Today's Pokémon Presents Reveals New 'Legends: Z-A' Trailer, 'Champions' Battle Game and More

It’s been 29 years since we first stepped into the world of Pokémon. What began as two video games for the Nintendo Game Boy in Japan has grown to become the highest-grossing media franchise of all time. In celebration of Pokémon Day, The Pokémon Company is back with a new Pokémon Presents – revealing everything from series updates to a brand new game.

New Pokémon Legends: Z-A Trailer

Looking first at Pokémon Legends: Z-A, we finally have more information about the title after it was announced exactly a year ago. As noted previously, it serves as the successor to the hit game Pokémon Legends: Arceus (PLA) from 2022, offering a new adventure in Lumiose City — the centerpiece of the Kalos region. Similar to PLA, wild zones present an opportunity to catch ‘em all with new mechanics being introduced that better resemble the main series games. The premise of the story involves an old hotel named Hotel Z that players will stay in as their base of operations, hosted by a familiar face — AZ and his partner Pokémon Floette from Pokémon X and Y. As for the other Pokémon involved, the starter options include Chikorita, Tepig and Totodile — all of which are theorized to be receiving their own Mega Evolutions as the beloved battle mechanic is being reintroduced with this title. Various other Pokémon highlighted include several of Eevee’s evolutions, Aegislash and Zygarde, as well as Megas such as Mega Charizard X and Y, Mega Lucario and Mega Gardevoir. We now have confirmation that the game will be releasing in late 2025 on the Nintendo Switch, likely around November based on previous launches.

Introducing Pokémon Champions

A surprise inclusion in this year’s Pokémon Presents is the unveiling of a brand new game: Pokémon Champions. The Pokémon Works is leading development alongside planning assistance from GAME FREAK as battling takes center stage with this new multi-platform title. While limited information was presented, we know that core game-style battles — which are represented as Double Battles in this trailer, perhaps nodding to the official battle format for VGC — will see trainers from around the world challenging one another. A limited range of Pokémon are said to be featured, at least initially, as this teaser showcases that not only will the Terastallization mechanic be included, but Mega Evolutions as well, making it the first time that both can be used in the same battle. What sets this title apart from other spin-offs is that it will not only be available to play on the Nintendo Switch, but mobile devices as well. The title is listed as “now in development,” indicating that it’ll likely be multiple years until it releases.

Other Exciting Reveals

There’s plenty of other exciting moments included throughout the preview, starting with Mega Evolutions returning to the trading card game with the announcement of the Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Series. This new era focuses on the return of Mega Evolution Pokémon ex, which includes Lucario and Gardevoir within the trailer, and will debut later this year. Earlier in the showcase, new episodes of Pokémon Concierge were announced to be coming in September of this year via Netflix. We also received word of a new booster pack for the Pokémon TCG Pocket app — Triumphant Light — which launches tomorrow, February 28, with Arceus ex as its flagship Pokémon. Check out the complete Pokémon Presents at the top of the page for more info regarding all of these announcements and more.