Lumiose City

Lore & Background

The history of this Lumiose iteration is defined by an urban redevelopment project initiated by Quasartico Inc. to heal wounds from a Team Flare incident five years prior. A mysterious phenomenon known as 'Rogue Mega Evolution' has emerged, causing wild Pokémon to spontaneously Mega Evolve and go berserk, necessitating real-time boss battles similar to the Noble Pokémon encounters in Legends: Arceus. The city's skyline is dominated by the Prism Tower, which houses a device called 'Ange.' Activated by past Team Flare actions and constructed by AZ, Ange emits Mega Energy that fuels these rogue events. At night, the city transforms as 'Battle Zones' appear for the Z-A Royale competition, where trainers challenge one another to climb from Rank Z to Rank A, with the ultimate prize being a wish granted by Quasartico.

In Their Own Story

The narrative begins with the player arriving as a tourist and befriending either Taunie (if male) or Urbain (if female), who provides a starter Pokémon and leads them to Hotel Z. Owned by the 3,000-year-old AZ and his Floette, this hotel serves as Team MZ's headquarters. The player joins the Z-A Royale, quickly rising through ranks while being recruited by Quasartico CEO Jett to subdue Rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon. Alongside Team MZ members like Korrina and a mysterious figure named 'L'—revealed to be an immortal Lysandre—the player investigates the source of the chaos. The climax occurs when Ange malfunctions, transforming Prism Tower into a gigantic monster. With help from Royale trainers, the player Mega Evolves Zygarde to destroy the device, resulting in AZ's death and the decision to restart the competition as the Infinite Z-A Royale.

Reader's Guide

Players must navigate Lumiose City entirely on foot or via specific game mechanics, focusing on two main activities: the Z-A Royale and subduing Rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon. Progression requires completing side quests to unlock battles against specific trainers, such as helping trainer Ivor find his sister in the sewers or competing in a trivia competition to face livestreamer Canari. At night, players enter Battle Zones to launch pre-emptive strikes on wandering opponents while dodging their attacks. In the paid DLC, 'Mega Dimension,' accessed via Hoopa's portal, trainers explore 'Hyperspace Lumiose' created by Darkrai to capture Legendary Pokémon like Rayquaza, Groudon, and Kyogre. Transfers from other games are possible but restricted; Pokémon moved into Z-A cannot return to titles like Scarlet or Violet.

Did You Know?

• The game takes place entirely within Lumiose City, five years after the events of X and Y.
• AZ, a character who is 3,000 years old, owns Hotel Z where Team MZ is based.
• Rogue Mega Evolution causes wild Pokémon to go berserk without trainer commands.
• The Z-A Royale allows players to rise from Rank Z to Rank A to have a wish granted by Quasartico.
• Unlike previous entries, this game uses a real-time combat system where positioning and timing dictate battle outcomes.