Summary
Pokemon Legends: Z-Aputs itself in a unique position when it comes to characters, existing somewhere afterX and Y, but not being a direct sequel. With this in mind, some players have been wondering who the professor inPokemon Legends: Z-Amight be, and how they might compare to Professor Laventon fromLegends: Arceus.
Pokemon Legends: Arceustreated fans to an experience unlike previous games, showing the distant past of a familiar region. Generally, fans enjoyed the detour the game made from previous titles, but some had a gripe with one important character. Professor Laventon was one of the few major characters in the game that wasn’tan ancestor of a familiarPokemoncharacter. As a result, some players found it hard to connect with him the way they could with the other key players in the story.Pokemon Legends: Z-Ashould learn from this, correcting the mistake by linking its professor to previous games.
How Does Pokemon Legends: Z-A Connect to Other Games?
Exactly how Game Freak could connect the Professor inLegends: Z-Ato other games is very much up in the air at the moment. Whilestrong rumors suggestPokemon Legends: Z-Awill take place in the distant future, this hasn’t yet been confirmed. Naturally, the characters who appear in the story will depend heavily on when it takes place. Distant future or not, it seems like a given thatLegends: Z-Awill take place sometime after the events ofPokemon X and Y. YetLegends: Z-Adoesn’t seem to act as a sequel to those games, so returning characters still may be few and far between even if the game takes place in modern times. This leaves only two major possibilities when it comes to creating a professor character with ties to a previous game.
Professor Sycamore Might Return
IfPokemon Legends: Z-Adoesn’t reach into the far future, the solution might be as simple as reusing Professor Sycamore fromPokemon X and Y. With the main goal ofLegends: Z-Abeing the revitalization of Lumiose city, it would be natural that the professor who lives there would be involved in the project. He could take on a similar role to Laventon, asking the player to help with his research while they work on redesigning the city. Withmega evolution set to make a prominent return inLegends: Z-A, Professor Sycamore’s expertise in the phenomenon would also provide a natural reason for his inclusion.
More Relative Characters Could Strengthen Connections
Game Freak faces a slightly greater challenge if the rumors about the futuristic setting are true. Depending on how far forward the time jump is, Professor Sycamore likely wouldn’t be around anymore, at least not in his prime, so a successor would be needed. Thankfully,Pokemon Legends: Arceusmight inspire a solution. That game’s ancestor characters were a fan favorite inclusion, withmany fans hoping for more characters who are related to familiar faces. IfLegends: Z-Adoes take place in the future, it might include descendants of characters from the largerPokemonseries, particularly ones who come from the Kalos region. Creating a new professor who is a direct descendant of Sycamore, or anotherPokemonprofessor, would be the perfect way to ensure players feel a connection to them.
Whatever the case,Pokemon Legends: Z-Aneeds to do better with its professor than Laventon. His character just didn’t stand out, leading him to feel like a character who was tossed in out of necessity, but not given proper development.As far asPokemonprofessors go, few rank among the best professors in the series, but linking a new one’s story to that of a previous professor would help them stand out. If they feel like a continuation of an already beloved character, fans are more likely to connect to them. With a character as important as the professor,Pokemon Legends: Z-Aneeds to get it right, which means departing from characters like Laventon.
Pokemon Legends Z-A
The sequel to Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Pokemon Legends: Z-A takes Pokemon trainers back to the Kalos region’s Lumiose City.
