Well well well, would you look at that? After nearly 12 years since Pokémon X and Y’s release which was on October 13, 2013, we are finally going back to the Kalos region, with the announcement of Pokémon Legends: Z-A which is scheduled for a 2025 release, I can’t help but feel extremely satisfied. Nearly all Pokémon regions have enjoyed their fair share of in depth lore, filled with a wide variety of Pokémon, constantly being mentioned as nostalgia bait, and getting new additions to the region, and it’s Pokémon over and over again. New characters from the region, check! New Pokémon forms from the region, check! Old characters and old mechanics from the region, check!
Then There’s Kalos… The most forgotten Pokémon region on the list… Aka, the generation VI Pokémon games. In the previous generations prior to Pokémon X and Y, the Pokémon games of generation III, IV, and V were able to enjoy having some sort of redemption arc of their generation. But on the other hand, poor generation VI has enjoyed NO such redemption arc. When taking a look and doing an analysis with every Pokémon released after X and Y, each new Pokémon game released, and their region got better spotlight than Kalos ever did. The Gen VI Pokémon games never got a release of the third installment, Pokémon Z. Despite the fact that many of us Pokémon fans were pinpoint and fully certain that we would get such a game.…
The generation VII’s Pokémon games, Sun and Moon, were able to enjoy having a nice expanded lore, filled with a better designed region, more new Pokémon, and even having two Pokémon games, which were Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. These games were an alternative timeline to the original Sun and Moon games. Meanwhile, their mascots enjoyed tremendous spotlight in regard to their lore and a tiny amount of new Pokémon were revealed. Also, it should be noted that Pokémon Sun and Moon enjoyed tremendous popularity due to the fact that those games were riding on the Pokémon Go hype, a few months before the release of Pokémon Sun and Moon. Pokémon Sword and Shield, Pokémon games that were poorly optimized, rushed, and caused some insane controversy, sold better than Pokémon X and Y ever did. Despite the low quality, enjoyed having the lore of Galar expanded thanks to the DLC content that were released a year later. The popularity of Sword and Shield could also be attributed thanks to the strong sales of the Nintendo Switch, which outsold the Wii U only a year later, and was already selling like a hot cake machine by the year 2019. Then with Legends Arceus, not only did the Sinnoh region get a remake a few months back before the game’s release, but the lore of the Sinnoh region was so unprecedentedly expanded. The region itself even got a past region setting, known as the Hisui region, and the famous creation trio, were expanded into new heights. The same could be said for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet a few years later. The game enjoyed having the largest Pokédex not seen since Pokémon Black and White. Old Pokémon got new forms, new mechanics that ultimately changed the way we used to play Pokémon before, and an excellent story and hidden lore that many Pokémon fans still talk about to this day.
Now, if we are talking about remakes, then the remakes did well, both in sales, and popularity. Take for example, Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, which were released exactly a year later after Pokémon X and Y, basically stole the entire spotlight of X and Y, and defined itself as the perfection of generation VI. To this day, when people remember Gen VI, ORAS is often mentioned as the icon of that generation, simply because Gamfreak nailed it as a good remake. Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee were just basic remakes of the original generation I Pokémon games, but except that it’s just Pikachu and Eevee as your starters while riding on that Gen I nostalgia bait. Three years later, in 2021, It’s the exact same thing with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, except that it’s Gen IV nostalgia bait.
With Pokémon X and Y, ask yourself this question? Aside from TCG trailers, new merchandise like action figures and plushies, when was the last time that Pokémon X and Y were ever seriously mentioned, or even remembered fully as a Pokémon game by Gamefreak? In fact, Pokémon X and Y are so forgotten, sometimes it seems like Game Freak pretends, or refuses to acknowledge their existences. By the time the GEN VI games came to their conclusion in 2016, not since has the generation ever been picked up again.
Only until now…
Before we talk about Pokémon Legends: Z-A, let’s talk about the significant contribution of Pokémon X and Y to the Pokémon franchise, and its introduction to mechanics that became a forever fan favorite for Pokémon fans.
On December 24, 2012, months after the release of Pokémon Black and White 2, game freak announced that the Pokémon franchise will, “evolve”, and will expand to greater heights. This comes after Black and White 2’s global success. Despite that, sales were lower than the original Pokémon Black and White. It did nothing to increase the popularity of the Pokémon franchise, despite Game Freak’s much loved effort to deliver a unique Pokémon that was differently from the previous four generations of Pokémon, which were nothing but complete masterpieces.
Then on January 8, 2013, Pokémon X and Y were officially announced, and dozens of fans worldwide, including myself, bear witness to a Pokémon trailer that was not only epic, but completely different from the previous Pokémon games. They were the first core Pokémon games to feature in 3D, and not only that, but it was a brand-new generation. In fact, Game Freak’s announcement to the world for a new Pokémon generation wasn’t only exciting, but extremely sudden as well, as it had only been three years since Pokémon Black and White just started.
Since then, trailer after trailer, new Pokémon, new mechanics, new features, and content were in abundance, and fans, like myself, were getting more and more excited. The time when X and Y were set to be released in 2013 was such an impact. Not only was there excitement for Pokémon games not seen in years, but suddenly, Pokémon’s popularity was rejuvenated to such levels, that all of a sudden, everyone were talking about Pokémon. YouTube videos, YouTube content, trailers, groups, forums, memes, and general excitement were high. So high, not seen since the Pokémon craze of the late 1990s (1998-2000). In many ways, you could say that the start of X and Y era, herald a new generation of the Pokémon wave, that would continue on for years.
When the games were released, it sold like hotcakes, and managed to outsell Pokémon Black and White by a large margin. Sales were high, the popularity of Pokémon flourished, and it got the attention of many fans, both old and new. A new era of Pokémon was kicked into full gear.
Pokémon X and Y introduced new game mechanics that became beloved to Pokémon. The first new introduction of the mechanics, was a new typing. The fairy type, which at the time, caused controversy because it was super effective against three of the most popular Pokémon types. In the beginning, only dragon type it was super effective against, and even immune to it. Later on, it was revealed that it was super effective to fighting, and dark type Pokémon. The controversy was huge, and it caused a slight uproar among fans of dragon and dark type Pokémon. On the other hand, it was weak to poison types and steel types, which gave a new light of usefulness for those two types when it came to the offense, since they were among the poorest in terms of offense. Especially the poison type.
Not only that, but X and Y added the custom character mechanics. Something that would become a mainstay with the Pokémon games later on. This feature was so brilliant, because not only were we able to customize our characters the way we wanted them too. It also gave us the awesome feeling of truly feeling like ourselves when out on the journey with our Pokémon. The custom character mechanic was something that many Pokémon fans have been begging for generations, and it took 6 generations for that to come true. At long last… Oh, and obviously, it made us look cooler, and gave us a variety of what we wanted to look like. Be it cool, tough, mysterious, beautiful, cute, you name it. This mechanic, being invented for Pokémon, was like a dream come true.
However, perhaps the crowning moment of Pokémon X and Y, and in general, the generation VI Pokémon games, is no doubt, mega evolutions. The concept of mega evolutions weren’t just cool, but arguably, the greatest feature that game freak has ever added for the Pokémon franchise since the split of the physical and special attacks. Mega evolutions didn’t just rock, but they changed the meta game, gave life to certain Pokémon, and helped old Pokémon that were extremely weak by giving them life with a mega evolution. They introduced some really cool Pokémon designs that, to this day, still persist with Pokémon fans. When Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire were released, a new abundance of old favorites received a new mega evolution. In fact, mega evolutions were SO loved, that even the most nostalgic Generation I Pokémon fan couldn’t resist the awesomeness of mega evolutions. From specials, to OVAs, to the TV show of Pokémon X and Y, to ONA trailers of mega evolutions for Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Mega evolution, by many Pokémon fans, felt like a forever mainstay for the Pokémon franchise. TCG, plushies, figures, and all sorts of other merchandise, featured mega evolutions. Because of this, fans were excited that, for future Pokémon games, new Pokémon would get a mega evolution later on. The importance of mega evolution by the Pokémon community, was so great, that There was no possible way for mega evolution to ever be out of the game. Right…? Right…?
What happened…?
Well, uh… Game Freak threw that all away in Pokémon Sun and Moon. Game Freak announced that mega evolution would be returning, but no new mega evolutions, and they were sidelined, for something called Z-moves. Yes… For this…
The move was so utterly shocking and horrifying, that many Pokémon fans like myself just couldn’t believe the fact that, Game Freak, completely dumped mega evolutions, aka the coolest and awesome idea ever for Pokémon. In favor of this quote on quote by the fans. A quote by the fans: a Yokai Watch rip off maneuver.”. It wasn’t just a huge letdown, but an absolute giant middle finger to all the Pokémon fans who loved mega evolution, and wanted to see more Pokémon get one, but it argubaly started Pokemon’s downfall for the way they handled gimmicks. It became clear that Game Freak simply didn’t care anymore for how they would handle the next Pokemon games for the future. The next generation, we got Z-moves, then after that, we got… This.. Dynamax…
The Pokemon go big. That’s all really… With some few new looking fourms, that only last for 5 turns, and got ban hammered in competitive Pokemon.
Later on, we got the Terastal forms, which were really cool in my opinion, but…
The truth is, nothing would beat the mega evolution mechanic.
If you think that was it, then guess what else? A Pokémon Z game NEVER arrived at all. The success of X and Y, plus Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, had Pokémon fans like myself certain that X and Y would have a third installment in the region. Similar to that of Yellow, Crystal, Emerald, Platinum, and Black and White. 2. No, instead, Game Freak quickly sidelined the lore of Zygarde and never gave the Kalos region the opportunity to expand. We never got to truly see the hidden mysteries of the Kalos region, and a dedicated plot to the origins of Zygarde, and its forms. Instead, all of Zygarde’s forms were transferred to Pokémon Sun and Moon without any explanation whatsoever. They were just there. That’s all and nothing else.
So because of this, that’s why many Pokémon fans later on began to develop a subdued and disgruntled attitude towards the Generation VI era Pokémon games. Because of the drop in quality Pokémon games later on, starting especially with Sword and Shield, X and Y became the Catalyst with being popularly blamed for the decline of quality in Pokémon games. When it comes to nostalgia, X and Y are arguably the weakest in the franchise, simply because they were so undercooked by Game Freak, and simply ignored for the rest of the future generation. It’s no wonder why Kalos is hardly remembered by most Pokémon fans. Never mind TCG, and new merchandise, but when it comes to anthologies of Pokémon, X and Y are the least mentioned and hardly remembered. So… What else happens next?
Well, the good news is, after nearly twelve years, Pokémon is finally coming back to the Kalos region. This time, with something awesome that us Pokémon fans have been enjoying? What’s that? Well, the Legends format that started with Arceus back in 2022.
Introducing Pokémon Legends: Z-A. According to Nintendo, this game will be the sequel to Pokémon X and Y, and will be set entirely in Lumoise city. While not much in the trailer was shown, it is one thing for sure, a lot of favorites that made the original Pokémon X and Y games favorable among many, will be coming back in this game. Do you know how important this is? For instance, let’s view it this way.
As stated before, nearly all regions have enjoyed having some sort of spotlight. Either it being an expansion of the regions, lore, new Pokémon forms introduced, nostalgia bait that makes everyone come back to it, and everything else that Pokémon does. Kalos was, arguably, the most behind, and most undercooked when it came to this. With the announcement and eventual release of Pokémon: Z-A, it is definitely a well deserved moment for the Kalos region.
We will finally be getting answers about Zygarde, the forgotten third legendary of the Aura Trio. We will learn even more in depth knowledge of its forms, how it connects to the Kalos region, and you never know, even more new content for Zygarde. Mirroring of what Legends Arceus did for the Creation Trio. We will know more about the Kalos region, the urban development plan of Lumoise city, and perhaps new content for Pokémon both old, and potentially new ones.
However, perhaps the biggest happiness that many fans, including myself, are mostly happy about, is the return of mega evolutions. A fan favorite mechanic that has gone cold for over a decade. As soon as the mega evolution sound played at the end of the trailer, many Pokémon fans, including myself, have agreed, that was the golden crowning moment of the trailer. Mega evolutions are back, and it’s probably the most exciting feeling from a Pokémon game not felt in ages. We are definitely expecting, are the return of mega evolutions of the old, and hopefully, which I can definitely guarantee, new mega evolutions that are desperately needed by Pokémon. Some well known Pokémon, also deserve a mega evolution as well.
In conclusion, Kalos is an underrated Pokémon region, and the Pokémon games X and Y, were robbed nasty by Game Freak. Now, with a return to the region, one could hope that this time, the region of Kalos, it’s Pokémon, its lore, and the mechanics that made it so beloved in the past, will have an even greater expansion. This time, fully complete with justice done, and brilliance to redeem a region, and a generation that has been notably neglected by everyone. For many, this is absolutely a very exciting moment for the Pokémon franchise. As much as I would have loved a Black and White remake, or something that involves the Johto region, Kalos needs the most, and no perfect way to do it, by continuing the Legends format, and this time, with Zygarde.
This is certainly a significant moment for the Pokémon franchise, and I await to see what’s in store for Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Hopefully, it will deliver, and make us all happy. Not only that, but I sincerely hope that mechanics, like mega evolution, continues on towards the next generation of Pokémon games. All we can hope for is the best.
Thank you for reading this article!
Sources: NintendoLife, Youtube, MyNintendoNews, Youtube, Eurogamer
Animangemu 