“Pokémon” has officially gone next-gen: “Legends: Z-A,” the sequel to 2022’s successful open-world spinoff “Pokémon Legends: Arceus,” is a major step-up with enhanced graphics and brand new combat that longtime fans and newcomers will appreciate.

My time with the upcoming game -- split into two 10-minute sessions -- was hardly enough to reveal every way Z-A will build on its predecessor. The groundbreaking 2022 title Pokemon Legends: Arceus brought the storied monster-training franchise into an open world set in its distant past -- a wilder,