Pokemon Legends: Z-A Has the Perfect Chance to Revive One Underused X and Y Mechanic

Pokemon Legends: Z-A has the chance to right many of the wrongs of Pokemon X and Y as a new game set in the Kalos Region. While Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s gameplay will still likely be closer to that of its predecessor, Pokemon Legends: Arceus, many fans are anticipating this game to act as the Pokemon Z game they never got during Gen 6. If Pokemon Legends: Z-A really is intent on fleshing out Kalos in a way that Pokemon X and Y didn’t, it needs to bring back one obscure type of battle that never really got the chance to shine.

With the Mega Evolution mechanic already set to return in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, there is a good chance the game will follow up on some fan-favorite aspects of Pokemon X and Y that were never seen through due to the lack of a third version. Aside from Mega Evolution, Pokemon Legends: Z-A could see a deeper dive into the story of Kalos’ ancient king AZ and his Floette, who was originally intended to be distributed to players during Gen 6 but was ultimately cut. Additionally, Pokemon Legends: Z-A could see the return of Sky Battles to give players a refreshed take on the game’s traditional combat formula.

When to Expect More Pokemon Legends: Z-A News

Fans who are looking forward to Pokemon Legends: Z-A may be able to expect news about the next mainline Pokemon game sooner rather than later.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A Should Bring Back Sky Battles

Sky Battles Were Underutilized in Pokemon X and Y

It’s common for players to be unfamiliar with Sky Battles as they were only ever available in Pokemon X and Y, and even within those games, they were few and far between. The premise of these Sky Battles is that players can only use certain critters that are either Flying type or have the ability Levitate as they take to the air to battle their opponent. There wasn’t much else to this gimmick other than placing certain restrictions on the mons and moves players and their opponents can use, and with how few Sky Battle trainers there actually are in Pokemon X and Y, the mechanic flew under many players’ radars.

Despite being a Flying type or having Levitate, some mons like Fletchling, Hawlucha, and Gengar are ineligible for Sky Battles since their models don’t show them flying or levitating.

While the Pokemon series has experimented with different battle formats in the past, some have definitely had more staying power than others. Double Battles were first introduced in Gen 3 and have become a staple format for the series, even becoming the standard for competitive Pokemon VGC battles. On the other hand, formats like Triple and Rotation Battles introduced in Gen 5 never caught on, and much like Sky Battles, could do with a rework if they were to ever return to the franchise.

How the Pokemon Legends Formula Could Incorporate Sky Battles

Although Sky Battles felt like an afterthought in Pokemon X and Y, they hold a lot of potential for interesting battles that Pokemon Legends: Z-A might have the tools to tap into. It’s unclear at this point if Pokemon Legends: Z-A will feature more standard trainer battles than Pokemon Legends: Arceus did, but the game deserves to take advantage of the Sky Battle mechanic regardless.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus allowed players to fly around the region of Hisui by calling a Braviary to transport them high into the sky, and while it was a great way to quickly get around the map while spotting mons from above, there is a lot more that could have been included in the feature. If Pokemon Legends: Z-A features a similar flying mount for players to use, it only makes sense that they should be able to encounter trainers while flying with this mon. These trainers could challenge players to Sky Battles, potentially utilizing the mon they are flying with, and give this battle format a fun new twist to revive what was a largely forgotten part of Pokemon X and Y.