Z-A’s Battle Royale Could Be More than Meets the Eye

Pokemon Legends: Z-A is an exciting development of the Legends subfranchise formula, this time set entirely in Lumiose City from Gen 6. While many details have yet to be confirmed, including the new Mega Evolution list for Pokemon Legends: Z-A, players know that one of its main focuses is on the Z-A Royale.

Put simply, the Z-A Royale is a nightly competition where players must begin at Rank Z and reach Rank A. Apparently, Rank A players may have one wish granted, hinting at Jirachi’s involvement in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, alongside Gen 6 legendaries. As players defeat other trainers in the Z-A Royale, they will earn Ticket Points toward a Challenger’s Ticket. These unlock a promotion match by which players can advance in rank; however, the identity of the trainers faced in these promotion matches has yet to be revealed. While the comparison is a bit crude, there basically seems to be 26 gym leader-style matches in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and the game may very well lean into it as well.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Royale Has a Long List of Faces to Pull From

Right now, Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s timeline is a bit unclear, but it seems like it’s a safe bet that some years have passed since Pokemon X and Y. Assuming that each letter is leaned into, some gym leaders may return to face players in these promotion matches. The most obvious example is the first gym leader, Viola. While she was the first gym leader in Pokemon X and Y, she could easily take part in the V promotion match because she would have gotten stronger (or acquired stronger Pokemon) in that time. It doesn’t necessarily work for everyone, as facing the Elite Four’s Wikstrom for W would be a serious nerf for him. However, there’s plenty of room for these gym leaders to return.

Perhaps Grant could take place in the G promotion match, while Champion Diantha would likely work in the D Promotion match. It’s worth noting that the Z-A Royale only describes the promotion matches as those against a “tough Trainer who’s also looking to move up through the ranks.” It stands to reason that the rival would be one, while also returning trainers, gym leaders, and possible Elite Four members would be fighting their way through. Some will likely be run-of-the-mill trainers, but at the same time, it would be best used to highlight the series. Some fan service never hurt anyone.

Pokemon X + Y Gym Leaders, Elite Four for Z-A Royale

Viola
Grant
Korrina
Ramos
Olympia
Wulfric
Wikstrom (E4)
Malva (E4)
Drasna (E4)
Siebold (E4)
Diantha (Champion)

At the same time, there’s no reason to limit promotion matches to Pokemon X and Y‘s Kalos region. The promise of a “wish” is a strong pull for all corners of the Pokemon world.

It would be great to see this become a “who’s who” of the strongest trainers in the Pokemon world, mimicking more of the competition in the anime versus the Gym Leader challenge of the games. Facing Giovanni/Ghetsis at G, Cynthia at C, May at M, Lance at L, Iris at I, or even Red at R/Ash at A would go a long way in making this feel like a serious competition.

Overall, it remains to be seen, but the mystery of “who’s who” in its promotion matches is incredibly compelling. Most Pokemon Legends: Z-A Mega Evolutions have leaked, but the Z-A Royale is still largely surrounded in mystery. It’s a prime area for the game to show up and show out.