The story is set in Lumiose City, where an urban redevelopment plan is underway to shape the city into a place that belongs to both people and Pokémon. Compared to Lumiose City as it appeared in the Pokémon X and  games, released in 2013, more greenery now adorns the city, alongside facilities with a cutting-edge feel.

In Lumiose City, spaces frequented by people—such as shopping arcades, cafés, and restaurants—coexist with more natural areas, such as waterfronts and verdant parks. At the center of Lumiose stands Prism Tower, the very symbol of the city.

While visiting Lumiose City, players will stay in an old hotel named Hotel Z and encounter the hotel’s owner, AZ—plus his partner Pokémon, Eternal Flower Floette, an unusual Floette that holds a black flower. This hotel will serve as players’ base of operations as they experience all sorts of adventures in Lumiose City alongside new and exciting characters, such as Urbain or Taunie—a new friend players will make throughout their adventures. The appearance players choose at the beginning of the game will determine which of the two they’ll meet.

As part of Lumiose’s urban redevelopment plan, driven by a large corporation called Quasartico Inc., the city has been outfitted with “wild zones” in an effort to help humans and Pokémon share the city. These areas are constructed using cutting-edge technology to give Pokémon places to live. Within wild zones, you can battle Pokémon and catch them by throwing Poké Balls.

You can catch wild Pokémon living in wild zones or out and about in Lumiose City by aiming a Poké Ball at them and letting it fly. If the Pokémon doesn’t pop back out of the ball, you’ve successfully caught it!

Some Pokémon will flee immediately if they spot you, so hide out of sight or approach from behind to make yourself harder to notice. You can also battle Pokémon to lower their HP, making them easier to catch.

In previous titles in the Pokémon video game series, Pokémon took action once per turn. In Pokémon Legends: Z‑A, Trainers and their Pokémon will move around in real time during battles, and Pokémon will unleash their moves when their Trainers command them to.

In addition to type matchups, there will be new gameplay mechanics to consider, such as the precise timing for swapping out your Pokémon or using moves, the different lengths of time moves will take to launch, and how big an area the moves will impact. This unprecedented style of Pokémon battling is one of the most thrilling parts of this title.

After arriving in Lumiose, certain events will lead you to befriending a Pokémon that will become your adventuring partner, thus beginning your journey as a Pokémon Trainer. Which Pokémon will you set off on your adventure with: Chikorita, Tepig, or Totodile?

In Lumiose City, Trainers will sometimes be able to see Pokémon undergo Mega Evolution—a kind of Evolution that transcends standard Evolution. Effectively using Mega Evolution will likely be key to victory in Pokémon battles.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A is coming to Nintendo Switch in late 2025.