Following the February 2025 Pokémon Presents, thePokémon Legends: Z-Atrailer has been dissected repeatedly, with players hoping to find as many hidden clues as they can about new features or Pokémon. However, there’s one sneaky feature shown that’s not directly addressed by the trailer itself that was easy to miss if you weren’t looking for it.
With the biggest change inPokémon Legends: Z-A, when compared to the rest of the franchise, being the new real-time battle system, it’s only fitting that other aspects ofPokémongameplay would need to change as well. Since battling is such a core part of catching Pokémon, it seems this new game will be introducing a never-before-seen catching mechanic.
Legends Z-A Hints At Catching Fainted Pokémon
Accidentally Fainting A Pokémon You Meant To Catch May Be A Thing Of The Past
While demonstrating some of the new battle mechanics in the gameplay trailer,Pokémon Legends: Z-Ademonstrates a scene in which a player depletes the health bar of a Flaaffy fully and then proceeds to catch it. Rather than fainting, as Pokémon normally do when their health is drained,the Flaaffy goes into a sort of stunned state while the player can throw a Poké Ball and perform a catch. It’s incredibly easy to miss, but it is hugenews forPokémon Legends: Z-A.
Every Pokémon Confirmed For Pokémon Legends Z-A (So Far)
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Although there’sno official confirmation that this is indeed a new aspect of catching Pokémon, there’s no denying what is clearly shown in the trailer, even if it wasn’t addressed verbally. Therefore, the only downside to not having an official confirmation is that there are currently no details on how exactly this will work overall and whether it will mean the end of moves like False Swipe that are intentionally designed to keep Pokémon alive for catching.
Change Was Necessary With The New Battle System
With Real-Time Battles, The Risk Of Losing Pokémon Is Too High
WhilePokémon Legends: Arceusallowed players to move freely while participating in battles, this did not affect the Pokémon. The battles still followed a traditional turn-based combat that, while a bit different in terms of order, was mostly the same in that Pokémon remained planted and took turns attacking. Now, with what has been shown aboutPokémon Legends: Z-A’s new battle system, not only will the player avatars be able to move freely during battle, but so will the Pokémon.
Will you be pre-ordering Pokémon Legends: Z - A?
I’m a sucker for a Pokémon game, but Pokémon Legends: Z - A is the first installment I’ve been truly excited about for a long time. While I have some concerns, I’m looking forward to it. The preorder reward, which is a plushy of one of the three starters, is adorable. However, it sadly reminds me that Pokémon Legends: Z - A chose Tepig as the fire starter, which baffles me. I really wish they picked Cyndaquil or Torchic instead.
This will add a new element of being able tododge attacks in real time while also requiring that opponents be targeted properly to land attacks, meaning that battles will require much more focused attention than the rather lax turn-based system in previous games. Additionally, it seems that to make up for the lack of turns, Pokémon will now be restricted to cool downtimes. While this is all likely to make battles more exciting, trying to focus on catching while dodging incoming attacks and positioning yourself and your Pokémon in real time sounds a lot more difficult.
Therefore, it creates a need for a new option when it comes to catching during battles.Pokémon Legends: Z-Aallowing players to catch fainted Pokémon is the only way to ensure focus is on the battle. Otherwise, players are likely to spend the battle panicked, trying to chaotically catch Pokémon before they faint and letting their Pokémon take damage in return. This way, they’re able to stay focused and relaxed with the knowledge that they’ll have a chance to catch at the end of everything.
What Does This Mean For Future Pokémon Games
Will This Be The End Of False Swipe & Other Catch Methods?
Since there is no official description of how this catching-fainted-Pokémon feature will work, it’s too early to write off things like False Swipe as being obsolete. Additionally, since catching Pokémon is such a typical high-stakes part of the game, it’sunlikely that catching fainted Pokémon will be a guaranteed catch every time. Instead, it’s more likely that you’ll have only a single chance to catch a fainted Pokémon before they disappear.
Pokémon Has Tricked Me 3 Times In A Row, But I Won’t Let Legends: Z-A Get Me Again
I’ve almost entirely lost faith in the Pokémon series in recent years, so I have already decided that I won’t be buying Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
Rather than getting rid of other means of catching Pokémon, you will still be encouraged to attempt to catch Pokémon in the open world or during a battle, with this new option as simply a backup. Since it will be easier to accidentally faint a Pokémon unintentionally, this is likely intended as a last-resort option in which you’re given the opportunity to perform one high-chance catch if you’re struggling through other means. In this scenario, however, if you miss, then the Pokémon will disappear.
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If this is the case, then there will still be plenty of need for False Swipe and other catch methods. While it would be nice to be able to faint a Pokémon into a dazed state and spend an endless amount of time trying to catch it without worrying about taking damage or causing them to Struggle, it would also ruin aspects of the game.Part of the painstaking but rewarding process of catching Legendaries is the huge riskthat your team might be defeated or that the Legendary may knock itself out in the process.
Therefore, it’s unlikely we’ll see the traditional means of catching done away in any capacity and should instead view this newfeature inPokémon Legends: Z-Aas an additional option, and not as a replacement.
Pokemon Legends Z-A
Lumiose City is undergoing redevelopment to create a space shared by people and Pokémon. This second entry in the Pokémon Legends sub-franchise builds off the unique catching and exploration mechanics first established in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
