Pokémon Legends Z-A Guide: Best Starter, Battles, Royale

The best starter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A on raw numbers is Totodile: its final form Feraligatr has the highest base stat total of the three (530), and Mega Feraligatr climbs to 630 with 160 Attack and 125 Defense. Chikorita and Tepig trail by only a few points, and Z-A hands out six more starters through side requests, so the choice is closer than it looks. The game is on version 2.0.2 (March 18, 2026) on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. This guide covers starter stats, real-time battles and Plus Moves, Z-A Royale ranks, Wild Zones and Alphas, and the events running this week.

Checked against Nintendo's Pokémon Legends: Z-A update page (Ver. 2.0.2) and the official Pokémon Legends: Z-A site on November 12, 2026.

The official site describes the systems in general terms. Exact figures such as Plus Move damage, Alpha IVs, reward odds and unlock missions come from Serebii's data pages, which are compiled by fans from the game itself.

Which starter should you pick in Pokémon Legends: Z-A?

Pick Totodile for the strongest stat line, Chikorita for a special attacker with bulk, or Tepig for the most HP. You choose between Chikorita, Tepig and Totodile early in Lumiose City, when a Pancham steals your bag and you are pulled into a battle; the one you pick becomes your partner Pokémon.

What the numbers mean in practice:

• Feraligatr is the most even of the three before Mega Evolution (85 HP, 105 Attack, 100 Defense) and gains the Dragon type as a Mega, which gives it a second attacking type.
• Emboar has 110 HP and 123 Attack as a regular Pokémon, but only 65 Defense, 65 Sp. Def and 65 Speed, so it hits hard and takes hits poorly.
• Meganium is the defensive pick (100 Defense, 100 Sp. Def) and turns into a special attacker as a Mega, with Sp. Atk jumping from 83 to 143.

You get your Mega Ring during Main Mission 11, "A Rogue Mega Slowbro," right after Mission 10 introduces Mega Stones. Serebii lists Meganiumite, Emboarite and Feraligite as shop stones (Hotel Z and the Vernal Avenue shop), so you can buy a starter's stone instead of hunting for it.

Can you get the other starters in Z-A?

Yes. Six more starters come from side requests, so you can field a full team of starters without trading. All three Kalos starters arrive in the first ten requests, and their final forms (Chesnaught, Delphox and Greninja) each have a new Mega Evolution in Z-A.

A Rogue Mega Absol also joins you after you defeat it in Lumiose City, and a Lucario waits in your Hotel Z room after the main story. If you want a balanced early team from guaranteed gifts, pair your starter with the two Kalos starters of the other types, then fill the last slots from Wild Zones.

How do battles work in Pokémon Legends: Z-A?

Battles run in real time: you and your Pokémon move around the field, and your Pokémon attacks when you give the command. Moves have no PP; each one has a cooldown instead, plus its own range, area and wind-up time, so positioning decides a lot of fights.

• Movement matters. Pokémon can avoid attacks by moving out of their range, and some moves only reach targets up close.
• Switch freely. You can swap Pokémon in at any time during a battle, and timing the swap matters as much as timing a move.
• Cooldowns replace PP. Rotate your moves instead of spamming one, since the strongest move sits on cooldown after use.

What are Plus Moves?

Plus Moves are stronger versions of moves your Pokémon has mastered. Level-up moves are mastered on their own, usually 5 to 10 levels after they are learned. TM moves can only be mastered by bringing a Seed of Mastery to Josée at the Justice Dojo, and Alpha Pokémon start with Plus-ready moves.

How does Mega Evolution work in battle?

The Pokémon must hold its Mega Stone, and the Mega Evolution symbol shows four segments once it is active. While Mega Evolved, every move the Pokémon knows becomes a Plus Move with bonus damage. That is why Plus Moves and Mega Evolution share one gauge: spending segments on Plus Moves before you Mega Evolve leaves less for the Mega itself.

How does the Z-A Royale work and how do you rank up?

The Z-A Royale is the night-time battle tournament that drives the story. Battle zones appear after dark, fenced off in red holograms; you start at Rank Z, defeat Trainers inside the zones for Ticket Points, trade enough points for a Challenger's Ticket, and win a promotion match to rank up. Reaching Rank A grants one wish, according to the official site.

• Points per battle: up to 2,500, scaling with your rank, plus extra from bonus cards.
• Bonus cards pay out when you meet conditions such as inflicting a status condition, landing super-effective hits, using Plus Moves, beating higher-ranked Trainers, scoring knockouts with a Mega, or sneaking up on a Trainer to start a battle. A rare Bonus card pays up to 20,000 points.
• Daytime is for prep. During the day you catch Pokémon, train and spend your winnings. Prize Medals earned at night convert into money.

The story has 42 main missions, and the rank-up missions mark your progress: Rank X is Mission 6, Rank E is Mission 14, Rank C is Mission 24, Rank B is Mission 30 and Rank A is Mission 35. Mission 39 opens the Infinite Z-A Royale, where opponents keep getting stronger and promotion matches can grant Exp. Candy streak rewards.

What are Wild Zones and Alpha Pokémon?

Wild Zones are fenced habitats inside Lumiose City where you battle and catch wild Pokémon. There are 20 of them, and they open in batches as you start main missions.

Catching is aim-and-throw. Some species run on sight, so approach from behind or stay hidden, and lower a Pokémon's HP in battle first to make it easier to catch. Wild Zone 1 holds Pichu, Mareep, Fletchling and Scatterbug, which makes it a quick early stop for a balanced team.

Alpha Pokémon are oversized, set to maximum size, and usually spawn around 10 levels above the normal Pokémon in the area. Each has three random IVs at maximum and a special symbol on its summary screen. Some Alphas are fixed spawns; elsewhere, regular spawns get a 5% to 40% Alpha chance once you finish that Wild Zone's survey task.

How does online Ranked Battle work in Z-A?

Ranked Battles take place in the Z-A Battle Club and are four-player matches, not one-on-one. Each battle lasts three minutes, and each player can switch their active Pokémon only three times. Placement points are 30 for first, 20 for second, 10 for third and 0 for fourth, plus 10 points per bonus task and points for knockouts. You climb from Z-Rank toward A-Rank, and rank-up rewards for the season arrive the moment you rank up. Online play needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership and the latest game version.

Season 19 runs from October 29 to November 13, 2026 (ending 01:59 UTC) and only allows the Lumiose starters, Pokémon from Wild Zone 1 and their evolutions. Players who reach Rank Y through S receive the previous season's Mega Stones.

What events are live in Pokémon Legends: Z-A right now?

Three distributions matter this month:

• Shiny Xerneas: a Level 100 Shiny Xerneas is available with the code CELEBRATE30TH until January 7, 2027, according to Serebii. A Shiny Yveltal follows from December 10, 2026 to February 4, 2027.
• Spewpa: every player can receive a Spewpa until November 19, 2026 (01:59 UTC). It evolves into one of 16 Vivillon patterns not normally found in Lumiose City.
• Poké Ball Vivillon: the community Vivillon challenge hit its target, and the Poké Ball pattern Vivillon can be claimed until February 26, 2027 (01:59 UTC).

The game has sold 13.31 million copies as of September 30, 2026, and a cartridge with the full game and the Mega Dimension DLC launched on October 29, 2026. Once you finish the story, the Mega Dimension DLC guide covers Hyperspace Lumiose and the post-game. For other Switch 2 releases this month, see new games in November 2026.

Related guides

• Pokémon Legends Z-A Mega Dimension guide: Hyperspace Lumiose and donuts
• Pokémon Legends: Z-A hub
• All game guides