5 Things That Don't Make Sense in Lumiose City

In Pokemon Legends Z-A, players will travel to Lumiose City, a place designed to be shared by both Pokemon and people, but the very premise of the game pushes forward a very different narrative, and there are quite a lot of things that don’t make any sense in this so-called Utopia.

From freaky characters that look like they emerged from a bad drama, to inconvenient architectural designs that don’t make its denizens’ lives any easier. Here’s a list of things that make no sense about Lumiose City, and will make every player dub the events happening in the main story of Legends Z-A as surreal.

Table of Contents

Its Government System is Nonexistent

The City Is Akin To An Orwellian Dystopia

From the moment the main character steps into Lumiose, one thing is evident: The Government in this City has left the conversation about its management long ago. Instead, a Mysterious Corporation named Quasartico leads the changes (and the lives) of its inhabitants: Unquestioned, unbarred by moral standards, able to do whatever it pleases to enforce coexistence between humans and Pokemon.

No one tries to attack the root of the problem; instead, they’re way too busy trying to reach the top of a Battle Royale tournament that looks all too similar to a poorly arranged Reality Show. Feel but do not see. Live but do not act. That appears to be the main premises of the people living in Lumiose, who apparently have forgotten something crucial about living in society: Rules. Everyone is okay with Trainers rampaging around the city, for the sake of the A-Z Royale. It is not so hard to imagine ‘old guy Gary’ living in his retirement, sitting on his Balcony (if he had one) in Vert District, and taking a full dose of Hydro Pump to the face because a faulty Gyarados Trainer didn’t aim properly.

Forced Coexistence Could Only Lead to Ruin

Whoever Thought This Was A Good Idea, Didn’t Think It Through

And speaking about Coexistence between humans and Pokemon, the lore of Kalos speaks of a huge war that happened nearly 3 thousand years ago, caused by events that seem to be bound to be repeated in Pokemon Legends: Z-A. The protagonists of the story (Team MZ) are told that climbing the ranks of the A-Z Royale, hoping for a wish to fix all their problems, would be enough, but here comes the nonsense: That by itself solves nothing.

Pokemon live in the wild, and despite being granted similar spaces in Lumiose (funnily enough, they’re called Wild Zones), it is absolutely surreal to see an Alpha Salamence (as in Salamence, one of the most aggressive Pokemon according to the Pokedex) just sitting around without destroying half a town when a trainer invades its (cell block) territory inside Lumiose. This just doesn’t make any sense. The very concept of Wild Zones is bonkers from the get-go, and everyone should have known this could only lead to disaster.

Too Many High Places As Habitats, But Zero Accessibility

Have You Ever Heard About Smart Design? Well, This Is The Opposite

While dominating the highgrounds of Lumiose as any good Trainer (and Jedi) should do, players would soon notice something is extremely wrong: There are tons of places to sit down and relax on the rooftops, but accessibility to them is absolutely limited. Only a few privileged trainers (see the last entry about Elitism) are granted the power to activate Holovators (another ridiculous device) and use Rotom Gliders to move around the rooftops: Stairs and Elevators are nonexistent.

Players will see certain Pokemon like Larvitar (who requires a mountain/underground habitat) or Dratini (which lives in the Ocean) living on a Rooftop in Lumiose, and actually having the means to access something that even humans with their technology fail to accomplish is bonkers. It doesn’t make any sense.

Citizens Leave Too Much To Fate Instead Of Taking Action

A Charizard Can Come Crashing Down Their Living Room, And They Will Still Have Time To Drink Tea

The humans calling Lumiose City their home are shown leisurely enjoying Café terraces, or strolling through the Parks (by day, because by night everything becomes a warzone), too careless, too relaxed; while on the other hand, a disaster of Mega proportions is brewing underneath their refined noses.

This is another improbable thing to happen in any normal society, but since this is Pokemon Legends: Z-A, we might just agree that the carefree Lumiosians are just vibing, while the equivalent of the Hunger Games (with all and evil Elites orchestrating everything) happens right outside their flat windows. Meanwhile, as the situation grows more and more dire, a few protests start to rise, but they are rapidly quelled by the intervention of Team MZ and the local equivalent of Team Rocket. Now players might be wondering: Are we the bad guys here? Or are we just part of the problem? We might never know.

Elistism As We’ve Never Seen In A Pokemon Game

A Select Group Of Trainers Look Down On Others While The City Burns

Finally, the epitome of ridiculousness is displayed when players witness the appearance of the SBC (Society of Battle Connoisseurs), a group of Elite rich citizens forming their own team, and trying to impose their ridiculous standards above all else. But this nonsensical trope becomes even worse when their leader, Jacinthe, makes a sudden appearance, organizing a ball/tournament in her own honor (she doesn’t even care to hide this fact)

And players are somewhat forced to participate, despite the good sense of Taunie, who prioritizes the safety of the city. Jacinthe is everything that’s wrong with the elitism taking down Lumiose’s societal order from within, and the worst part is that everyone just shrugs it off as if it were a thing of destiny, facing off against the most selfish and horrible character to ever be included in a Pokemon game. Jacinthe, despite knowing the danger looming over Lumiose, forces her own selfish desires upon others: Hey, the City is about to be destroyed! No matter, I will have my tournament. This pinkish Fairy-type trainer makes Lusamine appear timid in comparison.