Pokemon Legends Z-A confirms its starting trio, and it leans on the Gold/Silver lineup much more than I was expecting

Screenshot from Pokemon Legends ZA — (Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

The Pokemon Company has just spilled all the juicy details on Pokemon Legends Z-A, an open-world take on Pokemon X and Y's Lumiose City, and its trio of starters certainly lean on Generation 2 much more than I was expecting.

With the Pokemon Legends Z-A starters now confirmed, we know that newbie trainers will be able to pick between the small Grass-type dino Chikorita, the plump Fire-type Tepig, and the adorable Water-type Totodile as starters, as seen in the game's new Pokemon Presents trailer.

[UK] Pokémon Legends: Z-A Releases in Late 2025! - YouTube

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They definitely caught me off guard since Chikorita and Totodile come from the same Generation 2 games, Pokemon Gold and Silver, and their Gen 2 sibling Cyndaquil also headlined the last Legends game. (Someone at The Pokemon Company clearly has good taste.)

Whoever you decide to partner up with, it seems your in-game rival and frenemy will pick a starter that's weak against yours, based on the trailer. So, if you make the correct decision and choose Chikorita, your rival will very kindly put themselves at a disadvantage and pick Totodile.

Starters from Generation 6, Pokemon X and Y, are nowhere to be seen in the upcoming game's newest trailer, but that doesn't mean Chespin, Froakie, and Fennekin won't show up eventually. Pokemon Legends: Arceus hid away starter 'mons from the generation it was inspired by, so there's no reason why the Kalos region's beloved mascots won't rear their heads here, too.

Pokemon Legends Z-A was also re-confirmed to come to Nintendo Switch sometime later this year, with Mega Evolutions happily returning. Hopefully, our starting trio will get some epic new forms, too.

Elsewhere in today's livestream, we got our first look at a PvP multiplayer battler coming to Switch and mobile, new updates for spin-offs like Pokemon Unite and TCG, and much more.

Pokemon Legends Z-A remembers it's an open-zone JRPG, adds actual parkour and platforming so you can explore the city