Pokémon Legends Z-A Map Revealed: Lumiose City Layout, Features, and Exploration

The Pokémon Company has finally lifted the curtain on Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and fans now have their first detailed look at the game’s map. Shown during the demo gameplay at the 2025 Pokémon World Championships, the showcase confirmed that the entire adventure takes place in Lumiose City, the largest hub in the Kalos region. Unlike Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which spread across multiple regional zones, Z-A focuses on a single massive city—packed with new mechanics, real-time battles, and fresh ways to explore.

Lumiose City as the Core Setting

The game shifts the Pokémon Legends formula by keeping everything within Lumiose City. The central landmark is the Prism Tower, Kalos’ equivalent of the Eiffel Tower, acting as the city’s defining centerpiece.

Z-A Map
byu/BeholdAndWonder inPokemonZA

From the demo map, Lumiose is divided into multiple districts, each marked with unique icons and objectives. Landmarks like Pokémon Centers are shown with gray Poké Ball symbols, while other areas are highlighted with mission markers and battle-specific icons. The demo also showed numbered pentagonal signs and green area-of-effect markers, which divide Lumiose into clear sections for easier navigation.

Map Layout and Key Features

The revealed world map includes several key details:

• Green Zones – Mark visited Wild Areas where players have already explored.
• Gray Poké Balls – Indicate Pokémon Centers that the trainer has already visited.
• Yellow Icon – Marks active missions.
• Red Icon – Signals a Battle Royale Zone, unique combat areas designed for tougher challenges.
• Dynamic Icons – Certain markers change between day and night, hinting at time-based exploration and gameplay shifts.

As the demo suggests, running from the city edge to Prism Tower takes roughly 40 seconds on foot, though this has not been officially confirmed.

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While Lumiose might appear smaller compared to Hisui in Legends: Arceus, its design leans on density and verticality. The demo confirms that players can access rooftops and the interiors of select buildings, giving the city multiple layers beyond its streets.

Revealed in the Demo vs. Still a Mystery

What We Know So Far

• The game is set entirely in Lumiose City, with Prism Tower at its center.
• The map shows icons for visited Wild Areas, Pokémon Centers, active missions, and Battle Royale zones.
• Pentagonal signs and green markers divide the city into clear districts.
• Day and night cycles change both the icons and gameplay, with some districts turning into battle mazes at night.
• Trainers can explore rooftops and certain building interiors, adding vertical depth.
• Mega Evolution returns, now usable multiple times per battle thanks to the real-time combat system.
• A dedicated Mega button makes activating it quick and seamless.
• The full controller layout has been revealed.
• Multiplayer is teased with the Link Play menu and Mystery Gift option, unlocked after progressing in Mable’s Research.

What’s Still Unclear

• If multiplayer will go beyond the Mystery Gift feature.
• The exact size and scale of Lumiose City districts.
• Whether there are limits on how often Mega Evolution can be triggered.
• How expansive the nighttime mazes really are.
• How many building interiors can be entered.

Day and Night Gameplay Differences

One of the most exciting discoveries is how time of day changes the city. During daylight, trainers can freely explore Lumiose and venture into its Wild Areas. By night, certain districts transform into battle-focused mazes, reshaping familiar paths into combat challenges for players looking to test their skills.

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Mega Evolution Returns

The return of Mega Evolution is one of the biggest features in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. In past games, Mega Evolution was limited to once per battle, but the new real-time battle system changes that rule, allowing it to be used multiple times in a single fight. Pokémon like Dragonite and Absol have already been showcased in their Mega forms, confirming that this mechanic sits at the heart of the game.

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What’s new is the dedicated Mega Evolution button. By pressing the right stick, players can trigger Mega Evolution instantly, making it faster and more fluid than ever. Combined with the ability to use it more than once, this marks the biggest shake-up to Mega Evolution since its debut.

Controller Layout and Mechanics

The demo also revealed the updated controller layout, ensuring smoother real-time combat:

• ZL – Focus on target
• A/B/X/Y (while focused) – Use move
• Left Stick – Move | Right Stick – Rotate camera
• Right Stick (press) – Mega Evolve
• B – Dash | Y – Roll | X – Main Menu
• D-Pad Up – Send out Pokémon | Down – Call back | Left – Select Pokémon
• Left Stick (press) – Crouch / Rise

This full mapping highlights how real-time mechanics will feel more action-oriented than previous Pokémon titles.

Multiplayer and Link Play

The official store listing confirmed a new multiplayer element. Through the Link Play menu, players can access the Mystery Gift feature. It unlocks after players progress roughly 1–1.5 hours into the story and complete Mable’s Research to activate the Rewards feature. From there, the Link Play option appears in the X menu. Mystery Gift requires an internet connection and a Nintendo Account link, something entirely absent from Legends: Arceus.

With its city-based setting, dynamic day-night mechanics, and the return of Mega Evolution, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is shaping up to be a bold reimagining of the Pokémon Legends formula. While its map may not be as sprawling as Hisui in Legends: Arceus, the dense, layered design of Lumiose City promises a new kind of depth—one where every street, rooftop, and hidden alleyway matters.

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The demo first appeared at the 2025 Pokémon World Championships, and fans will next get hands-on opportunities at Gamescom and PAX West.