2025 may not see a new generation of Pokemon games, but Pokemon Legends: Z-A is still considered a mainline release, and it arguably shakes up the existing formula in many unique ways compared to older titles. Pokemon Legends: Arceus‘ tall grass went from a hiding place for wild critters to one of the few safe zones in the wilds while trying to sneak up on powerful Alpha Pokemon, and now Pokemon Legends: Z-A is completely turning battles on their heads, going from turn-based to real-time with active dodges and cooldowns. Equally important is that PLZA is bringing back a popular customization feature entirely cut in Gen 9.
Be it to dive more into the school themes of the games, or be it because of development-related reasons, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet only allowed players to have their characters wear school uniforms with a few other accessories. This heavily limited the freedom of players to decide their character’s appearance, and it was a major step back from previous games. Not only that, but the exclusion of clothing items like skirts and dresses in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet that had been in the series for a decade walked back years of female-empowering options.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Brings Back Skirts and Dresses
Pokemon Legends: Z-A bringing back skirts and dresses is a huge win for the series, as it once more allows players to customize their characters as they please, instead of being relegated to school uniforms. While Pokemon games typically cater to young players with their characters and stories, the series has plenty of young adult and adult fans who have grown alongside it, and it’s only fair for them to be able to express themselves through customization. Skirts and dresses don’t really have age labels on them, and Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s customization options aren’t even limited to gender.
In fact, according to a PLZA preview from The Verge, Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s protagonist will be gendered as usual, but the game brings back female-empowering clothing options that are available to use regardless of the gender chosen when starting the game. Skirts, dresses, crop tops, blouses, and plenty of other clothing options will not only be a core aspect of the game, but they will be available to all players, no matter what. This kills two birds with one stone, as it helps with Pokemon‘s lackluster LGBTQIA+ representation, which has only slightly improved in recent years, and also makes perfect sense for Kalos and its real-world inspiration.
Lumiose City is based on the real-world Paris and the Kalos region on France, meaning that fashion and clothing options are as important in Pokemon Legends: Z-A as they are in the actual locations.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Lumiose City map is filled with shops where players can actually get in-game items, such as the many new clothing customization options, or sit around and enjoy the view while toying with the game’s incredibly deep photo mode. Considering how much of the official marketing material for the game, including trailers, repeatedly shows player outfits with plenty of options to make characters match the colors and aesthetic of different critters, it’s only natural to see all sorts of clothing options in the game and usable by anyone.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Customization Options Are Already Clear
As it stands, there will be several clothing slots that players can customize as they please. Based on the icons shown in official screenshots, these seem to include:
- Tops
- Pants and skirts
- Outfits, dresses, and suits
- Hats
- Glasses
- Gloves
- Socks
- Shoes
- Belts
- Earrings
On top of that, the game also includes a fair share of options for hair customization, with loads of haircuts and colors to choose from. All this combined may create the ultimate character customization experience in the series, and if one can indeed take photos everywhere and at any time, Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s new Mega Evolutions may be great for battling and giving players new outfit ideas alike.