The latest Pokemon Legends: Z-A trailer has offered new information on the cast of the upcoming game, including the confirmation of the acting Pokemon Professor. However, those hoping to see Sycamore make a return will be distressed to learn that the quirky Mega Evolution enthusiast is missing, and in his place is an ex-member of Team Flare.
Information for Legends: Z-A has been limited despite the announcement that it will be released in October of 2025. With only a few months to go, fans have seen very little of the game, making the July Pokemon Presents trailer critical for those hoping to get new information.
The newest trailer gave a few new glimpses of Mega Evolution, debuted two new main characters, detailed the nighttime battle system, and introduced the acting Pokemon Professor of the Kalos region. However, Mable is not a new character; she was one of the right-hand trouble-makers of X&Y, with a history of destruction and chaos that doesn’t align with her new role.
Who is Mable in Pokemon X & Y?
Mabel was a member of Team Flare, specifically one of the five science officers who serve Lysandre at his lab. Her goal under Team Flare was to help build and unleash the Ultimate Weapon, designed to flatten the earth and eradicate mankind so that Pokemon could live in a “utopia”.
During her time in both the video game and the animated series that followed, she was depicted as robotic, uncaring, and completely dedicated to Lysandre’s vision. She regularly battles against the main character, acting as a roadblock or a diversion at multiple points throughout the story.
At the conclusion of the game, there was no information given on what happened to the five scientists, including Mabel, after Lysandre’s downfall.
Why is Mabel The Professor in Legends: Z-A?
While little information was given about Mabel during the July 2025 Pokemon Presents trailer for Legends: Z-A, there are a few hints given that could indicate Mabel’s motives in the new titles.
During the trailer, players are introduced to a new villain named Corbeau. He is the head of the Rust Syndicate and seems to have nefarious motives. This would imply that Mabel has turned over a new leaf, and her history with Team Flare has been forgiven.
However, there are a few facts that make her position and general presence suspicious in Legends: Z-A. The first is that she was never cleared as a character with misguided morals or a redeemable personality in the original games. This makes her sudden reappearance questionable.
The next is her position as the acting head of the Lumious Research Lab and the absence of Sycamore. This game takes place just a few years after Pokemon X & Y, and Sycamore was not an older character. This makes his abrupt disappearance suspicious.
The information given about Mabel’s purpose is minimal. Players are meant to help her with her research by finding and catching Pokemon in exchange for rewards. These sparse details don’t offer any reason for why she would have been given the acting director position.
The Pokemon games aren’t shy about a plot twist, and it is very possible that Corbeau is being used as a red herring to distract players from a bigger evil in the region. This was seen in Legends: Arceus, when it was revealed that Volo was the true villain. While it is too early to know for certain if Mabel is secretly continuing Lysandre’s work, there are more than a few indications that she might be up to no good.
By gaining access to Sycamore’s work, she would have a good deal of power to conduct new research that would allow her to push forward on the goal of creating a Pokemon Utopia. It is also known that Zygarde, the Legendary experiment Pokemon, will play an important role in the story. The Legendary was the key to Lysandre’s work in the animated series, with Mabel and the other scientists hunting it across the Kalos region.
It is also possible that Mabel saw the error of her ways and then went under Sycamore’s tutelage to discover the true meaning of what a utopia could look like. This could explain the evolution of Lumiose City and the changes made to create a better place for people and Pokemon to live together.
While it is unlikely players will learn more about Mabel’s new role in the story of Legends: Z-A before launch, it is interesting to see her return to the storyline. Few other characters from the X & Y storyline have been included in early teasers, and it is unclear if others like Clemont or Sycamore will make a reappearance during the story. Until the game releases, fans will have to brush up on their Kalos lore and keep an eye out for any new information when it becomes available.
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