Master Lumiose: Essential Pokémon Legends Z-A Tips and Tricks
Pre-Game Prep: Important Decisions and First-Time Customization
Even before you've set foot in Lumiose City, there are a handful of baseline choices and under-the-hood mechanics that will influence your entire playthrough. Getting these early Pokémon Legends Z-A tip and tricks right is vital for a smooth beginning.
Character Selection and Rivalry
Initially, the game invites you to choose a language (which cannot be changed) and your trainer's appearance. What is not explicitly stated in the game is that your appearance choice determines also your rival: Tony for the male model, and Urbane for the female model.
Customization Liberty: While your initial body shape and character model are pre-determined, you can fully personalize your appearance later on at the salon. Notably, some of the choices are not gender-locked, meaning that you can essentially create a character that is very much like the opposite model, and you can choose your desired rival regardless of what you look like at the beginning.
NPC Dialogue: Be aware that there are some NPCs who will sometimes speak to you using gendered pronouns depending on the appearance you have adopted. Take the time to choose the appearance you feel most at ease with since it influences minor dialogue throughout the game.
The Four Starter Pokémon Revealed
The trainers are usually given the choice of selecting Chespin, Fennekin, or Froakie. There isn't a bad choice there, but take note that each of the three receives a unique surprise for its final evolution.
But yes, a hidden fourth starter is present in Legends Z-A! The guy at the back, Pancham, can be chosen. The consequence of this move is yours to discover, but it's one of the greatest secret Pokémon Legends Z-A tip and trick for veterans seeking an alternative playthrough.
Maximizing Resources and Perfecting the New Combat Flow
The single-city setting makes economy and resource management crucial, especially for acquiring the gigantic list of accessible clothes and accessories.
Early Game Economy and Exploration
The original layout of Lumiose City makes it worth exploring with care and scrounging stuff:
The Cash Flow Rule: Every single shiny object that you notice on the ground has value. You can use it, trade it, or sell it, and you will surely need the cash in the early game for buying customization items.
Automated Collection: You don't actually need to press A to pick up the small glowing things. Running or walking over them will collect them automatically and store them in your bag. This accelerates early-game scavenging considerably.
Uncaught Balls: When you miss catching a Pokémon using a Poké Ball, don't worry about losing them. There is a helpful NPC called the Ball Collector who stands outside every Pokémon Center and will pick up all your lost balls—for free. (Note: this will only apply in the event of a missed throw, but not where the balls themselves have missed the Pokémon).
Pokémon Legends Z-A Tip and Tricks: Combat Dynamics and Positioning
The real-time combat is the biggest new component in Legends Z-A. Moves operate on cool-downs instead of PP.
Most crucial combat mechanics to utilize
Dodging and Positioning: As you wait for turns to reload, releasing the ZL/ZR button (unlocking from the opponent) pulls your Pokémon to you, which allows you and your Pokémon to be closer to the opponent. This makes it much simpler to dodge attacks.
Switching Vulnerability: You can use switching Pokémon to avoid taking damage if timed well. The summoned Pokémon, however, makes a vulnerable summoning animation for several seconds where it can be attacked for free. Be careful not to time your switches wrongly.
Wild Aggression: Another key piece of Pokémon Legends Z-A tip and tricks is that wild Pokémon will very likely ignore your Pokémon and attack your trainer directly. Mastering the dodge roll is essential to not get knocked out.
Catching Mechanics and Progression Secrets
Legends: Arceus brings back the research-based Pokédex system, but with a variety of nuances that affect everything from experience point accumulation to shining hunting.
Catching Strategy for Experience
You can still prefer to sneak up and catch Pokémon without battling. But the quickest way to level up during the early to mid-game is defeating and catching Pokémon.
Double XP: You gain experience for both killing the Pokémon as well as catching it immediately after it is killed. Defeating and catching a Mon is the fastest way to gain fast experience.
Catch Everything: Similar to Legends: Arceus, catching and completing research for the Pokédex rewards you with awesome things. This will upgrade your Pokédex Rank automatically, which unlocks new items and stuff.
Shiny Hunting and Time Cycle Controls
The game mechanics of hunting the elusive Shiny Pokémon have changed:
Auto-Save Warning: Auto-save can no longer be turned off. The game auto-saves after big cutscenes and fast travel. You can still save manually, though, by hitting R at the main menu.
Persistent Glimmer: The Shiny sparkle is back and more wonderful than ever! You will hear the sparkle sound when a Pokémon first appears, and the soft glimmer sound remains whenever you are near a Shiny.
Time Skip: You no longer have the constraint of the regular day/night cycle. You can time skip by sleeping in your hotel bed or, later on in the game, by sitting on any of the benches that can be found around Lumiose. It proves useful in hunting Pokémon that spawn only during specific times. If you're fighting around the time that is going to change, the fighting Pokémon will all reset, so pay attention when the minimap flashes, which happens right before a time change.
Advanced Exploration: Breaking Obstacles and Collecting Charms
While you explore the city, you will find several obstacles that initially block your path.
Obstacle Breakdown: Breaking these ones gives your Pokémon a small amount of experience. They are broken by type:
Boulders: Can be Rock Smash (bought early) or any Fighting-type attack.
Straw Piles: Require Fire-type attacks.
Sludge Piles: Require Water-type attacks.
Mega Crystals: Mega Crystals are everywhere. Any attacking move will destroy all of your Pokémon's Mega Crystals. You must destroy as many as possible, as you can trade subsequent Mega Shards for useful Mega Stones later on in the game.
The Scaffolding Secret: Jumping over the ubiquitous scaffolding that covers every other corner of the city will give you a special collectible: the multi-colored Screws. These Screws can be exchanged for practical Charms at a construction company NPC. These charms offer long-term benefits, such as the Experience Charm (increased XP) or the Catching Charm (softer grabs). Obtain the Experience Charm before getting the Catching Charm so you can hurry up your team's level gain speed.
