon from the trailer, is intriguing, there are certainly aspects to question regarding the connection to X and Y.
For instance, back during the release of those games in 2013, players speculated that the mention was meant as a nod to Bill from the Kanto games rather than a foreshadowing of a future mechanic. In the Generation 1 games and their remakes, this inventor unintentionally merges with a Pokemon during an experiment, requiring the player’s assistance to revert to his original self.
Although Pokemon frequently includes foreshadowing for future titles – as evidenced by X and Y’s Strange Souvenir, which clearly alluded to the Alola region in Sun and Moon – the likelihood of them hinting at a 2025 game back in 2013 seems minimal.
Moreover, as noted by a commenter on Light’s post, the Pokemon timeline is rather inconsistent: “In XY, the Fairy type is considered a recently discovered type, yet it already existed in [Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire] and Legends Arceus, which are deemed older than X and Y.”
While there are numerous indications suggesting that Pokemon Legends Z-A is set in the future, trainers will need to await confirmation from the developers for more details prior to the game’s scheduled release in 2025.
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