Level Up Your Game: 12 Essential Tips and Tricks for Pokémon Legends: Z-A
So you’ve finally arrived in a beautifully redesigned Lumiose City for your Pokémon Legends: Z-A adventure! Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or just picking up the game, this title changes up the classic Pokémon formula in some fun and challenging ways.
We’ve gathered the 12 most helpful tips and tricks to make your journey smoother, your battles smarter, and your catch rate higher!
General Exploration & Quality of Life
- Check in with Mable! Don’t forget to visit Mable in the Pokémon Research Lab regularly. Fulfilling her “Mabel’s Research” requirements earns you helpful Technical Machines (TMs). Just remember, you have to open the main menu and redeem the rewards—they aren’t automatically delivered!
- Your Menus are Your Toolkit: Unlike past games, your menus are super flexible! You can instantly swap Pokémon in and out of your Boxes (outside of battle), use items to heal your team during battle, and even freely swap out moves or evolve Pokémon on the spot. Seriously, experiment with this flexibility!
- Fast Travel Saves Time: Lumiose City is huge! Make sure you use the fast travel points that register on your map (like Pokémon Centers). For places you haven’t unlocked yet, you can often use a handy taxi service to zip across town.
- Control the Clock: Once you’re a decent way into the game, look for benches around the city. Resting on them lets you quickly move time forward—perfect for quickly accessing the Z-A Royale at night or getting some daytime training in.
- Don’t Rush Your Tickets: When you’re trying to earn enough Challenger’s Tickets for your next promotion match, relax! You can gather Ticket Points over multiple nights. Plus, most promotion matches can be started during the day OR night once you have the ticket.
Catching & Smart Battling
- Know Your Symbols: Pay attention to the icons that pop up over your Pokémon’s moves in battle—they are your key to elemental advantage:
- Two Circles: Super Effective (Go for it!)
- Single Circle: Normal effectiveness.
- Triangle: Not Very Effective.
- X: No effect (Find a different move!).
- Embrace the Sneak: Just like in the Legends: Arceus game, being sneaky gives you a huge advantage! Crouch down and hide to remain undetected when approaching a wild Pokémon to throw a Poké Ball, or a Trainer to start a battle. A surprise attack always helps!
- Positioning is Power: Watch how your Pokémon’s moves affect their location. Some moves will launch your Pokémon forward, which can be used strategically to dodge an incoming attack or get into a better spot for your next turn. Unintended movement can ruin your strategy, though, so practice!
- Recall to Survive: Don’t be afraid to recall your Pokémon to its Poké Ball if you think your opponent is about to use a devastating attack. If your timing is right, your partner will completely evade the damage! Just be sure the attack doesn’t hit you instead!
Multiplayer and Ranked Battle Mastery
- Knockouts Aren’t Everything: In Ranked Battles, the last hit that results in a knockout scores the point. But that’s not the only way to earn credit! You can also rack up points by being the first to deal damage or simply by landing the most attacks overall.
- Go Fast and Wide: Since online battles move quickly, try adjusting your move set for speed. Moves with lower cooldown times or wide areas of effect (like Surf or Earthquake) are great for hitting multiple targets. Moves like Fly or Dig can also help you avoid big incoming damage.
- Master the Swap and Mega Evolve: You’re limited to only three swaps per match, so use them wisely to avoid damage. Also, remember that Mega Evolving your Pokémon grants it a brief moment of invincibility—use this invulnerability window strategically to escape dangerous situations!
We hope these tips help you master the streets of Lumiose City and beyond. Good luck, Trainer!
