Pokémon Legends: Z-A Pokémon LEGENDS Z-A
English boxart of Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Pokémon LEGENDS Z-A Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
English boxart of Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Basic info
Platform:	Nintendo Switch(enhanced for theNintendo Switch 2 viaupgrade pack)
Category:	Action RPG
Players:	1-4 players simultaneous
Connectivity:	Wireless,Nintendo Switch Online
Developer:	Game Freak
Publisher:	Nintendo/The Pokémon Company
Part of:	Generation IXcore series
Ratings
CERO:	A
ESRB:	E10+
ACB:	PG
OFLC:	PG
PEGI:	7
GRAC:	ALL
GSRR:	6+
Release dates
Japan:	October 16, 2025
North America:	October 16, 2025
Australia:	October 16, 2025
Europe:	October 16, 2025
South Korea:	October 16, 2025
Hong Kong:	October 16, 2025
Taiwan:	October 16, 2025
Websites
Japanese:	Pokémon.co.jp
English:	Pokémon.com
Japanese boxart Japanese boxart of Pokémon Legends: Z-A Japanese boxart of Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition

Pokémon Legends: Z-A^{[note 1]} (Japanese:Pokémon LEGENDSZ-A(ゼットエー)Pokémon LEGENDS Z-A) is the thirdGeneration IXcore series game and the second "Pokémon Legends" game, afterPokémon Legends: Arceus.

The game was announced worldwide onFebruary 27th, 2024, at 14:00 UTC, through aPokémon Presents. It was released worldwide onNintendo Switch on October 16, 2025. ANintendo Switch 2 Edition, known asPokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, released at the same time as both a physical release and a downloadableupgrade pack. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition features enhanced resolution and frame rates compared to the base version. All copies of the game are playable in ten languages: Japanese, English, German, European Spanish, Latin American Spanish, French, Italian, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. It is the first core series game with aLatin American Spanish translation.

TheMega DimensionDLC was revealed during aNintendo Direct on September 12, 2025.

Plot

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

The game is set entirely inLumiose City, five years after the events ofPokémon X and Y.^[1] A large corporation calledQuasartico Inc. leads an urban redevelopment plan for Lumiose City, aiming to make it a city where humans and Pokémon can live in harmony.

Six months prior to the events of the game, the first instance ofRogue Mega Evolution, a phenomenon where Pokémon undergoMega Evolution without a Trainer, occurs in Lumiose City. In the aftermath, Quasartico Inc., following words of advisement fromAZ, creates theZ-A Royale in order to find the strongest Mega Evolution user.

Theplayer arrives in Lumiose City and is immediately introduced toUrbain/Taunie, who allows them to choose afirst partner Pokémon, guides them through a night ofZ-A Royale, and leads them toHotel Z, where the player officially becomes part ofTeam MZ. As the player rises through the ranks of Z-A Royale, they also are tasked with dealing with the instances of Rogue Mega Evolutions popping all throughout Lumiose City.

After the player and Urbain/Taunie reach Rank A, Team MZ attempts to quellAnge, a special device built by AZ 2,000 years ago inside ofPrism Tower, which was improperly activated due to the previous usage of theultimate weapon. Urbain/Taunie Mega EvolvesEternal FlowerFloette in order to control Ange, but this works only momentarily, as the device turns into Hyperrogue Ange Floette, destroying Prism Tower in the process. The player, assisted by other Trainers they met in the Z-A Royale andZygardeComplete Form, finally stop Ange, protecting Lumiose City from the threat of Rogue Mega Evolution.

After the credits, AZ is revealed to have died moments after Ange had been stopped. Quasartico Inc. carries out the combined wishes of the player and Urbain/Taunie, which also had been asked by AZ, and allow for the Z-A Royale to exist indefinitely through theInfinite Z-A Royale. The player works out withMable andTeam Flare Nouveau in order to track down and catchXerneas andYveltal, which were attracted to Lumiose City by Ange, and then is recognized as worthy by Zygarde, who allows them to catch it. After Urbain/Taunie becomes the CEO of Quasartico Inc., theygift Eternal Flower Floette to the player.

	Spoilers end here.

Features

Battle mechanics

Main article:Pokémon battle (Legends: Z-A)

Unlike other core series games, which use a turn-based battle system, Pokémon Legends: Z-A uses a real-time combat system where Trainers and their Pokémon can move around a 3D space which adapts various gameplay features fromPokémon UNITE.

The similar features presented here along with new mechanics include precise timing of when to swap out Pokémon or use theirmoves, moves hitting specific areas of the field, and acooldown feature in place ofPP, with a different length of time for each move. The moves now use precise button commands with the A, B, X, or Y buttons when locked on to a target, which can be customized.

Status moves that affects stats are now only limited to a one level change and will wear off after a short time, which the aura that it represents disappearing once the time limit is reached.

Unlike inPokémon Legends: Arceus,held items, includingBerries, are present in the game.

Catching Pokémon

Wild Pokémon can be encountered throughout Lumiose City. Many of them appear in "wild zones", areas of the city specifically designated as places for Pokémon to live. Similar toPokémon Legends: Arceus, players can attempt to catch Pokémon without having tobattle them, though battling them and lowering their HP will improve the odds of a successful catch.

A new mechanic is featured where if the wild Pokémon runs out of HP, it will become briefly stunned, allowing the player a few seconds to catch it before it vanishes. If the catch fails, the wild Pokémon will vanish.

Friend

EitherUrbain orTaunie will appear as the player'sfriend depending on theappearance chosen for theplayer character at the beginning of the game. Players with amale appearance will meet Taunie, while players with afemale appearance will meet Urbain. The player's friend works atHotel Z, where they support the hotel's owner,AZ.

The game featuresChikorita,Tepig, andTotodile asfirst partner Pokémon. The player's friend will use both of the Pokémon that the player did not choose as their first partner.

Later in the story, Taunie/Urbain will invite the player to joinTeam MZ, who aim to protect Lumiose City and have been tasked with battling the RogueMega Evolved Pokémon running wild around the city.

Rogue Mega Evolutions

Main article:Rogue Mega Evolution

The battles against theRogue Mega Evolutions use a similar system as thenoble Pokémon battles fromPokémon Legends: Arceus. The player has to dodge attacks from Rogue Mega Evolution Pokémon in real time and launch attacks to deplete the Rogue Mega Evolution Pokémon's health bar and cause them to drop orbs of Mega Power. Gathering Mega Power will fill its meter and allow the player to induce Mega Evolution on their own Pokémon. The meter will then slowly drain, but the player is able to gather more Mega Power to keep the meter from draining; the meter will enter a cooldown mode once it has been drained.

Z-A Royale

TheZ-A Royale is a competition held at night in Lumiose City inbattle zones. Participating Pokémon Trainers start at Rank Z, and can rank up by defeating other Trainers in promotion matches to progress to Rank A. It is said that Trainers who reach Rank A may have one wish granted.

New Pokémon forms

Eternal Flower Floette is available for the first time after being introduced 12 years before inPokémon X and Y.

• 
  Eternal Flower Floette

New Mega Evolutions

Twenty six Pokémon received 26 newMega Evolutions and 26Mega Stones were added into Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

Ldex	Hdex	Ndex	MS	Pokémon	Type		Mega Stone
#003	#—	#0154		Mega Meganium	Grass	Fairy	Meganiumite
#006	#—	#0500		Mega Emboar	Fire	Fighting	Emboarite
#009	#—	#0160		Mega Feraligatr	Water	Dragon	Feraligite
#035	#—	#0689		Mega Barbaracle	Rock	Fighting	Barbaracite
#037	#—	#0121		Mega Starmie	Water	Psychic	Starminite
#039	#—	#0670		Mega Floette	Fairy		Floettite
#046	#—	#0668		Mega Pyroar	Fire	Normal	Pyroarite
#057	#—	#0036		Mega Clefable	Fairy	Flying	Clefablite
#070	#—	#0545		Mega Scolipede	Bug	Poison	Scolipite
#076	#—	#0071		Mega Victreebel	Grass	Poison	Victreebelite
#121	#—	#0530		Mega Excadrill	Ground	Steel	Excadrite
#144	#—	#0604		Mega Eelektross	Electric		Eelektrossite
#147	#—	#0149		Mega Dragonite	Dragon	Flying	Dragoninite
#160	#—	#0687		Mega Malamar	Dark	Psychic	Malamarite
#162	#—	#0691		Mega Dragalge	Poison	Dragon	Dragalgite
#171	#—	#0478		Mega Froslass	Ice	Ghost	Froslassite
#181	#—	#0701		Mega Hawlucha	Fighting	Flying	Hawluchanite
#185	#—	#0560		Mega Scrafty	Dark	Fighting	Scraftinite
#191	#—	#0609		Mega Chandelure	Ghost	Fire	Chandelurite
#211	#—	#0658		Mega Greninja	Water	Dark	Greninjite
#212	#—	#0870		Mega Falinks	Fighting		Falinksite
#215	#—	#0652		Mega Chesnaught	Grass	Fighting	Chesnaughtite
#216	#—	#0227		Mega Skarmory	Steel	Flying	Skarmorite
#219	#—	#0655		Mega Delphox	Fire	Psychic	Delphoxite
#224	#—	#0780		Mega Drampa	Normal	Dragon	Drampanite
#230	#—	#0718		Mega Zygarde	Dragon	Ground	Zygardite

Pokémon mechanics

Mega Evolution returns for the first time in acore series game sincePokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!.

Wildalpha Pokémon make their return fromPokémon Legends: Arceus, behaving and looking similarly to as they did in that game.

Abilities,breeding, andEggs are not available in this game.

Connectivity

The game is planned to receivePokémon HOME compatibility at some point in 2026. However, Pokémon caught or transferred to Pokémon Legends: Z-A cannot be sent to previous Nintendo Switch titles. Similar to previous Pokémon titles on the Nintendo Switch, only Pokémon available in this game can be transferred into it.

Reception

The game sold 5.80 million copies in its launch week.^[2] As of December 31, 2025, the game sold 12.30 million copies, of which 8.41 million copies were the Nintendo Switch edition and 3.89 million copies were the Nintendo Switch 2 edition.^[3]

Staff

Main article:Staff of Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Version history

The game file size for the download version is dependent on the system that the game is downloaded on, irrespective of the edition owned. In other words, downloading theNintendo Switch version of the game on aNintendo Switch 2 will still consume the same amount of storage space as the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. The Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade pack only consumes approximately 3 MB of additional space.^[4]

If the physical Nintendo Switch version is played on a Nintendo Switch 2, then the patch downloads will also contain the data for the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Upgrade Pack, resulting in extra data being downloaded. If the physical Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is inserted into the Switch 2 console instead, then the Upgrade Pack contents will not be downloaded.

Gallery

Logos

• 
  English, Japanese, and Korean logo
• 
  Simplified Chinese logo
• 
  Traditional Chinese logo
• 
  French logo
• 
  German logo
• 
  Italian logo
• 
  Spanish logo

Trivia

• This is the first core series game:
  • To be rated E10+ by theESRB.
  • To use real-time combat.
  • To include letters from the Latin alphabet in its official Chinese name, asPokémon X and Y were never officially translated to Chinese.
  • To have itsDLC be revealed before the release of the base game and also the first instance ofcore series DLC releasing in the same calendar year as the base game.
  • In which there is no way for the player to travel directly across water, such asSurf orPoké Ride.
  • In which the mainrival gets bothfirst partner Pokémon that the player does not pick.
  • In which a Pokémon can legitimately exceedlevel 100.
  • In whichMewtwo is present withoutMew.
  • In whichweather is a mechanic, but no weather-setting move is available.
    • It also is the first core series game to only feature one weather condition in battle, namelyrain.
  • To completely exclude thePsyduck evolutionary family.
• This is the first original core series game sincePokémon Black 2 and White 2 to not introduce any new Pokémon species at the time of its release, and the second overall.
• This is the first Pokémon game to receive anupgrade pack and accompanyingNintendo Switch 2 Edition.
• All Pokémon introduced inGeneration VI are in the base game of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. No new Pokémon introduced inGeneration IX appear in the game until the release of theMega Dimension DLC.
• With the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, every Pokémon from theNational Pokédex is present in at least one of the Nintendo Switch core series games.
  • Before this game, thePatratevolutionary line, theelemental monkeys, andFurfrou were the only remaining Pokémon to have not been present in a Nintendo Switch core series game.
  • Despite this, the National Pokédex inPokémon HOME still cannot be completed using the Nintendo Switch games alone, sinceSpinda cannot be moved in or out ofPokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl due to thespot pattern glitches and therefore has to betransferred fromPokémon Bank.

In other languages

Notes

Subnotes

References

Related articles

This game-related article is part ofProject Games, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on thePokémon games.

• Games
• Nintendo Switch games
• Nintendo Switch 2 games
• Pokémon Legends: Z-A