Introduction: This walkthrough will guide you through all main story missions of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, ensuring you don’t miss critical objectives or struggle with tough battles. From your first day in Lumiose City through the climactic finale, we’ll provide concise steps and battle tips. The story is packed with battles against rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon and familiar faces from Kalos lore, so preparation is key. (If you ever find yourself underleveled or struggling, consider revisiting the Wild Zones to train and catch new Pokémon

• see our Pokédex & Locations page for where to find specific types
• or check our Team Building guide for adjusting your lineup.)

(Missions 1–5)With basics covered, the story kicks off as Lumiose City faces a mysterious threat. In Chapter 1, you join forces with Gym Leader Clemont and Detective Emma to investigate bizarre incidents of wild Pokémon Mega Evolving on their own around the city. Key missions in this chapter include:- Mission 1: Rogue in Rouge Plaza

• You battle a Mega Absol rampaging in Rouge Plaza. This is your first boss fight against a Mega Pokémon. Strategy: Mega Absol hits hard but is frail
• use Fighting or Bug moves if you have them. Keep your distance when it prepares its area-of-effect slash (watch for its animation and be ready to dodge)[13]. After you win, you obtain the Absolite Mega Stone as a reward[14][15].- Mission 3: Mega Mayhem in North Boulevard
• A series of battles against Mega Evolved forms (e.g., Mega Aerodactyl swooping down in front of the museum). These fights teach you to handle multiple bosses; use hit-and-run tactics and watch their patterns. By the end of Chapter 1, you’ll likely have a team of 3–4 Pokémon around level 20. The city begins to open up; you can explore more districts and take on optional Side Quests (marked with blue icons in-game). We recommend doing a few side quests to gain extra XP and items
• for example, one early side quest has you deliver Lumiose Galettes to a cafe, leading to a friendly battle that rewards a Held Item.

(Missions 6–10)As you progress, the Lumiose City Mayor announces the Z-A Royale, a grand battle tournament to rally trainers against the Mega threat. Chapter 2 covers entering the tournament and climbing the ranks from Rank F upward. You’ll face increasingly strong trainers

• expect opponents to start using Mega Evolutions from Rank E onward[16][17]. Key moments:- Mission 9: Chase That Mysterious Pokémon
• A pivotal mission where you encounter a shadowy figure (hint: it’s related to Zygarde) and unlock the ability to Mega Evolve your own Pokémon[18]. After a dramatic chase through the Lumiose alleyways, you fight alongside a Mega Lucario against a rogue Mega (your first taste of using Mega Evolution in battle). From this point, you can activate Mega Evolution for your Pokémon, provided you’ve obtained their Mega Stones. Don’t forget to equip the Mega Stone on a Pokémon in your party via your inventory. We have a full breakdown on how Mega Evolution works and where to get Mega Stones in our Mega Evolution Guide.- Z-A Royale Battles: You will battle named characters like Tierno, Shauna, and a reformed Team Flare grunt as you advance through tournament ranks. These are essentially boss trainer battles. Prepare by healing your team and consider adjusting your lineup to counter their specialties (e.g., one uses all Electric-types, so have a Ground-type ready). By the end of Chapter 2, you should reach Rank A in the Z-A Royale, setting the stage for the final confrontation.

(Missions 11–15)The climax of the story unfolds at Prism Tower, where the true antagonist and the legendary Pokémon Zygarde make their appearance. Without spoiling too much, you’ll learn that an ancient device under Lumiose (the “Ange” machine) is causing chaos, and Zygarde itself emerges to judge the city[19][20]. The final sequence includes:- Mission 14: Showdown in the Tower

• A challenging gauntlet where you fight through Team Flare remnants and protect AZ’s Eternal Flower Floette during a critical moment. Heal between fights and use items liberally
• this is what you’ve been saving those Max Potions for!- Final Boss: Zygarde
• You face Zygarde in its empowered form as the ultimate battle. Boss Strategy: Zygarde (50% form) is a Dragon/Ground-type legendary with high defenses[21]. It will periodically Mega Evolve into an even stronger form during the fight (unique to this game’s story). When it does, its attacks hit wider areas
• watch the ground for telltale patterns indicating an area attack and get your Pokémon out of the way. Bring Ice-type or Dragon-type moves to exploit its weaknesses, and consider using Fairy-type support to soak its Dragon attacks. A recommended tactic is to Mega Evolve your starter (if available) or another strong Pokémon once Zygarde’s health drops to a certain point, to finish it off quickly during the Mega duration. If you lose this battle, the game allows you to restart just before the boss with your party healed[22], so don’t give up. Victory will net you the Zygarde Core, and the main story concludes with an epic cutscene. Congratulations
• you’ve saved Lumiose City! 🎉

After the credits, Pokémon Legends: Z-A offers plenty of post-game activities. The Z-A Royale tournament can be re-entered as the Infinite Z-A Royale with remixed battles (great for training and earning money/rewards). New Wild Zones open up

• including a special Wild Zone in the heart of the city where all three starter Pokémon can be found in the wild[23]. You can also take on high-level rematches against certain characters (for example, an exhibition match against Champion Diantha becomes available at Lumiose Stadium). Additionally, there are a handful of side quests unlocked after beating the game, such as helping AZ find mementos of the past war, which reward rare items. We also anticipate a DLC expansion (Mega Dimension) in 2026 adding new missions and the Mythical Pokémon Hoopa[24]
• something to look forward to. Be sure to check our Tips, Tricks & FAQs page for more post-game pointers and how to prepare for future content.