Summary

• Pokémon Legends: Arceus subtly hinted at Pokémon Legends: Z-A through Easter eggs two years before its announcement.
• The teaser trailer for Legends: Z-A revealed the game will be set in the Kalos region originally introduced in Gen 6.
• The Pokémon franchise often teases games, with Legends: Z-A being hinted at before its official announcement.

There is a very straightforward Easter egg in release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, set to arrive in 2025.

From the teaser trailer shown during Pokémon Day 2024’s Pokémon Presents event, this new game will be set in the region of Kalos, originally introduced in Generation 6 with Pokémon X and Y. The video showcases a Pikachu running through a neon-structured outline of Lumiouse City and highlights several other creatures, mostly from Gen 6 games, such as Sylveon and Aegislash. Legends: Z-A’s announcement was something of a surprise, as all rumors and alleged leaks pointed toward Gen 5 remakes. Curiously enough, however, the new game had already been teased years ago, within Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus Hinted At A Kalos-Set Game

As highlighted in a post made by the Novel_Marketing_5425 on Reddit over two years ago, the T-shirts used by the protagonists at the start of the game were hinting at releases, including Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It is important to note that the initial female and male T-shirts are different from one another.

The hint at a Kalo-set game lies within the male’s clothing. The T-shirt they are wearing in Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a direct reference to the one that is given as an alternative choice for players at the beginning of Pokémon X and Y, as stated by the Reddit .

It is composed of a square-shaped logo with a red ball and a blue structure around it, mimicking a portion of a Poké Ball. At the time of the game’s release in 2022, this seemed like nothing more than a nod at Kalos and not an actual Easter egg teasing the future release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, a new game set in the Gen 6 region.

At the time, the Reddit made theories about how that could eventually tie in with the Ultimate Weapon for X and Y’s campaign. However, that did not come to fruition. Nevertheless, if paying closer attention to the female character’s T-shirt in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, it is safe to say that the Kalos-themed clothing was certainly a tease for Pokémon Legends: Z-A and not just a nod at the Gen 6 region.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ Female Shirt Hinted At Scarlet & Violet

The initial T-shirt worn by the female player character in the 2022 game, as shown by CrystalBlazier on YouTube, was also hinting at an release: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. The clothing features a Luxury Ball surrounded by a palm tree, a wave, and red and purple flowers.

This T-shirt is also a reused model, as it was originally available in Gen 8’s Pokémon Sword and Shield under the name “Luxury Holiday.”

Nonetheless, it does seem like a direct reference to the Gen 9 games. The elements that compose the artwork and the specific colors of the flowers on the shirt are likely much more than a simple coincidence but an actual tease about the releases within Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Combining the female T-shirt’s reference to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet with the speculation of the male T-shirt’s being more than a simple nod to Kalos, it seems like Pokémon Legends: Z-A had already been hinted at long before its announcement in 2024. Even with the unexpected hint at the new Legends game set in Kalos, it should not come as a complete surprise for players who are accustomed to the franchise.

Pokémon Games Tend To Tease Future Releases

It is very common for titles in the franchise to tease and hint at releases and, on occasion, even before their official announcements. Pokémon Legends: Arceus itself was teased after its announcement, but before it was officially released. The Gen 4 remakes, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl featured a special book in Canalave Library that was not available in the original game.

The book’s text had references to a new Hisuian form of Qwilfish before it had been revealed. It also hinted at how players could unlock a secret area that features special encounters with Manaphy and Phione. The franchise has a long history of subtly teasing its future games and it seems that Legends: Z-A has been in the works for quite some time, as indicated by the Easter egg in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Source: Reddit/Novel_Marketing_5425, YouTube/CrystalBlazier