Pokémon Legends: Z-A takes you back to Lumiose City, the glistening capital of the Kalos region, 12 years after the release of Pokémon X and Y. This time around, Lumiose City is undergoing an urban redevelopment plan, with walls surrounding certain places indicating they’re under construction, including Prism Tower.
Whereas Pokémon Legends: Arceus takes you to the Sinnoh region’s distant past, Legends: Z-A takes you to some point in Kalos’ future. But far into the future is it? Look no further than Emma, whom Detective Looker took under his wing in Pokémon X and Y, and now runs Looker Bureau as a full-fledged detective.
How Many Years Passed Between Pokémon X/Y and Pokémon Legends: Z-A?
Five years have passed since the events of Pokémon X and Y.
We know this because when we first met Emma in the post-game story for Pokémon X and Y, she was a 16-year-old homeless orphan leading the Lumiose City Gang, stealing from foreign travelers. Together with Mimi, an Espurr she found in the alley, she gets taken in by Detective Looker, who teaches her read and write, and confronts the Lumiose City Gang to leave their life of crime. Emma then picks up a part-time job testing out Xerosic’s Expansion Suit, only to be used to steal strong Pokémon.
In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Emma, now 21, is still wearing the Expansion Suit with the Mega Evolution Stone embedded in its chest and a detective coat to cover it. She took over the Looker Bureau after its namesake detective left Lumiose City, leaving the agency as a gift to her and Mimi. As you can see, a lot has happened in five years.
For more on Pokémon Legends: Z-A, check out how to quickly raise friendship levels.
