Right, before we get started here, I am making a big point to announce this article is going to be incredibly spoiler-heavy for both Pokémon Legends: Arceus, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A. We’ve got late-game spoilers for Arceus, and I’ll be chatting about something you discover in one of the (sadly quite limited) locations in ZA’s Lumiose city. You’ve been warned.
Pokémon Legends Arcues and Pokémon Legends: Z-A spoilers follow.
Right, some context. Back in Pokémon X and Y, when you finally got to Lumiose City, you could explore various sectors of the large settlement. Over on the North Boulevard, one key tourist trap was the Lumiose Museum which was home to a nice little collection of objects that seemed to point cheekily to other regions of the Pokémon world – whether that was Sinnoh’s Battle Frontier or Unova’s Castelia City, this little Parisian-esque cultural collection was a nice, knowing nod to wider Pokémon lore.
But, in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, it seems the museum has expanded a bit, and now explores not just the horizontality of the Pokémon world, but the verticality of it, as well, as there are new collections in the museum’s halls that explore the world’s peculiar timeline. As you gain access to this museum, one of the collections stands out: it’s a little exhibition of ‘formal attire’, that Arceus players will recognise as Volo’s outfit from the previous game in the spin-off series.
Volo, who bore a striking resemblance to Cynthia and even used many Pokémon she’d later use in her team, was a key figure in the last game. The loner cropped up quite a lot, always seeming to be one step ahead of you in your journey, and was fixated on the rich mythology of the Hisui region (with a particular interest in the Plates held by the special and Legendary Pokémon around the region).
As it turns out, though, Volo was never really there to help out. He was actually pretty vexed at you, and the schism in space-time that teleported you to the region in the first place. Why? Because, well, he wanted to create the universe anew, shaped with his own ideals and values. A bit heavy for a kid’s game, if you ask me.
Volo was a peculiar character: he had a relationship with Cogita, a member of the ‘ancient Sinnoh people’, and claimed to be one himself. But, in-game, this was never really verified. He’d say things like he was willing to even take centuries to locate and conquer Arceus, but you’d be forgiven for chalking that up to dramatic villain talk. Turns out, he genuinely could.
In Legends: Z-A, interacting with Volo’s outfit proffers the following text:
Formal Attire. This outfit is said to have been worn by the ancient Sinnoh people during their rituals. This group worshipped the Pokémon Arceus as an almighty deity. It is thought that they showed their respect by mimicking Arceus’ appearance – even reflected in the way that they styled their hair.
Not much on its own, sure. But then the curator adds:
I was told that the person who wore this outfit donated it to the collection personally. Apparently, he gazed a while at those sketches by Professor Laventon with this nostalgic air, too…
Attribution
Suits you, sir.
What can we infer from this? Well, the collection is new – added between X and Y and Legends: Z-A, which occurs later in the timeline (Lumiose City is redeveloped compared to its first appearance). That means Volo has, in the interceding years, appeared in the city – alive and well – and donated his old ritual clothing. What’s more, he doesn’t appear to have dethroned God just yet. Maybe the actions of our heroes in Hisui/Sinnoh knocked that wind out of him for good. Or maybe not…
It’s a small little nod that wraps up one dangling thread from the last Legends game, and I’m actually quite pleased to see it manifest in-game. There’s not a lot of exploration and depth to the city in Legends: Z-A, so at least Game Freak has added some little nuggets for the lore-heads, if nothing else.
Volo and Cogita aren’t the only immortals in the game; X and Y – and, hence, Z-A – also have the enigmatic AZ, the former king of the Kalos region, the creator of the ultimate weapon, and the current owner of Hotel Z. Quite the CV, eh? He’s also got a portrait in the museum. Whether his longevity is linked to that of Volo/Cogita remains to be seen, and I wonder if it’s something Game Freak is set to explore in the upcoming Pokemon Legends Z-A Mega Dimension DLC…