IT HAPPENED: POKÉMON LEGENDS Z (well, Z-A) IS REAL!!!!!!!-- I REALLY did NOT expect that to be the case when I mentioned the possibility in this video, but HOO BOY AM I HAPPY IT IS TRUE! Now to hope gamefreak can provide a good and polished experience.....
Yesterday: "Dang I remember X and Y, I was so bummed they never made a pokemon Z or some other revisit to Kalos. This video sums up my feelings so well!" Today: "WELL OKAY THEN"
@@olympusgolemoflight7198maybe they might just give the game a needed overhaul in a remake but will have to see how this year will go if they remake Black and white
To add a small bit to the wasted potential segment, theres a town (forgot the name) with a giant crystal monument that resembles Diancie. This couldve been a plan to have the 3 extra legendaries (Diancie, hoopa, and Valcanion) have sidequest in the post game
I think Diancie's event spot was supposed to be that shining platform in Reflection Cave, where you find Alakazam's Mega Stone. Edit: Reflection Cave is also the only place where you can find Carbink.
I find it interesting how the devs say that pokemon z was never in development or even considered; yet it’s referenced in the code of both Sun and Moon and ORAS… People theorize that pokemon z was in development, but gamefreak kept pulling people to work on other projects, and eventually pokemon z got left behind. It seems most likely that pokemon z was cancelled shortly after the release of Sun and Moon, because the references are absent in the code of USUM. I’m guessing that whatever was left of pokemon z ended up being incorporated into USUM.
Agreed, it feels almost insulting to read an official statement saying pokémon Z was never considered because we have clear evidence that says otherwise! Like, never imagined I'd get gaslighted (gaslit???) by the pokémon devs. You're right that pokémon z ended up incorporated into gen 7. I just find it funny that it was so much that there's people who legitimately think zygarde was a gen 7 mon. I really hope they revisit the Z idea one day...
@@Rodolphin That's the excuse they went with, yeah. Something along those lines, while adding that they never planned on a Z... except we have evidence to the contrary, so we can't exactly trust any of that.
If i recall correctly from somewhere z wasn't in development, but I think X2 and Y2 were. However, due to the poor sales of BW2 they scrapped the idea of doing sequels since the third versions never sell as well as the first two. I could be wrong tho so take it with a grain of salt.
The names X and Y being symbolic representations of their associated dimensions also indicates that there was meant to be a Z, for the first 3D entries of the mainline pokemon series
Legends Zyguarde with AZ as your rival/antagonist would go so incredibly hard. Like imagine that the whole timeline split he caused was actually based on whether or not you defeat him at the end of the game.
@@prezmer That last bit hurt my soul lmao. But yeah as soon as Legends Arceus came out I realized how amazing a game like this could be if it was set in Kalos, a region who's plot revolves around the past. And the fact that AZ technically caused the ORAS universe by making two different timelines.
I think it would be cool if he was to ur ally, and towards the end, he betrays you, and splits the timeline. Then you could like jump back and forth between the two lines and maybe have some unique adventure
@@prezmerYep, we're as likely to get this as we are to get a Kalos remake that isn't in the non-Mega timeline. So, about half as likely as winning or in the US lottery than the IRS...
IMAGINE how cool it would be if you had to evacuate the Team Flare hideout before it explodes, and the particularly unhinged members of team flare initiate battles to try and stop you and you have to beat them all before the timer runs out... Would have added a lot more spice to it.
I love the implication that scientists in-universe just _recently_ discovered fairy type... As if they hadn't noticed how Jigglypuff was secretly immune to dragon-type and that fighting type wasn't super-effective. Jigglypuff apparently didn't realize either. XD I guess they just deemed Floette and Xerneas as Pokemon with no-typing for several centuries or something...
No wonder a certain champion in-universe straight up says "Using super effective attacks is a surefire way to win"... Cause for centuries people were getting told that some pokemon just ignored type effectiveness...
Playing Sun and Moon I legitimately had no idea who Sina and Dexio were, despite playing X and Y multiple times. I can remember wondering why they'd make new characters connected to the previous region's professor for the Zygarde sidequest instead of using one of the Alola characters. They were just _that_ forgettable.
Yup, easily the two most underwhelming characters in the game. I'm STILL not sure what their purpose was because they really didn't accomplish anything a random professor aide npc (like the ones that gave us free items in gen 1) couldn't. Aside from the superhero stuff but they weren't even useful in those bits!
I was really frustrated with X and Y’s story, honestly. For a game that blatantly puts its story at the forefront, they didn’t fuckin DO anything with it. You’re so right that the characters are incredibly shallow purely because they get no development. Why get the friends to be so common throughout the game if you’re barely going to develop them at all? AZ was clearly intended to be more important, and Lysandre’s motivations have nothing to do with making a beautiful world. The list goes on. Gen 6 did give me my favourite Pokémon Hawlucha though
For me it's so ironic that they did such a good job with graphics, pokemon design and character customization options in that game that had such a bland and forgettablle story (especially the characters). Why do I think that it's ironic? Because 10 years later they release S and V, with an amazing story and fleshed out characters but with extremely poor performance, almost no customization options and lifeless areas. I want to love the pokemon games so damn much but gamefreak gives me zero reasons to.
@@niedas3426"I've 0 reasons to love modern Pokemon games." You just said some of the positive for both XY & SV. Those r your reasons for liking them. You contradicted yourself.
Its hard to say you love a game when you only like 50% of the games design. Nothing against the games but damn, those short comings hold them back HARD@@lipika2841
Iirc AZ realized the truth behind his struggles was that he stopped caring about Pokémon as a whole, but after realizing how you and your friends teamed up with various Pokémon in order to save the world, AZ decided to try collecting some Pokémon himself, and then have his first ever trainer battle against you in attempt to connect with Pokémon again. Once he realized this is what he needed to do in order to ease his sorrows, the Floette returned. It left because of the sheer lack of care AZ had for Pokémon, watched over for 3000 years, then returned once AZ cared about Pokémon again.
Ohh, that's a really good explanation, thank you! I still wish AZ had gotten a more active role in the story though. Like, demonstrate through actively stopping his life's work (the weapon/ressurection machine) that he regrets it. The idea is so obvious, and so good, and yet they didn't bring AZ into the whole ordeal.
XY Manga was great. It starts with the player's starting town getting blown up, and then Team Flare captures all the survivors and puts them to work in underground camps, and have enough of an iron grip on the media that no one knows this happened, but the five children X, Y, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor managed to escape, and it follows their adventures on the run from Team Flare as Team Flare tries to silence them by any means necessary. There's a part where Shauna picks up a Honedge and it takes over her mind, and her skitty is desperately scratching at the inside of its pokeball trying to warn her friends, and another part where Lysandre falls and bloodily breaks his head open on a rock, and another part where they bring back the Kanto characters as adults after they'd been gone from the manga since they turned 18. I know that sounds like I'm full of shit if you haven't read it, but all of that is really in there.
One thing that I REALLY hate is how they tarnished Mega Evolution's reputation in the following games... In XY and ORAS, the Mega Pokemon _don't have_ unique Pokedex entries. But in USUM they added new entries for the Mega forms, and in doing so they turned Mega Evolution from a special power formed by the bond between trainer and Pokemon into a horrifying form of torture! _Apparently_ all the Mega Evolution Pokemon are in constant pain or experience horrible side effects (even though I don't buy it for a second...) and its just so frustrating. They retconned Mega Evolution into a horrible thing, making the trainer seem abusive by using that power just to get stronger at the expense of their Pokemon. It makes me _furious!_ >:(
YES!! The Mega Evolution retcon always felt like a slap in the face to me that disrespected the spirit of the mechanic's origin games, but it seems like everyone else I've heard even mention it just didn't really care or actually praised GameFreak for "finally putting darker writing in Pokemon..."
It was almost funny how blatant it was through the retcon that they they were trying to get us to move on from Mega evolution, but unfortunately z moves just don’t hit the same for me and dynamax absolutely does not scratch the itch for me. Tera forms came close but prt of the fun of Megas was seeing what artists in the fandom could make for Pokémon that didn’t have one or dissecting the possible reasons a mega looked the way it did( mega absol as an Angel of death/ fallen Angel hence the fur shaped like wings was a cool one, for example) and of course dynamax did a similar thing but there were not that many interesting ones ( they mostly picked popular Pokémon) and it was harder to care about it because of sword and shields lackluster story. Now that legends Z has been announced I’m super excited to see if we get any new ones but I’m just as happy to see them return and hopefully they retcon the mega lore back to what is was before sun/moon lol
@@zombinary3138 I'm hoping they ditch the stupid pokedex entries they added in Sun and Moon that said Mega Evolution was basically torture... I hated that so much, because it was never supposed to be like that in XY. It was the bond between trainer and Pokemon that powered them up. :(
Its sad that xy never got a sequel, had their lore shoehorned into oras and sm, and even with all the hints and easter eggs in Paldea, a region bordering Kalos, we still have nothing more for Kalos. I hope they do something cool with the region before I turn 90 years old
Kalos just seems like the region of missed potential. As you said, Paldea borders Kalos... and spoilers for the SV DLC... the DLC takes you to Unova! The region just can't catch a break.
This was a nice perspective. Is nice to see someone discuss the game in good faith. I like the Battle system and Region design for Kalos, but the Team Flare story was the biggest issue to me. If you watch Pokemon Generations, they make it a bit clearer that Team Flare were supposed to be big time celebrities. The reason why no one suspected Lysander of being a villain is because he had a “nice” public facing persona and donated to causes (This was also true in XY&Z with Alain. An unwitting antihero, doing research for Lysandre trusting that it his work would go to causes). People wanted his autograph, pictures, interviews, etc. Basically worshipped him over his status, and couldn’t see the dangerous character beneath the surface. I read it as a commentary on vanity and how people sometimes treat status in real life, sometimes blinding people.
Yeah, Lysandre was definitely as famous as Diantha is said to be, if not more. Your take on it being a commentary on vanity is actually spot on, I think. His public persona was very carefully crafted precisely to never arouse suspicions, and it is, indeed, interesting that the way he chose to hide WAS in plain sight.
floette returning will forever be my favorite cutscene in all of Pokémon, how can you not cry at an incomplete man finally getting his closure, and his friend back. I couldn’t handle it
Man I remember all they hype for what a sequel or Pokémon Z was gonna be. The theories the hints everything miss this era of Pokémon. Hopefully Legends Kalos comes on day and we can give Kalos its time to shine
I love how Lysandre's complaints about a future of disappointment and wasted potential just describes the series from this point onwards, small bright points in an ever darkening sea of cashgrabs... I think the script writers wanted to tell us something...
I really like the Norse nods to zygardes design. All forms represent one of Loki's children. The 10% represents Fenrir, you can see the chain that binds him. The chain, Gleipnir, was said to be as thin as a ribbon and made of 6 impossible things. 50% form was based on a mixture of Nidhog, the serpent that chews on the world tree and Jormungandr, a sea serpent that encircles the earth. And finally Perfect Cell, err Zygarde is to represent Hel. The goddess of death. She was described as a child born with half a living body and half a corpse. If you look at Zygarde, half of his body is Red for Yveltal and the other is Blue for Xerneas.
I too, am a really big Kalos fan, it was my first mainstream Pokémon game, and it holds a special place in my heart. And I 1000% agree that Kalos was severely neglected and has so much potential to be one of the best Pokémon games. Along with the points you made about the game feeling shallow, another XY video essay (I forgot which one) talked about Lysandre and how his story could have been so much greater if the injustices that he talks about were shown. Of course, Pokémon being geared towards kids more than likely won't add such complicated themes like that, but it would have enhanced the story so much more. In a replay I had earlier this year, a small detail I think is pretty overlooked is how both Serena/Calem and Trevor's parents are trainers who basically left them to train (which is why Serena/Calem are so adamant about beating the trainer,;to get their parents acknowledgement). And I think it would have been wonderful to a more found family aspect with the friend group, or to see both of them develop further and get out of their parents shadows. Overall, XY could have been a profoundly deep and beautiful game, yet the ball was absolutely dropped and all we're left to do is speculate :(
Yeah, I agree. Out of all the titles, X/Y could've been the most "real" one, if that makes sense. Like, Lysandre IS right in saying that the world is unfair and that there are people who only take, without caring for their fellow living beings. If you tunnel vision on that, I can imagine even the kindest souls getting soured. So whoever said what you mentioned is right: showing what made Lysandre this way would've gone a long way not only in building him but in making the story incredibly grounded, because I guarantee we've all seen this behaviour in the past. And it sucks every damn time. What Lysandre isn't right in though is exterminating all pokémon and a shit ton of humans for the sake of fixing this - especially because it wouldn't even fix the problem! Humans are imperfect by nature, and if he thinks people would no longer try to gain advantage over others because there would be no need then he is way more naive than I thought. Between that, serena/calem/trevor's parents, and more (hell, we might even have a case for the player character living in their mom's shadow - sycamore for example states he extended the invitation to be a trainer because we're a famous rhyhorn racer's kid), this could've been an uncomfortably grounded experience that would absolutely stand out in the series. But alas, we got none of that, so as you said, all we can do is speculate. Thank you for the wonderful comment.
kalos is an absolutely beautiful and lore heavy region. I got into pokemon around the time sun and moon released, I really wish I was able to experience this region when the games released, yet the vibes and atmosphere still give me a feeling of nostalgia despite not having experienced it on release, I just think the entire region just feels cosy, it's the region I'd like to live in most if I was transported to the pokemon world. The short time we spent in the region in the one set of games we got was unforgivable, and my hopes are not high for a remake given the soulless reimagining of diamond and pearl we got Edit after Pokemon Legends Z-A announcement: LETS GOOOOOOOO BEST REGION COMING BACK
I think you nailed it: it feels cozy. The fireworks show in the Palace, the caves dimly lit with warm light, travelling with friends... It's a shame it was so underdeveloped. My hopes are not high for remakes either for the very same reason but... we'll see. The hopes are there nonetheless, even if not high.
The pandering to Kanto pokemon was definitely a response to the complaints about black and white not having any old pkmn during the game which were always stupid to me... "genwunner"s were a bigger thing back then
I thought they addressed that in Black and White 2 but you're right, if a person was burned by BW 1 they likely wouldn't get 2. So they'd have to address those complaints in the next generation too. It sucks that the complaints from back then caused THIS, Kalos' whole identity suffered a bit thanks to it. But oh well, hopes for a more unique identity in remakes and potential side games still exist... big copium but THE HOPES STILL EXIST
@@prezmer I will probably be like 30 by the time XY remakes come around but it's so fun to imagine them being more complete than the original game... Truly the timeline we all deserve
Manga reader here. While Pokemon Adventures does have a reputation for being "dark" (cue overused Arbok panel), the various chapters have different tones depending on the game. That being said, the XY chapter is easily one of the most action packed from the get go. It _starts_ with Vaniville Town getting destroyed in the aftermath of a fight between Xerneas and Yveltal, and the protagonists become fugitives because Team Flare is after the Mega Ring X (Calem) possesses. Flare is depicted as a lot more competent, hunting the gang across the region and controlling the media. All 5 main characters are given distinct and fleshed out personalities. X(avier) was a burnt out child star trainer who begins the series depressed and with a fear of the media. (Y)vonne is effectively the leader and the most hotheaded, who's been spending years trying non-stop to pull X out of his funk. Shauna, seeing her friends do the same things over and over again for years, has grown cynical, despite still wishing they could be happy like when they were kids. Tierno actually steps up as the most mature member of the group, trying to basically be the team dad who keeps the others in check. Trevor is the least changed, but even he has a largely expanded role, being the one who's investigating Lysandre and trying to help X figure out what the hell Mega Evolution is. While there are certainly slower and lighter paced chapters, the nature of the plot means it's constantly moving with little rest (much like the protags). While it doesn't explore Kalos in-depth like the RSE or DPPt chapters, it's still a very strong showing of the region, the characters, and the themes. While there is some continuity with the previous chapters, it's largely a stand-alone for most of it.
Thank you so much for typing all this up! You've definitely made me really curious to go back and read the whole saga. My only experience with the manga so far was sword and shield (for an upcoming video like this one) and I had a good time, so definitely checking this one out next. I'm especially happy to hear the friend group is actually well fleshed out as opposed to the x/y games. Again, thank you!
It's been very gratifying as I've gotten older to see other people who also believe Kalos was done so dirty and could have been amazing if Game Freak had treated it the same as older generations. Pokemon Y was the first Pokemon game I bought for myself and there's just so much that happens in the background or just a little too fast that suggest a deep, expansive, emotional story and world that we got cheated out of for god knows what reason. Zygarde being shoehorned into Gen 7 is just salt in the wound. What I wouldn't give to see design documents from Game Freak detailing all the stuff they intentionally left out to save for the sequel games that never saw the light of day.
Man I would also LOVE to see that game design document. It's clear they had SOMETHING planned (despite what Masuda claims) but yeah, it never came to fruition for some reason.
HG/SS will always be my favourite, but X/Y is in my top 3 Pokemon. Cemented my love for the series and have far greater memories with it than i ever had with Sun/Moon or Sword/Shield.
Wow, you definitely deserve more views for this high quality. Personally, the X and Y games have a special place in my heart as being the first Pokemon games I owned, but I can also see why you think there is more to be desired. I hope the Kalos remakes will give Zygarde some more light and I hope the algorithm blesses this video and your channel!
I've always been in that camp! But I will admit I was expecting pushback from folks in comments section but no, the support has been more or less universal, even in the like to dislike ratio (only 10 dislikes so far). Thus, I'm with you. I'm glad opinions are changing. I just feel like a fool now for saying I'm one of those rare x and y fans because they don't seem so rare anymore hah
@@prezmer Do you mind if I ask how old you are? People who grew up with a generation will always defend it and call it their favorite, so the Gen VI fans are out there. I remember the giant backlash for Gen V on internet forums back then, people hating it like no game before it, only for it to suddenly become very popular a decade later. In part since the kids who grew up with Gen V were all on the internet now.
@@gligarguy4010 I'm 28, DEFINITELY not in the camp that grew up with X and Y hah. My first game was Yellow, before I could even understand english. Good times. On a side note, I also hated BW when it released but I'm rather fond of it now. Go figure!
I never thought X and Y were really bad games. They were fine enough. But they don't compare to what came before. Plus, X and Y have only been elevated, by the later gens being much, MUCH worse, making it seem like a masterpiece by comparison. Either way, I don't think X and Y were rocking the boat, but they were also far from bad. It was GameFreak's first dip into 3D territory on their own. Though I kinda wish they would've consulted Genius Sonority, since their Gamecube games looked so much better.
I'm a little surprised we haven't seen any big fan projects to make Pokemon Z. I know pokemon essentials and all the romhack tools are made for 2d games but it's been a decade and nobody has tried doing it in Unity or anything.
Right?! Honestly I'd take even a 2d reimagining/sequel. If done right it has a lot of potential... because Kalos has a lot of potential. But the thing is X and Y are not the most popular games, so unfortunately it's unlikely we'll see a fan project like that. I hope we do though!
@@prezmer It's named Pokemon Z made by a streamer and fangame creator named ericlostie however, the game is entirely in Spanish, so it might make it more difficult to experience, currently the game is going through its second open beta.
X and Y were my first ever pokémon games and are kinda the reason i fell in love with pokémon so that’s gotta mean something. Awesome video i agreed with a lot of your points hopefully we revisit kalos in some way soon.
You made me realize the potential of Shauna as a character, I'm impressed. I'd love to see a game dive deeper in the lore, somethings with an edgy name like Pokémon Zero Origin !
I didn't think much of Shauna at first either but creating this video made me realize everything she could have been. Glad I helped you see it too! And I love your idea for the name of a potential new game.
The manga did a pretty good job at showing off the region and the story. Its been a while since I read it but X and Y are accompanied by their friends for almost the entirety of the story as their hometown is destroyed by Xerneas and Yveltal and they basically become runaway orphans as Team Flare searches all over the region for them as they know the truth of what happened to their town and were the only ones to escape. Team Flare spreads through the region like wildfire and Diantha is almost assassinated due to her opposing it. Don't recall Zygarde making an appearance but Xerneas and Yveltal are both major players as well as Blue/Gary and I believe Blaine and Mewtwo. Might've been a bit short or rushed as the manga happens to be sometimes though.
I adore x and y a lot, my first pokemon game that I finished was x. There’s a lot aspects of it that are really good but, I have to agree that it felt like the games were missing something.
I've loved this franchise for so long now and, with X/Y as my first real (by real I mean games I didn't use the presaved data on) and favorite Pokemon games, I love these games dearly. I think that something that explores Kalos's lore would be incredible. Specifically, I think a game in a similar vein to Pokemon Conquest would be INCREDIBLE for the war aspect with the story culminating in the launch of the Ultimate Weapon. I really hope this generation gets some more exploration... I want any exploration we can get as well of course. PLEASE XY REMAKES DO IT RIGHT
As the biggest Pokemon X & Y fan I know (me), it's nice to see people discussing the game in earnest; I see a lot of "I wish we got more" and "we needed a Pokemon Z", which I think is a compliment to the series. Rather than saying they wish the games never existed at all. Gen 6 is my favorite Gen so far, and I hope the mainline series will revisit Kalos one day. And give it the refresh it deserved.
same here! i took a break because i skipped the ds as we couldn’t afford it growing up, but as an adult i got my 3ds and jumped back in with x 😁 i love it so much!!
Ahh that's awesome! I hope you're both still playing to this day. The new games are... questionable in many aspects, but at the very least they're still fun. I don't think the core gameplay of pokémon will ever be boring.
y was my first mainline pokemon game in 5th grade, it solidified my love and wonder for pokemon. im so glad other people also love it despite its flaws. i love its innovation and even though i love the 2d style of the older games, this particular 3d pokemon style was so charming!
I'm glad the game got you into this wonderful series! I agree, the 3d style that x and y did is still my favorite. I think you nailed it when you described it as charming!
I just binge read the entire X&Y manga and these are my honest thoughts. Zygarde unfortunately does not get that much focus. He is essentially used as a plot device at the VERY end that is meant to be an unstoppable force (and also the reason x the two legendaries stop fighting) however there are three things I think the manga does better than the games. 1. The friend group. In the manga the friend group of X, Y, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor travel together. X and Y are the main characters and get the most development but the other 3 aren’t left completely in the dust. Early on Shauna was taken over by a honedge and fought against the group later she was able to combat and beat the same person. Trevor has this whole issue about being weak and is able to stand proud cause he is strong near the end. Finally Tierno is basically the most mature member of the group he’s the one who took care of X’s Pokemon while he was hiding in his room. He also does give both X and Y talking to when they need it. Y is the heart of the group which is constantly talked about. Without her they fall apart which is very true. X is the strongest member battle wise and has his own character arc of at first staying bundled up on Rhyhorn’s back and slowly becoming more confident and opening back up to his friends and his Pokemon. Also all 5 of them accomplish their goals. 2. Mega evolution, this manga handles it very well. It is treated as a powerful ability that is not only rare but also an honor. When Korrina finds out that X didn’t go through the proper ritual to receive his ring she straight up refuses to train him. X’s entire team is made up of mega evolution Pokemon (Kangaskhan, Charizard, Manteric, Gengar, and Pinsir) save for his Chesnaught. We also see quite a few mega evolution users. X, Y, Dianta, Korrina, Lysander, the Guru, and these 3 brothers all have it. Two returning characters also have it being Blue and Blaine. (Blaine has this whole plot with him and MewTwo but you would have to read the manga cause I don’t have the space to explain it here) Also X is only able to defeat Lysandre by gathering a bunch of different mega evolution users’ keystones and evolving all 5 of his Pokémon at once. 3. Team Flare, to me at least in the games team flare was a goofy villian group who I didn’t really take seriously. But here they are treated like actual villains. They constantly appear at different times to attack our heroes and are always able to track them down thanks to X’s mega ring. They also captured the entire town of (where ever they came from I forgot) excluding the friend group. Also Malva being part of team flare isn’t hidden at all and we know about this for quite some time. Lysandre is also seen as suspicious by Trevor right away (which is like duh obviously but whatever) and again the final battle with them really feels like one big ultimate fight between team flare and the good guys. That being said I would say both AZ and Zygarde could have been done better. It’s been a while since I read Sun and Moon and I haven’t gotten around to ORAS yet so maybe both of them handle Zygarde pretty well and I just forgot/don’t know. As for AZ he does even less in the manga but does at least have a nice conclusion with Floette. Also Emma appears and is recurring with the Esstenia suit. Anyway that’s about all I can remember but my memory is shit so that could just be my bad.
im not scared im happy i was 9 during gen 6 so i didnt get unova or sinnoh like younger millenals and sterytypical gen z i was in the last 6 year of the gen so i have huge nastolgia for 2010 pokemon xy and sm
I have absolutely no idea how this video hasn’t popped off yet, I got this recommended to me on my switch, then I saw how little views it had. This video is quite frankly amazing, and you bring up quite a few good points (especially that yveltal is the better legendary.) you just got a new subscriber :)
Oh wow, thank you so much! Your comment made my day! I'm really glad you decided to give the video a shot despite the low view count (which discourages lots of people), and even happier that you enjoyed it! As for popping off, hasn't happened to me yet (all my larger view count videos were gradual). I might try changing this video's thumbnail once or twice but if it doesn't get too many views, it's fine. Comments like yours already make it all worth it. Plus, the process of making the video and exercising my creativity is my expected reward, and the rest is a (admittedly very welcome) bonus. Thank you again for the very, very kind words!
(serious answer: I actually have no idea but I see Zee so often that I'm inclined to believe lots of other english speaking nations go with that - but if anyone knows for sure pls comment)
@prezmer if anything it should be "zeta" as I'm pretty sure (without looking anything up and having been graduated for almost fifteen years so dont quote me) the English alphabet has its origins linked to the Romans who evolved theirs from ancient Latin/Greek (i.e. a = alpha, b = beta,)
Pokemon Y was my introduction to the Pokemon series, and I still think it's my favourite one. It had so much going for it but was so poorly received. So sad.
As a longtime X & Y fan, it interests me how often I read people say that XY was their introduction to the series. They are also the games that brought me back into playing Pokemon, after a 10 year hiatus (after Ruby & Sapphire). And I feel the same, Pokemon XY are also my favorites still.
Pokemon X and Y was done so dirty but at least its got the best anime adaptation for ash's saga of becoming a pokemon master with the anime. Kalos region was the best region in the series imo and had so much potential but the games were rushed and had their potential wasted.
On the topic of Gen 6 Pokemon not getting megas, that actually made complete sense to me. Megas rekindled interest in older Pokemon by giving them new designs for fans to obsess over. Gen 6 Pokemon being new, would have their fully evolved non-mega designs devalued if they were given megas right away, before fans had a chance to love them.
So happy you mentioned how good the supertraining, online mode, pokemon anime, and clothes were in X&Y! I am curious how the new Legends might elaborate on and use Kalos' lore :D Good video! I watched it all in one sitting.
XY Adventures arc connoisseur here, to not enter into much spoilers: yes! The friend dynamics feel a lot more fleshed out, all of them I feel like they contribute sth to the group: X, Yvonne, Shauna, Trevor and Tierno, specially him who ended up being my favorite of the group. TIERNO! And Team Flare? Also a bigger threat, they feel like a dominating, opressive presence for a good chunk of the story. I totally recommend the XY arc since you enjoyed Kalos so much.
Pokemon Z was likely in development for a release in 2015, but got axed and instead everything that was supposed to debut in Z got added to SM. It's sad really, Z was the best game that never happened. I'm really sad we didn't get Z, I was fully expecting it too, I had a "master team" planned out for its release, a culmination of all the knowledge I had from XY and ORAS, knowing that ORAS Megas would be usable in Z, so I was like "okay I'm gonna build the end-all-be-all master team for Gen 6 when Z comes out". To my dismay, it never came... I really enjoyed XY too, I replayed Gen 6 recently and maybe it's just nostalgia but Gen 6 is still to this day my favorite generation, me and my friends still battle on ORAS over any other game, we just love that format. I really wish Z had been released and could've been the go-to "master game" that defines Gen 6. I loved features like the PSS, the Friend Safari, the DexNav from ORAS, etc. Imagine if Z not only had fleshed out features from XY, an expanded Kalos region with more to do, a Zygarde Cube with the core and cell side story from SM and a plot reminiscent of the XY&Z anime, AND with additional carryover features from ORAS? If that doesn't sound like the best Pokemon game ever, I don't know what will. I hate online on new Pokemon games, it's either nonexistent or just downright horrendous. Nothing will ever top the PSS. If I could perform a hostile takeover of Game Freak the first thing I'd do is force the production of Pokemon Z for the Switch that's basically a combination of everything I just listed from XY, ORAS, and SM, with a return to the PSS, and obviously a refined graphical engine that's loosely-based on the graphical style that was used across XY, ORAS, and most recently, LGPE.
"Z was the best game that never happened" sums this situation up perfectly. It's a damn shame. And yeah, LGPE graphics would 100% look incredible! I think it's the last time pokémon actually looked great. I hope your vision of Z becomes true when they revisit gen 6.
@@prezmer it just goes to show what could be possible if people who were actually passionate fans of the franchise were behind the game. They’ve lost the passion, especially with these new generations that just seem like someone said in a board meeting “we need to make a new game to pump out for the holidays, figure something out” there’s really no soul anymore.
I'm gonna comment before watching the whole thing and see if we line up on this one thing: The XYZ series of the anime was also really, really good. X was a great game and I've replayed it a few times over the years and one of the reasons for that was the anime which really filled in a lot of the stuff it felt the games didn't get to spend time on. In a way, it felt like the XYZ arc was a needed reboot for the anime as well because it led into the also excellent Alolan series.
I love it when people comment predictions for the video. Not spoiling the answer to whether we not we line up! (but I hope what I say in the video will be to your liking)
The anime seems to have a lot of its story based around zygrade perhaps those were some plot points that would have been covered in Pokémon Z before it got scrapped
@@des4929 The theory is that the whole of the X, Y & Z arc would've been the plot for the game. However, considering gamefreak insists they never planned a Z (lol) we'll likely never know the truth
rare small channel W, the production of this video is a lot better than people with 10x the sub count and convinced me to finally give x and y a chance, after despising it the most and thinking it was the start of the end for pokemon. bravo, prezmer.
Thank you so much! If you do play through x and y, try to notice how proud gamefreak was of its visuals. Places like the exit of the starter town, the path to parfum palace, the parfum palace corridor with mirrors all have these "weird" camera angles that are clear indications that the devs wanted to showcase how pretty their game is. I think it's the last time we've seen them proudly showing off their game. And of course, if you do play the games, I hope you manage to find some enjoyment!
i loved x and y for the things it brought, but yeah, definitely does feel like its setting up for more like they used to for the third game. to be fair, the partners and the game in general feels a little too on rails and impedes my natural exploration. all that to say that y and omega ruby are probably my most played because of the online and ability to make your own post game with people a bit more. still felt lacking in thay aspect too though. good video even though i skipped the recap since i was doing a play through while watching :p
That's a good point, there's definitely less to explore here than this game's predecessors had. And it clearly ended up being a sign for things to come because exploration went downhill after that... until SwSh DLCs, that is. But I still prefer the old type of games: linear routes and paths with secrets to be found if you return with HMs. Also dungeons, I miss dungeons like SS Anne so much. Thank you for watching, and for the compliment! EVEN IF YOU SKIPPED 25 MINUTES OF MY VIDEO. (no just kidding, it really was just an optional part for folks who forgot the story)
Watching this after the Legends ZA announcement is WILD! Like you just willed a whole game into existence just so you can be proven wrong about it being left unfinished
Hear me out imagine if this game had a thing where you make a pokemon your best friend, learn battle bonding (like in the anime) and then the weapon kills your pokemon like AZ's florette and you team up with him to make the machine good again and resurrect everyone who died
I feel like Tierno and Trevor could have had such good development as a contest star and lab researcher, respectively. Remove Sina and Dexio, have Trevor work closer with Sycamore, and have Tierno find out about contests in Hoenn.
When I played through Pokémon Y for the first time I totally forgot about even encountering any team flare members until the factory thing. It felt like they were absent from the game entirely, showed up being super lame and then dipped right away.
Pretty much anyone not called Lysandre was very forgettable (for some, even Lysandre), despite their style. An expanded storyline would ideally fix that as well, but we can only dream. ):
@@prezmer I remembered meeting him in the coffee shop but then I don’t remember seeing or hearing about him until the whole evil team plan kicking off. My friends and I would joke about how lame team flare was. lol
Honestly it is so refreshing to see someone else say that Pokémon X and Y actually do look good, the over world is so appealing and chibi style is not only cute but also smart. (Stylization will always hold up longer than realism.)
They should have kept the chibi style at least for Gen 7. They forced themselves to create a more realistic world which further limited them during their already short development time
Since you mentioned it, my problem with the new exp share has always been how early you get it, not that it exists. If it was post game OR post-ultimate weapon (but before victory road), XY would be a much more appropriate challenge for people not just running to the next gym and avoiding optional areas, trainers, and wild encounters you don't intend to catch.
That's an interesting take. I personally never had an issue with the exp share because it can just be turned off, but I think I agree it would've been better to be given it a lot later in the game.
LMAO Ideally it would be 1h5s or something because I need some downtime at the very end for the video end cards to show up. But since I was so close to 1h I sacrificed some of that downtime and card showcase time to reach the exact hour. It makes me uncomfortable too, I'm just clearly a sadist
Still wild that the guy obsessed with the eradication of life buolt his fortune off a device called a Holo Caster.. (Holo cast isnt too far off from Holocauster)
@prezmer To be fair, it could be localization only but it's still hard to dismiss as coincidence. Enjoyed the video mate. Always good to see other people who think x and y deserved better. Lots of little things came to mind when I was listening. Like the one npc in Lumiose who hints at Heatran of all things, or the foreshadowing of oras with the fact that the map of Kalos looks suspiciously like Jirachi.
This is so incredibly true. I'm also a staunch XY fan but also saddened by what could've been. AZ is one of my favorite pokemon characters, and I feel like the Kalos region had so much atmosphere to it that makes it unforgettable, even if for the wrong reasons. I hope we get Z one day, or even a Legends Zygarde that takes us back 3k years ago.
Oh, and I also read the Manga and it's probably one of my most favorite Mangas of all time. It expanded on the rivals, it gave realistic motives to more of the rivals and Lysandre alike, the growth from each rival and built on the Gym Leaders and even Elite Four's importance in the story. I will say that AZ did not get the arc he deserved and still showed up at the end like he did in the original games, but all I can say is that I'm holding onto hope he'll eventually get his.
2:50 Oh, I *WILL* @ you. How dare you. You are *NOT* getting away with that slander. I won't have it. Xerneas is more elegant, isn't another damn bird, and has the rad AF Fairy typing. Only thing I agree that sucks about it is that "Neutral" mode or whatever it has. That takes away from the beauty of its design. ...thaaat being said, though...Kalos deserved so much damn better. Better developed characters (Diantha should've shown up more, helped in battling Team Flare, and being the modern Cynthia with a truly formidable battle), more post-game stuff (more Legendaries, dammit!), more areas, etc. I love the region as it lived up to its goal of being about beauty. But it deserved to be so much more...and Z could've fixed some of these problems, but it never happened because GAME FREAK decided to skip straight to the next generation to meet the Anniversary deadline. Alola's cool, don't get me wrong, but it could've waited a year longer and end up being an in-between of SM and USUM with the extra time SM would've gotten had Z been made.
Exactly, Xerneas has the dumb neutral mode. Yveltal has perfection the whole time. There's no discussion. Plus bringer of death is like, a much more rad attribution than bringer of life. Pshhh Jokes aside though I actually really like both legendaries. And Xerneas blew my mind with how beautiful it is in the new pokémon snap game. Despite its shortcomings, gen 6 gave us some really cool new legends and mythicals - Hoopa and Diancie are also incredible in their concept. I agree with everything else you said too, especially Diantha. As it stands, she's barely a part of the story and it's just depressing. It really is a shame that they chose to cancel Z and release SM in favour of the anniversary because I guarantee that if Z had realized all of Kalos' potential, people would've loved it almost as much as a new gen. But oh well. All we can do now is hope that they go back to the idea one day.
@@prezmer I'm sick and tired of Cynthia getting all the good stuff and showing up in games and the anime more than any other Champion. Diantha, to me, just has the potential to be a fresher, more modern take on the overly-simped Champion that simps want to step on their faces. With a little team tweaking and being given items, Diantha can give Cynthia a run for her money.
Y was my very first Pokémon game and even though it had its flaws and felt unfinished I loved it for what it was. These games will forever have a special place in my heart.
This is by far the best video about Kalos that I've seen to date. XY gets a lot of hate online for how easy and unfinished it is (and the Kanto pandering). Many of these criticisms are totally valid, and they are gripes that I, too, hold against them, but I also think that these games are the most mature and ambitious Pokemon has ever been. Not only did it make the jump to 3D, it had multiple other significant changes that blew some of the cobwebs out of GameFreak's tired old formula, namely Mega Evolution and Fairy type (character customisation is also huge). They also dealt with some heavy themes such as extremist ideology, war/genocide?, forgiveness/atoning for mistakes, coming of age and sentimentality. It's a huge shame that they didn't realise its full potential. Funny that you released this so close to the new Legends Z-A announcement, hopefully they go back and properly flesh out this fantastic region.
While not the best games in the franchise, I still had an absolute blast playing Y. It's the only game where I could use my 6 favourite Pokémon all on one team, the music is incredible, I felt immensely powerful ploughing through trainers and the few Mega Evolution battles there were, were all really good.
Fans have been asking for years for a remake of this and remake of that, while I just want a Pokemon Z or 3rd addition to X&Y 😒 Not to mention the inclusion of Rollerblades, again, and, mixing berries to produce a rare one, and battle chateau.
Very refreshing to see someone speak praise about gen 6. I have played every Pokémon game starting with Red and Blue, so with that said X and Y as well as ORAS are my absolute favorite entries and I really would love to see more from Kalos. Hopefully when they get to gen 6 remakes they finally give us Pokémon Z.
Honestly planning a sword and shield video and I can’t come up with a title aside from “The wasted potential of pokémon sword and shield” so you’re onto something there, there’s legitimately so much that could have been better in a lot of these games
I always get confused by the destruction of the ultimate weapon. Like, are we now immortal? That leaves SO much potential for Kalos games in the future!
I don't think so because it wasn't fired at max energy. Lysandre stated that upon hatching, Yveltal/Xerneas took back a ton of the energy. But that being said his intention IS to grant us eternal life too so who knows, I think it's up for us to pick what we want to believe. For me though, if a machine that destroyed an entire region was needed to grant eternal life to one man, I can't imagine an energy output that destroys just a small underground lab is enough to grant eternal life to anyone. Maybe like, a year or two extra lmao But I agree, having this question answered makes for a lot of potential too!
I agree completely. Zygarde being shoehorned into sun and moon was such a let down to me. I think the biggest issue might be Game Freak's pointless need to get a game out every year. Just think about how much better every game could have been from X and Y onward. We wouldn't have needed a Z in the first place.
So, while definitely not confirmed, there was talk about the scrapped “XY Files” story originally planned for these games that was surrounding an alien invasion plot line. While I won’t go too far into it, you can find (unofficial) sources by looking for “Pokémon XY scrapped story.” Interestingly enough, a lot of the scrapped game mechanics, story beats, and other ideas were implemented later on in ORAS, SM, and USUM. To sum it up, Team Flare was supposed to be a group of aliens posing as humans who planned on using the Ultimate Weapon to destroy the world. The fairy type was going to be a kind of “alien type,” and the AZ Floette was planned to hold the key to the Ultimate Weapon. There’s a bunch of other stuff, too, but ultimately the plot was scrapped due to it being deemed “too weird for kids.” So with a tight deadline, they had to keep their current resources and pretty much rewrite the entire plot of XY, which is why the game feels rushed/unfinished. However, parts of the old game still slip through the cracks, like Team Flare’s design with their unnaturally pale skin, none of them showing their eyes (except for Lysandre and the 2 disguised waiters, but the latter two don’t count, as they’re reused textures/models), and the more extraterrestrial theme the group has. Again, you can take all this with a grain of salt, but it’s quite interesting to think about, especially with how well it seems to fit in with the information we have, and the adopted story we got in the SM Ultra Beast storyline and the Ultra Recon Squad.
Personally I think X and Y had the perfect artstyle, it still had that classic charm of the older games, while having this really cute 3D aspect to it.
Loved watching this and knowing all throughout your (and my as a fellow Gen 6 fan) desires are finally being realised. Completely agree that Gen 6 has the most lore potential and did a lot for the series in terms of making the necessary changes to modernise the franchise :)
X/Y are my favorite games. I could go on and on for hours speaking about this games but I want to focus on 2 characters, Lysandre and Shauna. As someone who has gone through some personal stuff, I understand them; at least the version of them I in my head cannon. Shauna feels meaningless, lost without a goal. That feeling, is very scary; you try to cope, you try to make excuses but in the end, you just feel lonely, scared, worthless. Maybe she would have taken Bonnie's role from the anime in a secuel, taking care of a Zygard core. Lysandre. He is also scared, deeply. There's nothing as scary as time and death; they're inevitable, they can not be stopped, they can not be delayed. Lysandre is holding onto the only piece of hope against them. The promise of eternity, of never changing peace; that's why he wants to take out everyone outside his little cult, to ensure no one can ruin it. A man of noble intent turn into madness by the fear of that inherent to life; is very dark for Pokemon standards when you think about it.
IT HAPPENED: POKÉMON LEGENDS Z (well, Z-A) IS REAL!!!!!!!-- I REALLY did NOT expect that to be the case when I mentioned the possibility in this video, but HOO BOY AM I HAPPY IT IS TRUE! Now to hope gamefreak can provide a good and polished experience.....
literally thought about you when it was revealed, happy we're finally getting a kalos revisit!
I'm glad _someone_ at GameFreak realized the goldmine they were sitting on with Kalos. LET'S FREAKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I'm so hyped
We’re so Zyback
I’ve literally waited since I was 7 years old I never thought it’d be real😪
Yesterday: "Dang I remember X and Y, I was so bummed they never made a pokemon Z or some other revisit to Kalos. This video sums up my feelings so well!"
Today: "WELL OKAY THEN"
LMAO I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S REAL
To poor further salt on the wound, Xerneas and Yveltal are the only Box Legends that have been completely left out of Scarlet And Violet!
Oh wow, I had no idea. That is BAD
@@prezmer It makes me wonder if they have Kalos themed plans in the future.
@@olympusgolemoflight7198 I mean, Kalos is literally right next to Paldea
@@olympusgolemoflight7198maybe they might just give the game a needed overhaul in a remake but will have to see how this year will go if they remake Black and white
+ Giratina (platinum box art legendary)
Fingers crossed we get something like a raid event, like we did with mewtwo, for then Kalos legendaries
To add a small bit to the wasted potential segment, theres a town (forgot the name) with a giant crystal monument that resembles Diancie. This couldve been a plan to have the 3 extra legendaries (Diancie, hoopa, and Valcanion) have sidequest in the post game
Anistar, right? The huge crystal is used for mega evolution hunting but I agree that it'd have been a great place to insert at least diancie!
I think Diancie's event spot was supposed to be that shining platform in Reflection Cave, where you find Alakazam's Mega Stone.
Edit: Reflection Cave is also the only place where you can find Carbink.
@@oyeh8908 That'd make sense!
I find it interesting how the devs say that pokemon z was never in development or even considered; yet it’s referenced in the code of both Sun and Moon and ORAS…
People theorize that pokemon z was in development, but gamefreak kept pulling people to work on other projects, and eventually pokemon z got left behind.
It seems most likely that pokemon z was cancelled shortly after the release of Sun and Moon, because the references are absent in the code of USUM.
I’m guessing that whatever was left of pokemon z ended up being incorporated into USUM.
Agreed, it feels almost insulting to read an official statement saying pokémon Z was never considered because we have clear evidence that says otherwise! Like, never imagined I'd get gaslighted (gaslit???) by the pokémon devs.
You're right that pokémon z ended up incorporated into gen 7. I just find it funny that it was so much that there's people who legitimately think zygarde was a gen 7 mon. I really hope they revisit the Z idea one day...
@@prezmerpokemon z is either one of the worst cover ups or the greatest troll in gaming history…
We like to keep players guessing my ass lmao
I could be remembering this wrong but I read somewhere Z wasn’t developed because the devs said it would’ve been to “predictable”
@@Rodolphin That's the excuse they went with, yeah. Something along those lines, while adding that they never planned on a Z... except we have evidence to the contrary, so we can't exactly trust any of that.
If i recall correctly from somewhere z wasn't in development, but I think X2 and Y2 were. However, due to the poor sales of BW2 they scrapped the idea of doing sequels since the third versions never sell as well as the first two. I could be wrong tho so take it with a grain of salt.
The names X and Y being symbolic representations of their associated dimensions also indicates that there was meant to be a Z, for the first 3D entries of the mainline pokemon series
guess what.
@@silvergold2342 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀
Man, I am a programmer and it took me a decade to get this
Legends Zyguarde with AZ as your rival/antagonist would go so incredibly hard. Like imagine that the whole timeline split he caused was actually based on whether or not you defeat him at the end of the game.
Dude that idea is absolutely INCREDIBLE! Which more or less confirms we'll never see it executed lmao
@@prezmer That last bit hurt my soul lmao. But yeah as soon as Legends Arceus came out I realized how amazing a game like this could be if it was set in Kalos, a region who's plot revolves around the past. And the fact that AZ technically caused the ORAS universe by making two different timelines.
Give me Legends Zygarde yesterday _PLEASE_
I think it would be cool if he was to ur ally, and towards the end, he betrays you, and splits the timeline. Then you could like jump back and forth between the two lines and maybe have some unique adventure
@@prezmerYep, we're as likely to get this as we are to get a Kalos remake that isn't in the non-Mega timeline. So, about half as likely as winning or in the US lottery than the IRS...
IMAGINE how cool it would be if you had to evacuate the Team Flare hideout before it explodes, and the particularly unhinged members of team flare initiate battles to try and stop you and you have to beat them all before the timer runs out... Would have added a lot more spice to it.
Oh man, agreed! That would have been great! So many good ideas in this comments section...
That's what the intro of Colosseum should have done. It would have fit so well in that game too
I love the implication that scientists in-universe just _recently_ discovered fairy type... As if they hadn't noticed how Jigglypuff was secretly immune to dragon-type and that fighting type wasn't super-effective. Jigglypuff apparently didn't realize either. XD
I guess they just deemed Floette and Xerneas as Pokemon with no-typing for several centuries or something...
LMAO I hadn't even stopped to think about that but you're right, it's ridiculous
Jigglypuff was being polite
But its in legends arceus so they just… forgot it existed I guess..
@@FlowerTrick lmbo true! XD
No wonder a certain champion in-universe straight up says "Using super effective attacks is a surefire way to win"...
Cause for centuries people were getting told that some pokemon just ignored type effectiveness...
Playing Sun and Moon I legitimately had no idea who Sina and Dexio were, despite playing X and Y multiple times. I can remember wondering why they'd make new characters connected to the previous region's professor for the Zygarde sidequest instead of using one of the Alola characters. They were just _that_ forgettable.
Yup, easily the two most underwhelming characters in the game. I'm STILL not sure what their purpose was because they really didn't accomplish anything a random professor aide npc (like the ones that gave us free items in gen 1) couldn't. Aside from the superhero stuff but they weren't even useful in those bits!
I was really frustrated with X and Y’s story, honestly. For a game that blatantly puts its story at the forefront, they didn’t fuckin DO anything with it. You’re so right that the characters are incredibly shallow purely because they get no development. Why get the friends to be so common throughout the game if you’re barely going to develop them at all? AZ was clearly intended to be more important, and Lysandre’s motivations have nothing to do with making a beautiful world. The list goes on.
Gen 6 did give me my favourite Pokémon Hawlucha though
Dude Hawlucha's shiny form is one of the best in the whole damn game, great taste
For me it's so ironic that they did such a good job with graphics, pokemon design and character customization options in that game that had such a bland and forgettablle story (especially the characters).
Why do I think that it's ironic? Because 10 years later they release S and V, with an amazing story and fleshed out characters but with extremely poor performance, almost no customization options and lifeless areas.
I want to love the pokemon games so damn much but gamefreak gives me zero reasons to.
@@niedas3426"I've 0 reasons to love modern Pokemon games." You just said some of the positive for both XY & SV. Those r your reasons for liking them. You contradicted yourself.
Its hard to say you love a game when you only like 50% of the games design. Nothing against the games but damn, those short comings hold them back HARD@@lipika2841
I like the idea of a legends Kalos. I think after Unova, its my second most liked idea for the region of a future legends game.
Same. Legends Unova and legends kalos are my two most wanted spin-offs, in that order. So much potential in the past of these 2 regions!
We are SO back
WELL BUDDY AS A MATTER OF FACT
Iirc AZ realized the truth behind his struggles was that he stopped caring about Pokémon as a whole, but after realizing how you and your friends teamed up with various Pokémon in order to save the world, AZ decided to try collecting some Pokémon himself, and then have his first ever trainer battle against you in attempt to connect with Pokémon again. Once he realized this is what he needed to do in order to ease his sorrows, the Floette returned.
It left because of the sheer lack of care AZ had for Pokémon, watched over for 3000 years, then returned once AZ cared about Pokémon again.
Ohh, that's a really good explanation, thank you! I still wish AZ had gotten a more active role in the story though. Like, demonstrate through actively stopping his life's work (the weapon/ressurection machine) that he regrets it. The idea is so obvious, and so good, and yet they didn't bring AZ into the whole ordeal.
XY Manga was great. It starts with the player's starting town getting blown up, and then Team Flare captures all the survivors and puts them to work in underground camps, and have enough of an iron grip on the media that no one knows this happened, but the five children X, Y, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor managed to escape, and it follows their adventures on the run from Team Flare as Team Flare tries to silence them by any means necessary. There's a part where Shauna picks up a Honedge and it takes over her mind, and her skitty is desperately scratching at the inside of its pokeball trying to warn her friends, and another part where Lysandre falls and bloodily breaks his head open on a rock, and another part where they bring back the Kanto characters as adults after they'd been gone from the manga since they turned 18.
I know that sounds like I'm full of shit if you haven't read it, but all of that is really in there.
One thing that I REALLY hate is how they tarnished Mega Evolution's reputation in the following games... In XY and ORAS, the Mega Pokemon _don't have_ unique Pokedex entries. But in USUM they added new entries for the Mega forms, and in doing so they turned Mega Evolution from a special power formed by the bond between trainer and Pokemon into a horrifying form of torture! _Apparently_ all the Mega Evolution Pokemon are in constant pain or experience horrible side effects (even though I don't buy it for a second...) and its just so frustrating. They retconned Mega Evolution into a horrible thing, making the trainer seem abusive by using that power just to get stronger at the expense of their Pokemon. It makes me _furious!_ >:(
YES!!
The Mega Evolution retcon always felt like a slap in the face to me that disrespected the spirit of the mechanic's origin games, but it seems like everyone else I've heard even mention it just didn't really care or actually praised GameFreak for "finally putting darker writing in Pokemon..."
It was almost funny how blatant it was through the retcon that they they were trying to get us to move on from Mega evolution, but unfortunately z moves just don’t hit the same for me and dynamax absolutely does not scratch the itch for me. Tera forms came close but prt of the fun of Megas was seeing what artists in the fandom could make for Pokémon that didn’t have one or dissecting the possible reasons a mega looked the way it did( mega absol as an Angel of death/ fallen Angel hence the fur shaped like wings was a cool one, for example) and of course dynamax did a similar thing but there were not that many interesting ones ( they mostly picked popular Pokémon) and it was harder to care about it because of sword and shields lackluster story. Now that legends Z has been announced I’m super excited to see if we get any new ones but I’m just as happy to see them return and hopefully they retcon the mega lore back to what is was before sun/moon lol
@@zombinary3138 I'm hoping they ditch the stupid pokedex entries they added in Sun and Moon that said Mega Evolution was basically torture... I hated that so much, because it was never supposed to be like that in XY. It was the bond between trainer and Pokemon that powered them up. :(
Reading these comments after the announcement of Legends Z-A hits different
Right?!
Its sad that xy never got a sequel, had their lore shoehorned into oras and sm, and even with all the hints and easter eggs in Paldea, a region bordering Kalos, we still have nothing more for Kalos. I hope they do something cool with the region before I turn 90 years old
Hoping for the same!
Kalos just seems like the region of missed potential. As you said, Paldea borders Kalos... and spoilers for the SV DLC...
the DLC takes you to Unova! The region just can't catch a break.
This was a nice perspective. Is nice to see someone discuss the game in good faith. I like the Battle system and Region design for Kalos, but the Team Flare story was the biggest issue to me.
If you watch Pokemon Generations, they make it a bit clearer that Team Flare were supposed to be big time celebrities. The reason why no one suspected Lysander of being a villain is because he had a “nice” public facing persona and donated to causes (This was also true in XY&Z with Alain. An unwitting antihero, doing research for Lysandre trusting that it his work would go to causes). People wanted his autograph, pictures, interviews, etc. Basically worshipped him over his status, and couldn’t see the dangerous character beneath the surface. I read it as a commentary on vanity and how people sometimes treat status in real life, sometimes blinding people.
Yeah, Lysandre was definitely as famous as Diantha is said to be, if not more. Your take on it being a commentary on vanity is actually spot on, I think. His public persona was very carefully crafted precisely to never arouse suspicions, and it is, indeed, interesting that the way he chose to hide WAS in plain sight.
floette returning will forever be my favorite cutscene in all of Pokémon, how can you not cry at an incomplete man finally getting his closure, and his friend back. I couldn’t handle it
Man I remember all they hype for what a sequel or Pokémon Z was gonna be. The theories the hints everything miss this era of Pokémon. Hopefully Legends Kalos comes on day and we can give Kalos its time to shine
I miss it too man. If we do get legends kalos, I hope they bring us to AZ's war. Time will tell!
@@prezmerdo we get obliterated by his weapon at the end?
@@Gloomdrake That'd be one hell of an ending lmfao
Yeah
@@prezmer so this aged well
REALLY hope we return to kalos for a good time one day
Same!
I love how Lysandre's complaints about a future of disappointment and wasted potential just describes the series from this point onwards, small bright points in an ever darkening sea of cashgrabs...
I think the script writers wanted to tell us something...
I really like the Norse nods to zygardes design.
All forms represent one of Loki's children. The 10% represents Fenrir, you can see the chain that binds him. The chain, Gleipnir, was said to be as thin as a ribbon and made of 6 impossible things.
50% form was based on a mixture of Nidhog, the serpent that chews on the world tree and Jormungandr, a sea serpent that encircles the earth.
And finally Perfect Cell, err Zygarde is to represent Hel. The goddess of death. She was described as a child born with half a living body and half a corpse. If you look at Zygarde, half of his body is Red for Yveltal and the other is Blue for Xerneas.
I too, am a really big Kalos fan, it was my first mainstream Pokémon game, and it holds a special place in my heart. And I 1000% agree that Kalos was severely neglected and has so much potential to be one of the best Pokémon games. Along with the points you made about the game feeling shallow, another XY video essay (I forgot which one) talked about Lysandre and how his story could have been so much greater if the injustices that he talks about were shown. Of course, Pokémon being geared towards kids more than likely won't add such complicated themes like that, but it would have enhanced the story so much more. In a replay I had earlier this year, a small detail I think is pretty overlooked is how both Serena/Calem and Trevor's parents are trainers who basically left them to train (which is why Serena/Calem are so adamant about beating the trainer,;to get their parents acknowledgement). And I think it would have been wonderful to a more found family aspect with the friend group, or to see both of them develop further and get out of their parents shadows. Overall, XY could have been a profoundly deep and beautiful game, yet the ball was absolutely dropped and all we're left to do is speculate :(
Yeah, I agree. Out of all the titles, X/Y could've been the most "real" one, if that makes sense. Like, Lysandre IS right in saying that the world is unfair and that there are people who only take, without caring for their fellow living beings. If you tunnel vision on that, I can imagine even the kindest souls getting soured. So whoever said what you mentioned is right: showing what made Lysandre this way would've gone a long way not only in building him but in making the story incredibly grounded, because I guarantee we've all seen this behaviour in the past. And it sucks every damn time. What Lysandre isn't right in though is exterminating all pokémon and a shit ton of humans for the sake of fixing this - especially because it wouldn't even fix the problem! Humans are imperfect by nature, and if he thinks people would no longer try to gain advantage over others because there would be no need then he is way more naive than I thought.
Between that, serena/calem/trevor's parents, and more (hell, we might even have a case for the player character living in their mom's shadow - sycamore for example states he extended the invitation to be a trainer because we're a famous rhyhorn racer's kid), this could've been an uncomfortably grounded experience that would absolutely stand out in the series. But alas, we got none of that, so as you said, all we can do is speculate. Thank you for the wonderful comment.
Of course things for kids can't have complex stories.
kalos is an absolutely beautiful and lore heavy region. I got into pokemon around the time sun and moon released, I really wish I was able to experience this region when the games released, yet the vibes and atmosphere still give me a feeling of nostalgia despite not having experienced it on release, I just think the entire region just feels cosy, it's the region I'd like to live in most if I was transported to the pokemon world. The short time we spent in the region in the one set of games we got was unforgivable, and my hopes are not high for a remake given the soulless reimagining of diamond and pearl we got
Edit after Pokemon Legends Z-A announcement: LETS GOOOOOOOO BEST REGION COMING BACK
I think you nailed it: it feels cozy. The fireworks show in the Palace, the caves dimly lit with warm light, travelling with friends... It's a shame it was so underdeveloped. My hopes are not high for remakes either for the very same reason but... we'll see. The hopes are there nonetheless, even if not high.
The pandering to Kanto pokemon was definitely a response to the complaints about black and white not having any old pkmn during the game which were always stupid to me... "genwunner"s were a bigger thing back then
I thought they addressed that in Black and White 2 but you're right, if a person was burned by BW 1 they likely wouldn't get 2. So they'd have to address those complaints in the next generation too. It sucks that the complaints from back then caused THIS, Kalos' whole identity suffered a bit thanks to it. But oh well, hopes for a more unique identity in remakes and potential side games still exist... big copium but THE HOPES STILL EXIST
@@prezmer I will probably be like 30 by the time XY remakes come around but it's so fun to imagine them being more complete than the original game... Truly the timeline we all deserve
I love Kalos. It’s one of my favourite regions, and the Pokémon team did a great job at recreating Versailles.
Manga reader here. While Pokemon Adventures does have a reputation for being "dark" (cue overused Arbok panel), the various chapters have different tones depending on the game. That being said, the XY chapter is easily one of the most action packed from the get go. It _starts_ with Vaniville Town getting destroyed in the aftermath of a fight between Xerneas and Yveltal, and the protagonists become fugitives because Team Flare is after the Mega Ring X (Calem) possesses. Flare is depicted as a lot more competent, hunting the gang across the region and controlling the media. All 5 main characters are given distinct and fleshed out personalities. X(avier) was a burnt out child star trainer who begins the series depressed and with a fear of the media. (Y)vonne is effectively the leader and the most hotheaded, who's been spending years trying non-stop to pull X out of his funk. Shauna, seeing her friends do the same things over and over again for years, has grown cynical, despite still wishing they could be happy like when they were kids. Tierno actually steps up as the most mature member of the group, trying to basically be the team dad who keeps the others in check. Trevor is the least changed, but even he has a largely expanded role, being the one who's investigating Lysandre and trying to help X figure out what the hell Mega Evolution is. While there are certainly slower and lighter paced chapters, the nature of the plot means it's constantly moving with little rest (much like the protags). While it doesn't explore Kalos in-depth like the RSE or DPPt chapters, it's still a very strong showing of the region, the characters, and the themes. While there is some continuity with the previous chapters, it's largely a stand-alone for most of it.
Thank you so much for typing all this up! You've definitely made me really curious to go back and read the whole saga. My only experience with the manga so far was sword and shield (for an upcoming video like this one) and I had a good time, so definitely checking this one out next. I'm especially happy to hear the friend group is actually well fleshed out as opposed to the x/y games. Again, thank you!
It's been very gratifying as I've gotten older to see other people who also believe Kalos was done so dirty and could have been amazing if Game Freak had treated it the same as older generations. Pokemon Y was the first Pokemon game I bought for myself and there's just so much that happens in the background or just a little too fast that suggest a deep, expansive, emotional story and world that we got cheated out of for god knows what reason. Zygarde being shoehorned into Gen 7 is just salt in the wound. What I wouldn't give to see design documents from Game Freak detailing all the stuff they intentionally left out to save for the sequel games that never saw the light of day.
Man I would also LOVE to see that game design document. It's clear they had SOMETHING planned (despite what Masuda claims) but yeah, it never came to fruition for some reason.
This video aged well
Taking full responsibility for this, clearly nintendo saw my video and decided to fix this glaring issue in 2 months
HG/SS will always be my favourite, but X/Y is in my top 3 Pokemon. Cemented my love for the series and have far greater memories with it than i ever had with Sun/Moon or Sword/Shield.
Same! Gen 6 > 7 or 8 for me too!
Wow, you definitely deserve more views for this high quality. Personally, the X and Y games have a special place in my heart as being the first Pokemon games I owned, but I can also see why you think there is more to be desired. I hope the Kalos remakes will give Zygarde some more light and I hope the algorithm blesses this video and your channel!
Thank you so much!
Your prayers were answered as fast as a Regieleki
LMAOOO no kidding, time to pray for riches next
Really glad we're at the point in the Pokemon Cycle where people realize X and Y were good all along.
I've always been in that camp! But I will admit I was expecting pushback from folks in comments section but no, the support has been more or less universal, even in the like to dislike ratio (only 10 dislikes so far). Thus, I'm with you. I'm glad opinions are changing. I just feel like a fool now for saying I'm one of those rare x and y fans because they don't seem so rare anymore hah
@@prezmer Do you mind if I ask how old you are? People who grew up with a generation will always defend it and call it their favorite, so the Gen VI fans are out there.
I remember the giant backlash for Gen V on internet forums back then, people hating it like no game before it, only for it to suddenly become very popular a decade later. In part since the kids who grew up with Gen V were all on the internet now.
@@gligarguy4010 I'm 28, DEFINITELY not in the camp that grew up with X and Y hah. My first game was Yellow, before I could even understand english. Good times. On a side note, I also hated BW when it released but I'm rather fond of it now. Go figure!
I never thought X and Y were really bad games.
They were fine enough.
But they don't compare to what came before.
Plus, X and Y have only been elevated, by the later gens being much, MUCH worse, making it seem like a masterpiece by comparison.
Either way, I don't think X and Y were rocking the boat, but they were also far from bad.
It was GameFreak's first dip into 3D territory on their own.
Though I kinda wish they would've consulted Genius Sonority, since their Gamecube games looked so much better.
And if this has happened, I have hope that one day people will look back at all the good things in Sword and Shield, eventually
I'm a little surprised we haven't seen any big fan projects to make Pokemon Z. I know pokemon essentials and all the romhack tools are made for 2d games but it's been a decade and nobody has tried doing it in Unity or anything.
Right?! Honestly I'd take even a 2d reimagining/sequel. If done right it has a lot of potential... because Kalos has a lot of potential.
But the thing is X and Y are not the most popular games, so unfortunately it's unlikely we'll see a fan project like that. I hope we do though!
There is a project to make one, however it is a Legends Arceus type game that takes place in the past of the region.
@@ThyFloorestFloor Ohh what's the name/where can I read more about it? I'd love to keep an eye on it!
@@prezmer It's named Pokemon Z made by a streamer and fangame creator named ericlostie however, the game is entirely in Spanish, so it might make it more difficult to experience, currently the game is going through its second open beta.
@@ThyFloorestFloor I can get by with my spanish (at least when reading anyway) so no worries on that front! Thank you, I'll take a look!
X and Y were my first ever pokémon games and are kinda the reason i fell in love with pokémon so that’s gotta mean something. Awesome video i agreed with a lot of your points hopefully we revisit kalos in some way soon.
I hope so too! And thank you for the compliment!
Made this video, then legends Z-A teaser dropped, amazing timin.
You made me realize the potential of Shauna as a character, I'm impressed.
I'd love to see a game dive deeper in the lore, somethings with an edgy name like Pokémon Zero Origin !
I didn't think much of Shauna at first either but creating this video made me realize everything she could have been. Glad I helped you see it too! And I love your idea for the name of a potential new game.
The manga did a pretty good job at showing off the region and the story. Its been a while since I read it but X and Y are accompanied by their friends for almost the entirety of the story as their hometown is destroyed by Xerneas and Yveltal and they basically become runaway orphans as Team Flare searches all over the region for them as they know the truth of what happened to their town and were the only ones to escape. Team Flare spreads through the region like wildfire and Diantha is almost assassinated due to her opposing it. Don't recall Zygarde making an appearance but Xerneas and Yveltal are both major players as well as Blue/Gary and I believe Blaine and Mewtwo. Might've been a bit short or rushed as the manga happens to be sometimes though.
I adore x and y a lot, my first pokemon game that I finished was x. There’s a lot aspects of it that are really good but, I have to agree that it felt like the games were missing something.
Yeah, we definitely needed more in these games
I've loved this franchise for so long now and, with X/Y as my first real (by real I mean games I didn't use the presaved data on) and favorite Pokemon games, I love these games dearly. I think that something that explores Kalos's lore would be incredible. Specifically, I think a game in a similar vein to Pokemon Conquest would be INCREDIBLE for the war aspect with the story culminating in the launch of the Ultimate Weapon. I really hope this generation gets some more exploration... I want any exploration we can get as well of course. PLEASE XY REMAKES DO IT RIGHT
Omg a Pokémon Conquest type game set during the war is a GREAT idea!!! GAMEFREAK LISTEN TO THIS PERSON
"We need more" in the thumbnail
Pokémon Legends Z-A: "Say no more."
As the biggest Pokemon X & Y fan I know (me), it's nice to see people discussing the game in earnest; I see a lot of "I wish we got more" and "we needed a Pokemon Z", which I think is a compliment to the series. Rather than saying they wish the games never existed at all. Gen 6 is my favorite Gen so far, and I hope the mainline series will revisit Kalos one day. And give it the refresh it deserved.
Gamefreak: *sigh* hold my beer...
LMAO
We are so back
WE ABSOLUTELY ARE 😭
X and y are the games that got me back into Pokémon, hope we get a sequel or Pokémon Z someday
same here! i took a break because i skipped the ds as we couldn’t afford it growing up, but as an adult i got my 3ds and jumped back in with x 😁 i love it so much!!
Ahh that's awesome! I hope you're both still playing to this day. The new games are... questionable in many aspects, but at the very least they're still fun. I don't think the core gameplay of pokémon will ever be boring.
@@ocean229did you ever go back and play the ds games?
y was my first mainline pokemon game in 5th grade, it solidified my love and wonder for pokemon. im so glad other people also love it despite its flaws. i love its innovation and even though i love the 2d style of the older games, this particular 3d pokemon style was so charming!
I'm glad the game got you into this wonderful series! I agree, the 3d style that x and y did is still my favorite. I think you nailed it when you described it as charming!
I just binge read the entire X&Y manga and these are my honest thoughts. Zygarde unfortunately does not get that much focus. He is essentially used as a plot device at the VERY end that is meant to be an unstoppable force (and also the reason x the two legendaries stop fighting) however there are three things I think the manga does better than the games.
1. The friend group. In the manga the friend group of X, Y, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor travel together. X and Y are the main characters and get the most development but the other 3 aren’t left completely in the dust. Early on Shauna was taken over by a honedge and fought against the group later she was able to combat and beat the same person. Trevor has this whole issue about being weak and is able to stand proud cause he is strong near the end. Finally Tierno is basically the most mature member of the group he’s the one who took care of X’s Pokemon while he was hiding in his room. He also does give both X and Y talking to when they need it. Y is the heart of the group which is constantly talked about. Without her they fall apart which is very true. X is the strongest member battle wise and has his own character arc of at first staying bundled up on Rhyhorn’s back and slowly becoming more confident and opening back up to his friends and his Pokemon. Also all 5 of them accomplish their goals.
2. Mega evolution, this manga handles it very well. It is treated as a powerful ability that is not only rare but also an honor. When Korrina finds out that X didn’t go through the proper ritual to receive his ring she straight up refuses to train him. X’s entire team is made up of mega evolution Pokemon (Kangaskhan, Charizard, Manteric, Gengar, and Pinsir) save for his Chesnaught. We also see quite a few mega evolution users. X, Y, Dianta, Korrina, Lysander, the Guru, and these 3 brothers all have it. Two returning characters also have it being Blue and Blaine. (Blaine has this whole plot with him and MewTwo but you would have to read the manga cause I don’t have the space to explain it here) Also X is only able to defeat Lysandre by gathering a bunch of different mega evolution users’ keystones and evolving all 5 of his Pokémon at once.
3. Team Flare, to me at least in the games team flare was a goofy villian group who I didn’t really take seriously. But here they are treated like actual villains. They constantly appear at different times to attack our heroes and are always able to track them down thanks to X’s mega ring. They also captured the entire town of (where ever they came from I forgot) excluding the friend group. Also Malva being part of team flare isn’t hidden at all and we know about this for quite some time. Lysandre is also seen as suspicious by Trevor right away (which is like duh obviously but whatever) and again the final battle with them really feels like one big ultimate fight between team flare and the good guys.
That being said I would say both AZ and Zygarde could have been done better. It’s been a while since I read Sun and Moon and I haven’t gotten around to ORAS yet so maybe both of them handle Zygarde pretty well and I just forgot/don’t know. As for AZ he does even less in the manga but does at least have a nice conclusion with Floette. Also Emma appears and is recurring with the Esstenia suit. Anyway that’s about all I can remember but my memory is shit so that could just be my bad.
Just checked Sun and Moon and Zygarde does play a pretty big role in the story it’s even essential in the fight against Necrozoma
26:47 "surely someday this section of the video will age like milk" 2 months ltr
Gamefreak trolled me 😔
them not adding Z was always pretty damn weird, maybe when they refresh the game theyll make one
I really hope they do, but with gamefreak's recent track record, I'm not holding my breath
pokemon z isnt real it cant hurt you
pokemon z:
im not scared im happy i was 9 during gen 6 so i didnt get unova or sinnoh like younger millenals and sterytypical gen z i was in the last 6 year of the gen so i have huge nastolgia for 2010 pokemon xy and sm
@@N0rth_Star honestly same, I started with x, and it only went up from there
I have absolutely no idea how this video hasn’t popped off yet, I got this recommended to me on my switch, then I saw how little views it had. This video is quite frankly amazing, and you bring up quite a few good points (especially that yveltal is the better legendary.) you just got a new subscriber :)
Oh wow, thank you so much! Your comment made my day! I'm really glad you decided to give the video a shot despite the low view count (which discourages lots of people), and even happier that you enjoyed it! As for popping off, hasn't happened to me yet (all my larger view count videos were gradual). I might try changing this video's thumbnail once or twice but if it doesn't get too many views, it's fine. Comments like yours already make it all worth it. Plus, the process of making the video and exercising my creativity is my expected reward, and the rest is a (admittedly very welcome) bonus. Thank you again for the very, very kind words!
@unenthusiasticpokemontrain8162 Thank you so much! On a side note, I love your name lmao
Probably because you commented minutes after it came out, lol
"Z if you're American" so other English speaking nations rattle off the alphabet "...x, y and zed"?
Other English speaking nations?! Madness I tell you! We all know the world is limited only to US and UK when it comes to English speaking nations!
(serious answer: I actually have no idea but I see Zee so often that I'm inclined to believe lots of other english speaking nations go with that - but if anyone knows for sure pls comment)
@prezmer if anything it should be "zeta" as I'm pretty sure (without looking anything up and having been graduated for almost fifteen years so dont quote me) the English alphabet has its origins linked to the Romans who evolved theirs from ancient Latin/Greek (i.e. a = alpha, b = beta,)
@@prezmer Canadians use both Zed and Zee.
UK uses zed
Pokemon Y was my introduction to the Pokemon series, and I still think it's my favourite one.
It had so much going for it but was so poorly received. So sad.
As a longtime X & Y fan, it interests me how often I read people say that XY was their introduction to the series. They are also the games that brought me back into playing Pokemon, after a 10 year hiatus (after Ruby & Sapphire). And I feel the same, Pokemon XY are also my favorites still.
You’ll never guess what happened
Pokemon X and Y was done so dirty but at least its got the best anime adaptation for ash's saga of becoming a pokemon master with the anime. Kalos region was the best region in the series imo and had so much potential but the games were rushed and had their potential wasted.
I came to this video after the announcement straight up to learn more about this gen because I skipped it
Ahh I hope you enjoy it! Man, I'm glad I included a recap in the video now lmao.
I will never stop wanting a Pokemon Z to flesh out the XY. :[
Same ):
On the topic of Gen 6 Pokemon not getting megas, that actually made complete sense to me. Megas rekindled interest in older Pokemon by giving them new designs for fans to obsess over. Gen 6 Pokemon being new, would have their fully evolved non-mega designs devalued if they were given megas right away, before fans had a chance to love them.
guess what we are getting more
I AM OVERJOYED
So happy you mentioned how good the supertraining, online mode, pokemon anime, and clothes were in X&Y! I am curious how the new Legends might elaborate on and use Kalos' lore :D Good video! I watched it all in one sitting.
Glad you enjoyed the video! Fingers crossed we get lots of new juicy lore bits in Legends!
POKEMON Z WE ARE SO BACK🗣️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
IF THIS IS A DREAM PLEASE DON’T WAKE ME UP 😭
*Apollo pelting this channel with power-of-prophecy dodgeballs*
LMAOOO Send me a list of sequels you want, I’ll make a video on each and will them into existence
XY Adventures arc connoisseur here, to not enter into much spoilers: yes!
The friend dynamics feel a lot more fleshed out, all of them I feel like they contribute sth to the group: X, Yvonne, Shauna, Trevor and Tierno, specially him who ended up being my favorite of the group. TIERNO! And Team Flare? Also a bigger threat, they feel like a dominating, opressive presence for a good chunk of the story. I totally recommend the XY arc since you enjoyed Kalos so much.
Pokemon Z was likely in development for a release in 2015, but got axed and instead everything that was supposed to debut in Z got added to SM. It's sad really, Z was the best game that never happened. I'm really sad we didn't get Z, I was fully expecting it too, I had a "master team" planned out for its release, a culmination of all the knowledge I had from XY and ORAS, knowing that ORAS Megas would be usable in Z, so I was like "okay I'm gonna build the end-all-be-all master team for Gen 6 when Z comes out". To my dismay, it never came...
I really enjoyed XY too, I replayed Gen 6 recently and maybe it's just nostalgia but Gen 6 is still to this day my favorite generation, me and my friends still battle on ORAS over any other game, we just love that format. I really wish Z had been released and could've been the go-to "master game" that defines Gen 6. I loved features like the PSS, the Friend Safari, the DexNav from ORAS, etc. Imagine if Z not only had fleshed out features from XY, an expanded Kalos region with more to do, a Zygarde Cube with the core and cell side story from SM and a plot reminiscent of the XY&Z anime, AND with additional carryover features from ORAS? If that doesn't sound like the best Pokemon game ever, I don't know what will. I hate online on new Pokemon games, it's either nonexistent or just downright horrendous. Nothing will ever top the PSS.
If I could perform a hostile takeover of Game Freak the first thing I'd do is force the production of Pokemon Z for the Switch that's basically a combination of everything I just listed from XY, ORAS, and SM, with a return to the PSS, and obviously a refined graphical engine that's loosely-based on the graphical style that was used across XY, ORAS, and most recently, LGPE.
"Z was the best game that never happened" sums this situation up perfectly. It's a damn shame. And yeah, LGPE graphics would 100% look incredible! I think it's the last time pokémon actually looked great. I hope your vision of Z becomes true when they revisit gen 6.
@@prezmer it just goes to show what could be possible if people who were actually passionate fans of the franchise were behind the game. They’ve lost the passion, especially with these new generations that just seem like someone said in a board meeting “we need to make a new game to pump out for the holidays, figure something out” there’s really no soul anymore.
X and y was the Pokémon game that bought me into the Pokémon world. Honestly my favorite Pokémon game simply because it was my first one
I'm gonna comment before watching the whole thing and see if we line up on this one thing:
The XYZ series of the anime was also really, really good. X was a great game and I've replayed it a few times over the years and one of the reasons for that was the anime which really filled in a lot of the stuff it felt the games didn't get to spend time on. In a way, it felt like the XYZ arc was a needed reboot for the anime as well because it led into the also excellent Alolan series.
I love it when people comment predictions for the video. Not spoiling the answer to whether we not we line up! (but I hope what I say in the video will be to your liking)
@@prezmer finally got there! Yep, glad to see it brought up. I appreciate the breakdown of the whole video. X&Y deserved more for sure.
The anime seems to have a lot of its story based around zygrade perhaps those were some plot points that would have been covered in Pokémon Z before it got scrapped
@@des4929 The theory is that the whole of the X, Y & Z arc would've been the plot for the game. However, considering gamefreak insists they never planned a Z (lol) we'll likely never know the truth
rare small channel W, the production of this video is a lot better than people with 10x the sub count and convinced me to finally give x and y a chance, after despising it the most and thinking it was the start of the end for pokemon. bravo, prezmer.
Thank you so much! If you do play through x and y, try to notice how proud gamefreak was of its visuals. Places like the exit of the starter town, the path to parfum palace, the parfum palace corridor with mirrors all have these "weird" camera angles that are clear indications that the devs wanted to showcase how pretty their game is. I think it's the last time we've seen them proudly showing off their game. And of course, if you do play the games, I hope you manage to find some enjoyment!
i loved x and y for the things it brought, but yeah, definitely does feel like its setting up for more like they used to for the third game.
to be fair, the partners and the game in general feels a little too on rails and impedes my natural exploration.
all that to say that y and omega ruby are probably my most played because of the online and ability to make your own post game with people a bit more. still felt lacking in thay aspect too though.
good video even though i skipped the recap since i was doing a play through while watching :p
That's a good point, there's definitely less to explore here than this game's predecessors had. And it clearly ended up being a sign for things to come because exploration went downhill after that... until SwSh DLCs, that is. But I still prefer the old type of games: linear routes and paths with secrets to be found if you return with HMs. Also dungeons, I miss dungeons like SS Anne so much.
Thank you for watching, and for the compliment! EVEN IF YOU SKIPPED 25 MINUTES OF MY VIDEO. (no just kidding, it really was just an optional part for folks who forgot the story)
Watching this after the Legends ZA announcement is WILD!
Like you just willed a whole game into existence just so you can be proven wrong about it being left unfinished
Not sure if the universe loves or hates me
Hear me out imagine if this game had a thing where you make a pokemon your best friend, learn battle bonding (like in the anime) and then the weapon kills your pokemon like AZ's florette and you team up with him to make the machine good again and resurrect everyone who died
Oh yeah, I like what you're cooking up!
I feel like Tierno and Trevor could have had such good development as a contest star and lab researcher, respectively. Remove Sina and Dexio, have Trevor work closer with Sycamore, and have Tierno find out about contests in Hoenn.
When I played through Pokémon Y for the first time I totally forgot about even encountering any team flare members until the factory thing. It felt like they were absent from the game entirely, showed up being super lame and then dipped right away.
Pretty much anyone not called Lysandre was very forgettable (for some, even Lysandre), despite their style. An expanded storyline would ideally fix that as well, but we can only dream. ):
@@prezmer I remembered meeting him in the coffee shop but then I don’t remember seeing or hearing about him until the whole evil team plan kicking off. My friends and I would joke about how lame team flare was. lol
Honestly it is so refreshing to see someone else say that Pokémon X and Y actually do look good, the over world is so appealing and chibi style is not only cute but also smart. (Stylization will always hold up longer than realism.)
They should have kept the chibi style at least for Gen 7. They forced themselves to create a more realistic world which further limited them during their already short development time
Since you mentioned it, my problem with the new exp share has always been how early you get it, not that it exists.
If it was post game OR post-ultimate weapon (but before victory road), XY would be a much more appropriate challenge for people not just running to the next gym and avoiding optional areas, trainers, and wild encounters you don't intend to catch.
That's an interesting take. I personally never had an issue with the exp share because it can just be turned off, but I think I agree it would've been better to be given it a lot later in the game.
I was laughing my ass off at that Mega Gardevoir sweep. Reminds me of my experience with Paradox Gallade or whatever it's called in Scarlet & Violet.
The fact that this video was exactly 1:00:00 in length makes me vaguely uncomfortable.
LMAO Ideally it would be 1h5s or something because I need some downtime at the very end for the video end cards to show up. But since I was so close to 1h I sacrificed some of that downtime and card showcase time to reach the exact hour. It makes me uncomfortable too, I'm just clearly a sadist
Still wild that the guy obsessed with the eradication of life buolt his fortune off a device called a Holo Caster..
(Holo cast isnt too far off from Holocauster)
HOW DID I NEVER NOTICE THAT BEFORE?!?! You’re right, this IS wild. Dammit where were you when I was writing this script
@prezmer To be fair, it could be localization only but it's still hard to dismiss as coincidence.
Enjoyed the video mate. Always good to see other people who think x and y deserved better. Lots of little things came to mind when I was listening. Like the one npc in Lumiose who hints at Heatran of all things, or the foreshadowing of oras with the fact that the map of Kalos looks suspiciously like Jirachi.
This is so incredibly true. I'm also a staunch XY fan but also saddened by what could've been. AZ is one of my favorite pokemon characters, and I feel like the Kalos region had so much atmosphere to it that makes it unforgettable, even if for the wrong reasons. I hope we get Z one day, or even a Legends Zygarde that takes us back 3k years ago.
Oh, and I also read the Manga and it's probably one of my most favorite Mangas of all time. It expanded on the rivals, it gave realistic motives to more of the rivals and Lysandre alike, the growth from each rival and built on the Gym Leaders and even Elite Four's importance in the story. I will say that AZ did not get the arc he deserved and still showed up at the end like he did in the original games, but all I can say is that I'm holding onto hope he'll eventually get his.
@@sparkxii. I think you're the first person to give us context on the manga, thank you! You definitely got me curious to check it out!
@@prezmerNo problem! I hope you enjoy it!
2:50 Oh, I *WILL* @ you. How dare you. You are *NOT* getting away with that slander. I won't have it.
Xerneas is more elegant, isn't another damn bird, and has the rad AF Fairy typing. Only thing I agree that sucks about it is that "Neutral" mode or whatever it has. That takes away from the beauty of its design.
...thaaat being said, though...Kalos deserved so much damn better. Better developed characters (Diantha should've shown up more, helped in battling Team Flare, and being the modern Cynthia with a truly formidable battle), more post-game stuff (more Legendaries, dammit!), more areas, etc. I love the region as it lived up to its goal of being about beauty. But it deserved to be so much more...and Z could've fixed some of these problems, but it never happened because GAME FREAK decided to skip straight to the next generation to meet the Anniversary deadline. Alola's cool, don't get me wrong, but it could've waited a year longer and end up being an in-between of SM and USUM with the extra time SM would've gotten had Z been made.
Exactly, Xerneas has the dumb neutral mode. Yveltal has perfection the whole time. There's no discussion. Plus bringer of death is like, a much more rad attribution than bringer of life. Pshhh
Jokes aside though I actually really like both legendaries. And Xerneas blew my mind with how beautiful it is in the new pokémon snap game. Despite its shortcomings, gen 6 gave us some really cool new legends and mythicals - Hoopa and Diancie are also incredible in their concept.
I agree with everything else you said too, especially Diantha. As it stands, she's barely a part of the story and it's just depressing. It really is a shame that they chose to cancel Z and release SM in favour of the anniversary because I guarantee that if Z had realized all of Kalos' potential, people would've loved it almost as much as a new gen. But oh well. All we can do now is hope that they go back to the idea one day.
@@prezmer I'm sick and tired of Cynthia getting all the good stuff and showing up in games and the anime more than any other Champion.
Diantha, to me, just has the potential to be a fresher, more modern take on the overly-simped Champion that simps want to step on their faces.
With a little team tweaking and being given items, Diantha can give Cynthia a run for her money.
I’m convinced the plot of Pokémon Z was somewhat in the anime
Most likely, yeah. Which just show us how much more epic the games could have been. Sigh
I wonder if their initial ideas for Z were just too big, and decided to hold off until it would be possible on newer systems
That’s definitely a possibility! And given the switch 2 is rumoured to be coming in march 2025, there’s a chance Z-A will be a launch title!
Y was my very first Pokémon game and even though it had its flaws and felt unfinished I loved it for what it was. These games will forever have a special place in my heart.
This is by far the best video about Kalos that I've seen to date. XY gets a lot of hate online for how easy and unfinished it is (and the Kanto pandering). Many of these criticisms are totally valid, and they are gripes that I, too, hold against them, but I also think that these games are the most mature and ambitious Pokemon has ever been. Not only did it make the jump to 3D, it had multiple other significant changes that blew some of the cobwebs out of GameFreak's tired old formula, namely Mega Evolution and Fairy type (character customisation is also huge). They also dealt with some heavy themes such as extremist ideology, war/genocide?, forgiveness/atoning for mistakes, coming of age and sentimentality. It's a huge shame that they didn't realise its full potential. Funny that you released this so close to the new Legends Z-A announcement, hopefully they go back and properly flesh out this fantastic region.
The day mega evolution returns will be legendary
We are so back
While not the best games in the franchise, I still had an absolute blast playing Y. It's the only game where I could use my 6 favourite Pokémon all on one team, the music is incredible, I felt immensely powerful ploughing through trainers and the few Mega Evolution battles there were, were all really good.
I wouldn't call X and Y my favourites but they were the my first Pokémon games so I'll always have a soft spot for them.
I feel that, the first game in a series is always special. I hope you went back and played the others you missed!
@@prezmer I did
Fans have been asking for years for a remake of this and remake of that, while I just want a Pokemon Z or 3rd addition to X&Y 😒
Not to mention the inclusion of Rollerblades, again, and, mixing berries to produce a rare one, and battle chateau.
the fact that its wasted potential but still one of the best games is crazy
Very refreshing to see someone speak praise about gen 6. I have played every Pokémon game starting with Red and Blue, so with that said X and Y as well as ORAS are my absolute favorite entries and I really would love to see more from Kalos.
Hopefully when they get to gen 6 remakes they finally give us Pokémon Z.
Watching the clips reminded me how cute the little 3d models can look walking around, lol 😊
The sorta chibified but not really 3d models are adorable aren't they?! That's why this is my favorite 3d game in the series!
@@prezmer Haha wonderful~ ^^ See 3d isn't THAT bad guys! (though updates doesn't hurt)
ed: also I subbed, hi
@@unripetheberrby6283 Thank you so much for the sub!
What should have been used for BDSP
34:00 didn't expect to get called out like that in a Pokémon analysis but here we are
X and Y is a 10/10 simply for the fact that the trees look like trees
This could be a whole series about all the Pokémon games following X/Y which wasted their potential.
Honestly planning a sword and shield video and I can’t come up with a title aside from “The wasted potential of pokémon sword and shield” so you’re onto something there, there’s legitimately so much that could have been better in a lot of these games
I always get confused by the destruction of the ultimate weapon. Like, are we now immortal? That leaves SO much potential for Kalos games in the future!
I don't think so because it wasn't fired at max energy. Lysandre stated that upon hatching, Yveltal/Xerneas took back a ton of the energy. But that being said his intention IS to grant us eternal life too so who knows, I think it's up for us to pick what we want to believe. For me though, if a machine that destroyed an entire region was needed to grant eternal life to one man, I can't imagine an energy output that destroys just a small underground lab is enough to grant eternal life to anyone. Maybe like, a year or two extra lmao But I agree, having this question answered makes for a lot of potential too!
I agree completely. Zygarde being shoehorned into sun and moon was such a let down to me. I think the biggest issue might be Game Freak's pointless need to get a game out every year. Just think about how much better every game could have been from X and Y onward. We wouldn't have needed a Z in the first place.
So, while definitely not confirmed, there was talk about the scrapped “XY Files” story originally planned for these games that was surrounding an alien invasion plot line. While I won’t go too far into it, you can find (unofficial) sources by looking for “Pokémon XY scrapped story.” Interestingly enough, a lot of the scrapped game mechanics, story beats, and other ideas were implemented later on in ORAS, SM, and USUM.
To sum it up, Team Flare was supposed to be a group of aliens posing as humans who planned on using the Ultimate Weapon to destroy the world. The fairy type was going to be a kind of “alien type,” and the AZ Floette was planned to hold the key to the Ultimate Weapon. There’s a bunch of other stuff, too, but ultimately the plot was scrapped due to it being deemed “too weird for kids.”
So with a tight deadline, they had to keep their current resources and pretty much rewrite the entire plot of XY, which is why the game feels rushed/unfinished. However, parts of the old game still slip through the cracks, like Team Flare’s design with their unnaturally pale skin, none of them showing their eyes (except for Lysandre and the 2 disguised waiters, but the latter two don’t count, as they’re reused textures/models), and the more extraterrestrial theme the group has.
Again, you can take all this with a grain of salt, but it’s quite interesting to think about, especially with how well it seems to fit in with the information we have, and the adopted story we got in the SM Ultra Beast storyline and the Ultra Recon Squad.
i love how unhinged that story is like diantha being a benevolent moon alien and the paranormal investigator viola lol
Personally I think X and Y had the perfect artstyle, it still had that classic charm of the older games, while having this really cute 3D aspect to it.
Loved watching this and knowing all throughout your (and my as a fellow Gen 6 fan) desires are finally being realised. Completely agree that Gen 6 has the most lore potential and did a lot for the series in terms of making the necessary changes to modernise the franchise :)
X/Y are my favorite games. I could go on and on for hours speaking about this games but I want to focus on 2 characters, Lysandre and Shauna. As someone who has gone through some personal stuff, I understand them; at least the version of them I in my head cannon.
Shauna feels meaningless, lost without a goal. That feeling, is very scary; you try to cope, you try to make excuses but in the end, you just feel lonely, scared, worthless. Maybe she would have taken Bonnie's role from the anime in a secuel, taking care of a Zygard core.
Lysandre. He is also scared, deeply. There's nothing as scary as time and death; they're inevitable, they can not be stopped, they can not be delayed. Lysandre is holding onto the only piece of hope against them. The promise of eternity, of never changing peace; that's why he wants to take out everyone outside his little cult, to ensure no one can ruin it. A man of noble intent turn into madness by the fear of that inherent to life; is very dark for Pokemon standards when you think about it.