Pokémon Legends Z-A Guide
Competitive excellence demands more than simple catching high-level Pokémon; it requires meticulous optimization of their underlying attributes. This Pokémon Legends Z-A guide maps out the precise, master plans to master Natures, Effort Values (EVs), Individual Values (IVs), and Plus Moves to turn any Pokémon into a top competitive warrior prepared for the ladder.

Comprehensive Resources for Your Journey
This optimization guide is a key piece of the competitive puzzle. For strategies on initial team construction, regional exploration, and early-game progression, consult our full suite of supporting materials below.
Pokémon Legends Z-A Guide: Original Stat Optimization
The first step to making an in-your-face battler is setting its Nature. Natures boost one stat 10% and lower another 10%, effectively switching the creature's attack or defense ability.

Location of All Nature Mint Sellers
Here in this title, Nature Mints can easily be found, although their vendors are curiously spread around the main city center.
Attack & Special Defense Mints (e.g., Adamant, Modest): Found next to the Wild Zone Arena. Speak to the three different flower merchants arrayed in the alleyway.
Speed Mints (i.e., Jolly, Timid): Along the Coffee Kiosk area. One specialized flower peddler in this area sells all speed-enhancing Mints.
To use a Mint is easy: open the item in your satchel and apply it to the desired creature. A red pointy arrow indicates the raised stat, and a blue downward-pointing arrow shows the lowered stat. An Adamant Mint is ideal for a physical attacker, boosting Attack but reducing Special Attack. Mints are each 20,000 currency.
Effort Value (EV) Mastery: Resetting and Training
Effort Values (EVs) are extra stats earned from defeating other creatures. One animal has at most 508 EV points to distribute, with a cap of 252 points in a single stat.
Successful EV Management Techniques
When you start with a creature played through the main storyline, its EVs will be "screwed up," with points distributed randomly.
EV Resetting: There are two primary ways of resetting EVs and starting over:
Berries: EV Berries (e.g., the Pomeg Berry for HP or Kelpsy Berry for Attack) lower EVs by 10 every time and can be bought from the same vendors that sell the Mints.
Syndicate Office Service: After completing the Syndicate Office scenario, you can pay five Mega Shards to the front desk clerk for an instant, full EV reset. This is the most economical, fastest method for a complete wipe.
EV Training (Vitamins vs. Combat): There are two ways that new EVs may be applied:
Vitamins (Quick but Expensive): Stat-increasing items like Protein (Attack) or Carbos (Speed) provide 10 EVs to a stat and may be purchased at Nurse Joy in latter stages of the game for 5,000 currency. You require 26 of the same vitamin to max a stat (25 for 250 points, and one additional one to max it off).
Power Items (Cost-Effective Combat): Power Items (such as Power Bracer for Attack) are carried items that provide eight additional EVs in that particular stat upon every knockout. By defeating monsters that already distribute EVs in that stat (such as a Pokémon distributing 2 Attack EVs), one receives 10 EVs (8+2) from a single knock out. This is extremely cost-effective and quicker than purchasing vitamins if you have enough money for the Power Items.
| High-Yield EV Farming Locations | |||
| EV Stat | Best Farming Zones | Key Pokémon (EVs Granted) | Strategy |
| HP | Wild Zone 19 (Kangaskhan/Rhyhorn area), Area 11 (Stunfisk/Slowpoke) | Kangaskhan (2), Rhyhorn (2), Slowpoke (1) | Alternate between the two zones with the Power Weight to maintain constant farming while creatures respawn. |
| Attack | Wild Zone 13 | Weepingbell (2), Heracross (2), Alpha Trevenant (2) | This zone has many high-EV-granting spawns. Just avoid Oddish spawns, which give Special Attack instead. |
| Speed | Wild Zone 1 (Weedle/Pidgey), Wild Zone 3 (Staraptor), Wild Zone 8 (Togekiss/Lopunny) | Weedle (1), Fletchling (1), Starly (1), Buneary (1) | Speed EVs are easy to farm because many common low-level spawns give them. Wearing the Power Anklet. |
Post-Game Perfection: IVs and Plus Moves
After EVs and Nature are established, focus on the advanced mechanics to fill out your build.

Individual Values (IVs) and Hyper Training: IVs are hard and permanent values (0-31) that a creature is born with. To max them out, you must use Hyper Training, which you can get from an NPC next to the Dojo Master.
Requirements: The creature must be Level 30 or higher.
Cost: Expenses rare Bottle Caps (or a single Golden Bottle Cap to max all IVs). Bottle Caps are acquired primarily through post-game play like Battle Royale.
Plus Moves: This skill boosts a creature's move, boosting its strength (for damage moves) or duration/effect (for status moves).
Acquisition: Discuss with the Dojo Master and use Mastery Seeds (acquired by beating Alpha Pokémon).
Effect: Plus Moves cost one bar of the Mega Gauge to activate, which makes them indispensable to maximizing damage before and during Mega Evolution.
Using these Pokémon Legends Z-A Guide means your desired partner will boast an illustrious stat summary (displaying maximized stats) and be perfectly tuned to compete at the highest level of play.
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