After 12 years of relative obscurity following the release ofPokemon XandY, the legendary Pokemon Zygarde will finally have its time in the spotlight with the upcomingPokemon Legends: Z-A. Set after the events ofPokemon XandY,Pokemon Legends: Z-Awill have players embody a young tourist exploring the newly renovated Lumiose City as they’ll take part in trainer battles during the Z-A Royale and encounter characters new and old in Kalos.
Along the way, players will additionallyencounter Zygardein its various forms as the Order Pokemon is said to have taken a special interest in the protagonist. While Zygarde is taking the spotlight inZ-A, Game Freak should strive not to forget about featuring Kalos’ two other legendary Pokemon: Xerneas and Yveltal.
The History of Xerneas and Yveltal Explained
In early 2013, both the legendary Life PokemonXerneas and the legendary Destruction Pokemon Yveltalwere among the first new creatures officially unveiled during a Pokemon Direct broadcast alongside the starters Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie. Yveltal was revealed to be a dual Dark/Flying-type and the mascot forPokemon Y, while Xerneas was revealed to be a Fairy-type, the first legendary Fairy-type of the franchise, and the mascot forPokemon X. Both legendary Kalos Pokemon were originally designed to mirror the shape of the letters X and Y, with Xerneas’ deer-like antlers and long legs resembling an X, and Yveltal’s bird-like wings and tails resembling a Y.
Despite Xerneas and Yveltal’s intriguing designs and typing, both legendary Pokemon would turn out to have little impact and prominence inPokemon XandY’s story. Only a few NPCs make reference to the legendary Pokemon before they’re first encountered deep within Team Flare’s headquarters. In Anistar City, players can speak to an old man who says that Xerneas released and shared its energy with nearby creatures at the end of its thousand-year-long lifespan, while Yveltal stole the lifeforce of other creatures 3,000 years ago. Following this event, both Pokemon went into a deep slumber, withXerneas transforming into the Tree of Lifeand Yveltal transforming into the Cocoon of Destruction. Xerneas and Yveltal’s were later awoken by Team Flare for their plan to make a “beautiful and better” world.
Xerneas and Yveltal’s Appearances Beyond Pokemon X and Y
AfterXerneas and Yveltalare either caught or defeated by Serena or Calem, the two legendary Pokemon played little to no role in the rest ofXandY. In 2014’sPokemon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction, Yveltal is seen destroying Allearth Forest and turning Pokemon and people into stone, while Xerneas later restores both the forest and the petrified creatures. Both legendaries would go on to be obtainable in a few future mainline games and make a couple of brief appearances in spin-offs, including:
Xerneas and Yveltal’s Potential Return and Prominence in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Pokemon Legends: Z-Amay be Zygarde’s time in the spotlight, but there could still be room for Xerneas and Yveltal to receive some much-needed return to fame. Xerneas hasn’t appeared prominently in a game since2021’sNew Pokemon Snap, and Yveltal arguably hasn’t appeared prominently in any game since its debut. To rectify this issue,Pokemon Legends: Z-Acould have the two appear as side antagonists to Zygarde, similar to how they were originally intended to be used by Team Flare. For instance, a former Team Flare member could be revealed to be secretly in charge of a portion of the Lumiose City redevelopment project and be shown to have captured and manipulated Xerneas and Yveltal to destroy the city in retaliation for Lysandre’s defeat.
Rumors have appeared that Zygarde will receive a Mega Evolution inPokemon Legends: Z-Aand, if this turns out to be true, Xerneas and Yveltal deserve to receive Mega Evolutions or similarly powerful forms as well. This could mirror howRayquaza received a Mega EvolutioninPokemon Omega RubyandAlpha Sapphirewhile Groudon and Kyogre received Primal forms.
These new Mega Evolutions or Primal forms could not only help expand upon Xerneas and Yveltal’s enigmatic history, but be the pivotal factor if the two legendaries do end up opposing Lumiose and Zygarde due toMega Evolution’s suggested unnatural nature. Alternatively, Xerneas could be shown guiding wild Pokemon to live within Lumiose following the redevelopment, while Yveltal could be used as a tool to wither away Lumiose’s new natural elements.
