Pokemon Legends: Z-A's 'Starter Leak' May Not Be What it Seems

Summary

The usualPokemonnews cycle was disrupted with the announcement ofPokemon Legends: Z-Acoming in 2025 rather than this year, and with the possibility of Gen 10 coming in 2026 rather than next year, there is a bit of a drought at the moment. It makes sense for Nintendo and The Pokemon Company to keep their cards close to their chest for now, though, as it’s rumored thatPokemon Legends: Z-Awill launch on the Switch 2- or whatever Nintendo’s next console ends up being called. However,Pokemonfans can fall back on some rumors and leaks about what’s next, and the renowned Riddler Khu is already providing.

Khu has been a reliable source ofPokemonleaks for a few years now, correctly predicting a lot ofPokemon Legends: Arceus' content as well asPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s, including DLC. While there are already some hints as to where Gen 10 may take place, the next project in line isPokemon Legends: Z-A, and if it’s anything likePokemon Legends: Arceus, it will have three starters from different regions. This is precisely why Khu’s recent “3 5 8” tweet can be read as a leak regarding the starters in the Kalos-set game, but there may be more to it than meets the eye.

Why Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s New Leaks Could Be About Starters

Why Gen 3, Gen 5, and Gen 8 Starters Could Work in PLZA

On the surface level, “3 5 8” can easily be read as a leak stating that there will be a Gen 3 starter, a Gen 5 starter, and a Gen 8 starter. It would make sense, following thepattern set byPokemon Legends: Arceus, and Gen 3 and Gen 8 would also be generations that the game didn’t include the starters of, making up for some variety. However,PLAdid include Oshawott from Gen 5 as its Water-type starter. If this is the case, the possible starters would be:

There are some merits to the theory that the “3 5 8” leak refers to starters, including the fact that Snivy would seamlessly fit as afirst-partner Pokemon inPokemon Legends: Z-Agiven its inspiration being French royalty and Kalos being set in the same real-world country. Yet, it seems more likely that this leak refers to something else entirely.

Why Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s New Leaks Are Unlikely to Be About Starters

For one, Riddler Khu’s name implies that they will use riddles, and that is mostly what they have been doing so far with leaks - not revealing information outright, and instead making fans deduce it. “3 5 8” referring toPokemon Legends: Z-A’s starters would be precisely handing out information, so while Occam’s Razor as a principle suggests that the simplest explanation is probably the correct one, this could be bait from Khu. Instead, the numbers could refer tonew Mega Evolutions, convergent species, regional forms, cross-gen evolutions, or something else entirely.

It should also be noted thatGen 3 starters already have Mega Evolutions, so it may be hard to manage a new regional form as well as a new Mega for them if they end up being starters in Pokemon Legends: Z-A.

Given thatPokemon Legends: Arceushad 5 Pokemon associated to traversalabilities, it would make sense to apply the same formula toPokemon Legends: Z-A, having 5 different species as ride critters. The 8 could be the number of new Mega Evolutions in the game, which may seem low, but in the context of most if not all of the past ones coming back, it would be fair. Finally, the 3 may refer to regional forms, though the number is a bit low compared toPLA, even if the game is adding several cross-gen evolutions and new Megas. It would make sense, though, as the game has three starters after all. Fans will have to wait and see for now, but fans of Gens 3, 5, and 8 shouldn’t hold their breath.