The titular Z-A Royale set to be introduced in Pokemon Legends: Z-A appears to be the game’s substitute for Pokemon‘s traditional gyms, potentially replacing another core mechanic seen throughout the mainline series. Even after the recent shift to an open-world design, as seen with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, virtually all Pokemon games have featured an obedience mechanic tied to collecting gym badges that keeps player progression in check. However, games that break the mold and don’t feature gyms, like Pokemon Legends: Arceus and its upcoming sequel, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, still need an alternative for managing this in-game obedience.
For Legends: Arceus, the game substituted gym badges for star rankings that increased the further players progressed through its story, though crucially, the system was tied to the forebears of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl‘s Team Galactic. Given that Legends: Z-A takes place in Lumiose City during the present day, the reveal of its Z-A Royale might be its planned replacement for gyms and stars. But while the Z-A Royale may be an obvious stand-in for Pokemon obedience in Legends: Z-A, how the game implements its letter-based system across twenty-six ranks could be more complicated than just eight gym badges.
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Pokemon Legends: Z-A is at Risk of Losing Legends: Arceus’ Best Feature
With Pokemon Legends: Z-A set in present-day Lumiose City, a key mechanic first introduced in Pokemon Legends: Arceus is at risk of being scrapped.
The Z-A Royale Could Be The Answer To Obedience In Pokemon Legends: Z-A
As far back as the first-ever Pokemon games with Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow, Pokemon obedience has been a vital mechanic to prevent players from progressing too quickly, where higher-level mons are more likely to ignore trainer commands without enough gym badges. With examples of obedience even featured in the Pokemon anime and Ash’s rebellious Charizard, this mechanic ensures that players don’t rely on high-level critters they’ve either trained or traded to sweep through the game. Even as Pokemon transitioned away from linear game design, open-world Pokemon games have continued using obedience to help manage player progression.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Needs an Alternative to Gym Badges, Stamps, And Stars
Beyond exceptions like Legends: Arceus and its starred ranks or Gen 7’s Pokemon Sun and Moon and its Ultra counterparts that used island challenge stamps, virtually all mainline Pokemon games have traditionally required players to collect badges from eight regional gyms. Given that Legends: Z-A is another semi-open world game set within Lumiose City alone, an alternative to badges, stamps, and stars is needed to manage Pokemon obedience and, by extension, player progression. Therefore, the reveal of its Z-A Royale could be one of the game’s most important features, as its alphabetized ranking system could connect to more than just Legends: Z-A‘s subtitle.
Following recent gameplay trailers, the Z-A Royale appears to be one of the game’s central narratives alongside Quasartico Inc.’s urban redevelopment of Lumiose City, with the suggestion that Legends: Z-A‘s players will be granted a wish once they reach its highest rank. As an alternative to Legends: Arceus‘ Galaxy Expedition Team ranks and traditional gym badges, the progression between letters in Legends: Z-A could tie into Pokemon obedience, where higher ranks mean higher-level mons will obey the player. However, as both the Z-A Royale’s name and trailers have indicated, players will progress from rank “Z” to “A,” suggesting there are twenty-six possible ranks altogether.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Lettered Ranks Might Complicate Obedience
Ultimately, there is a significant difference between Pokemon‘s typical eight badges and Legends: Z-A‘s potential twenty-six lettered ranks, especially as each letter will need to scale the hundred levels a Pokemon can have. One likely approach could be to parallel badges or stars, where obedience is split between level-based groups, with every five or so ranks in the Z-A Royale increasing Pokemon obedience. Yet while this might single out individual ranks with unique ties to obedience, it may be the only option Legends: Z-A has for its obedience mechanic; otherwise, Pokemon levels would need to be broken down even further between twenty-six ranks from “Z” to “A.”
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