How to Get Shiny Alpha Mega Dratini in Pokemon Legends Z-A
Possessing a strong, enormous Shiny Alpha Mega Dratini in Pokemon Legends Z-A can be the ultimate goal of most dedicated gamers. This full guide includes all the steps: how to locate the base form, optimize its evolution into Dragonite, and finally, the procedure required to trigger its extremely high, laughably large Alpha Mega Evolution.
We've spent many hours responsibly testing locations and approaches so that we can give you the best means to obtain both the common Alpha and the elusive Shiny variation.
Unlike many other creatures in the game which inhabit the Wild Zones below, this particular serpentine Pokémon is exclusively found on rooftops, necessitating specialized movement and route memorization. Luckily, multiple accessible spawn points exist for Dratini, and we’ve identified locations that maximize your chances, even for the rare Alpha version.
For mastery over other aspects of the game, such as battle strategies or detailed Mega Evolution mechanics, be sure to check out our specialized guide on Pokémon Advanced Strategies.
Locating the Base Form: Dratini Spawn Points
The unique spawning habit of Dratini—restricted to upper areas—requires unique travel means. We've found two highly ideal spots for Alpha farming.
Early-Game Alpha Dratini Farm Spot
One of the easier and most ideal Alpha farm spots is near the starting location, offering a great opportunity to Get Shiny Alpha Mega Dratini in Pokemon Legends Z-A relatively early during your playthrough:
Location: The rooftop of the Lumiose Restaurant in Vert Sector 6.
Access: Take a fast travel to the Lumiose gate. Travel south until you can see a ladder which can be climbed. Climb up.
The Route: Walk along the rooftop and do a forward dash/roll off the rooftop to get right in front of the Dratini spawn point.
Dratini usually spawns during the day. The Alpha form has around a 15% chance to spawn. If there is no Alpha, just fast travel to Lumiose and try again. Our testing had an Alpha spawn in three to four attempts doing this quick reset trick.
Best Shiny Hunting Strategies
While the fast-travel method is typically effective for Alpha hunting, it is difficult to obtain the Shiny Alpha Dratini due to a height-related hindrance within the game's respawning system.
In our testing on various consoles, we discovered that Pokémon past a certain point do not reliably respawn if you fast-travel to the same place. This essentially removes the normal "spam fast-travel" strategy for rooftop Pokémon like Dratini. To successfully look for the Shiny version, you must use one of the two below strategies:
The "Treadmill" (Running) Method: Runs a predetermined distance from the spawn location to cause the Pokémon to despawn, and then returns to respawn it almost instantly. This will force a fresh Shiny check to be brought on every cycle.
Tip: Place a waypoint on the Dratini's spawn location. You need to run about 75 meters off, and back when the range marker is between 60 meters to cause the refresh.
The Bench (Rest Spam) Method: Utilize a proximate resting bench to rebuff the spawn zone. This will most likely be the best guaranteed technique for high-altitude spawn.
Optimum Verified Shiny Spot to Get Shiny Alpha Mega Dratini in Pokemon Legends Z-A
With hard, long-time grinding and cross-console verification, one location was discovered to be most successful for both the Alpha and Shiny variant:
Location: Roof above the Café Triste in Magenta Sector.
Access: Fast travel to the Magenta Pokémon Center (Northwest map). Head straight left towards the vacant building which opens up to the rooftops.
The Route: Head right and along the rooftops. A quick jump and the Web Bridge (if you have it open) will be necessary. After climbing one additional ladder, you will see Dratini resting next to a bench.
Method: Spam the Rest action on the bench. This causes all Pokémon, including Dratini, to despawn and respawn immediately, providing rapid Shiny checks.
This location yielded the Alpha Shiny Dratini for our testers on two separate save files in a significantly shorter time than any other. We strongly recommend spaming the bench method here for at least twelve continuous hours for the greatest chance of success.
Mega Evolution and Unlock
Once you have been able to catch your Dratini, the final steps are evolution and unlocking the needed Mega Stone.
Evolutionary Conditions
Evolution of Dratini is a standard level-based evolution with no special conditions:
Dratini to Dragonair: Occurred at Level 30.
Dragonair to Dragonite: Occurred at Level 55.
Obtaining the Mega Stone
Unlike some Mega Stones, which are readily purchased, the Dragonite Mega Stone is locked behind a major story development objective.
Unlock Condition: The Mega Stone is awarded later in the main story, specifically in a mission (about Mission 32) where you are requested to battle and defeat a Rogue Mega Dragonite.
Reward: Following successfully defeating this formidable foe, you are automatically rewarded with the Dragonite Mega Stone.
After acquiring, give your Dragonite the Mega Stone to carry with you via the satchel so you can use the powerful Mega Evolution in battle.
Did you find yet another early-game Dragon Pokémon spawn with plenty of Alpha chance? Let us know in the comments so other trainers can add it to their routes! For more information on other powerful Mega Evolutions, do not miss our guide on how to Get Froakie and Mega Greninja.
