We’re only a few days away from the release of the new Pokémon Legends: ZA DLC, and there’s still quite a lot we don’t know about it. The initial reveal trailer did tease a whole lot of cool things—a parallel, monochrome dimension full of insanely high-level Pokémon is certainly an enticer—but as always, we won’t know the nitty-gritty until it actually comes out later this week.
Whenever a game I’m really hyped for has almost arrived, I start to get really antsy. Like, “this game is all I can think about” level antsy. I’ve got to blurt out this messy stream of thought that’s been coagulating in my brain, so I’m gonna take this time to write out some of my interests and hopes (some of which are total pipe dreams) for this new adventure.
#1: More Emma!
Even though she plays a semi-notable role in the main story, I’d really love to see Emma get more time to shine. She’s on the cover for the game for god’s sake! Why is she primarily reserved for sidequests? It’s not like she was completely absent from the main story—she does help you and Ivor find his sister, Gwynn, and introduce you to the concept of Mega Evolution—but I wish she was enabled to delve into deeper, more complex detective work; the mystery of Hyperspace seems like the perfect opportunity for her to dissect the phenomenon and figure out not only Hoopa and Ansha’s connection to it, but why exactly such strong Pokémon are manifesting within it.
OH! Maybe Looker finally shows up somehow? Wouldn’t it be hilarious if that man found himself trapped in a multiverse of alternate, monochromatic dimensions and has to bluntly (yet confidently) enlist your help to escape? Looker does seem like he’d be a huge proponent of donut-based travel!
Yeah, that’s certainly not likely, but it would be funny for a man of his eccentricity to have to figure out why the city his bureau is in is devoid of color and roamed by beasts. I miss that guy. He was one of my favorite recurring characters—always finding ways to lend you a hand, yet always getting into the craziest situations. Does anyone remember how he just randomly had amnesia in ORAS? Or was that just me?
#2: Is Ansha related to Diantha?
There are a few theories about Ansha floating around social media lately. I don’t think it’s safe to subscribe to any of these, given how little we have to go on. Still, one that definitely piqued my curiosity is the theory that Ansha is related to Diantha in some manner, whether that means she’s her daughter or even crazier: a past version of herself. It’s at least safe to say the resemblance is there, but the only other iota of info that could seemingly connect the two is her partner—Hoopa’s—inter-dimensional abilities, abilities that could possibly extend beyond Hyperspace and into other alternate dimensions. This could imply that Ansha is some alternate version of Diantha who’s been whisked out of her home dimension by Hoopa and decided to harness her baking skills to aid its travels through dimensions for whatever reason; however, I can’t quite imagine what that reason would be besides, like, it being fun to her? I mean, she is a kid. Traveling between dimensions does sound like something I’d find fun to do over winter break, back when I was wholly engrossed in my DS Lite’s screen eight hours a day. Who’s to say Ansha isn’t just taking a nice, quaint detour before heading home?
To be completely honest, I have no solid basis for any of this gibberish besides the slight physical similarities. If Ansha is related to Diantha in some way, I hope it’s for a good, solid narrative purpose, because why the hell was the Champion of Kalos absent during one of the largest crises in Lumiose’s history? Much to think about… or forget about on Wednesday when everything I’ve just said holds no merit. (Pain noise)
#3: Infinite Royale… in Hyperspace?
This is something I thought might be a really cool feature, given the roguelike nature of Mega Dimension’s gameplay: an infinite royale mode where you have to battle increasingly higher-level Pokémon in a giant arena until you lose. I’m not sure if any past Pokémon titles have had a gauntlet like this, but if there’s any game to do it in, it’s this one. PL:ZA’s combat is easily my favorite in the series and would ideally suit an infinite mode, especially when the Pokémon in Hyperspace have levels exceeding 150! That’s the kind of stuff you’d only see in ROM hacks! Don’t tell Nintendo I said that. If you’re a Nintendo employee or executive, pretend I’m waving that memory-eraser from Men in Black in front of your face right now. Alright? Your favorite color is blue, and you love fan games made using your IPs, so much so that you’ll never let them be taken down… alright? Good…
That’s about everything semi-major that I can think of. I’m so excited to have a reason to play more PL:ZA. I kinda fell out of it after finally finishing my decade-long male shiny Ralts hunt. I guess I’ll fall into a new wormhole on Wednesday!
Wait… where are Clemont and Bonnie?!
Leave a Reply