Though many different Pokemon from across the generations will return forPokemon Legends: Z-A, one specific Pokemon line would be the perfect tie-in for the game. As a follow-up to the firstPokemon Legends: Arceus, many predictions, rumors, and leaks have been made ahead ofPokemon Legends: Z-A’s release, such as which starter Pokemon the game will choose or how it will expand on Mega Evolutions. Despite this, however, one Pokemon line in particular seems like an obvious addition to a game likeLegends: Z-A.
BetweenLegends: Z-A’s teased urban redevelopment story and the history behind one ofPokemon’sfirst man-made yet maligned Pokemon, the Porygon line has become a cross-generational classic that any player can instantly recognize. Given how many potential details there are connecting a Pokemon line like Porygon’s toLegends: Z-A, it feels like the Pokemon would inevitably be included in its Pokedex. But with Porygon and its evolutions yet to be confirmed, Game Freak shouldn’t overlook the perfect opportunity for the Virtual Pokemon to appear inLegends: Z-A.
The Porgyon Line Seems Like A Natural Fit for Pokemon Legends: Z-A
When theannouncement trailer was released forLegends: Z-A, it was made clear that the game was unexpectedly shifting away from the historical and feudalistic backdrop ofLegends: Arceus. Combined with more details about the game’s story and location, the trailer’s cyberspace-inspired visuals seem to tie intoLegends: Z-A’s near-future setting where players will revisit the Kalos region, with the game specifically taking place in Lumiose City. But while Porygon, Porygon2, and Porgyon-Z would have been perfect for this trailer as the Virtual Pokemon, all three were absent from the reveal.
While the trailer’s missing Porygon might have been initially discouraging to fans of the Pokemon line, this doesn’t explicitly confirm that they won’t feature inLegends: Z-A. After all, evenLegends: Arceusmanaged to include these man-made Pokemon and multiple others, regardless of where or when they were originally from via its space-time distortions, meaning there is still hope thatLegends: Z-Adoes the same as its predecessor. However,Legends: Z-Acould still do more with the Pokemon line than just include it in its Pokedex, as Porygon has some unique potential a mainlinePokemongame has yet to tap into.
Porygon’s Untapped Potential for Pokemon Legends: Z-A
For example, withLegends: Z-A’s claimed storyline focusing on urban redevelopment, a man-made Virtual Pokemon that evolves using Upgrades and Dubious Discs would appear to be a natural fit for this kind of story. Even if Game Freak comes short of givingPorygon a “correct” region-specific final evolutionwith Porygon3, simply including the Pokemon line or gifting a Porygon to players would be an organic way of promotingLegends: Z-A’s narrative. However, even Porygon’s true final evolution, Porygon-Z, is again a perfect tie-in forLegends: Z-Aas it shares part of its namesake, providing Game Freak with another seamless reason to include this particular Pokemon line.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Porgyon Could Give Rotom a Break
Beyond these reasons though, given that Game Freak has become reliant on reusing Rotom as both a phone and Pokedex for its present-day games,Legends: Z-Acould have capitalized on a unique detail with Porygon to shake things up. Just asLegends: Arceusintroduced the Arc Phone,Legends: Z-Acould have canonized the Poryphone fromPokemon Masters EX. While replacing the Rotom Phone seems highly unlikely given its prominence in games likePokemon SwordandShield, and most recentlyPokemon ScarletandViolet, the Poryphone originated from Pasio, which is another artificially developed region that again fits withinLegends: Z-A’s story about Lumiose City’s urban redevelopment.
