How Pokémon Legends: Z-A’s Battle Royale Works

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Okay, so Pokemon games have had day and night cycles for a while now. I remember being blown away by it in *Pokemon Crystal* – it even affected which Eeveelutions you could evolve! Newer games still use it to change up which Pokemon appear, but *Pokemon Legends: Z-A* is doing something really different with nighttime. It’s bringing in a Battle Royale mode when the sun goes down, and honestly, I’m super excited about that!

The new *Pokemon Legends: Z-A* game is entirely set in Lumiose City, which means the developers had to find innovative ways to keep the gameplay engaging. They’ve done this through things like climbing and, notably, by changing the city when night falls. At night, a ‘Battle Zone’ appears where trainers can battle to earn points. These points get you a special ticket to challenge a powerful opponent, crucial for progressing in the game. I recently got a hands-on preview at a Nintendo event and I’m here to share what you can expect from this new *Pokemon Legends: Z-A* experience.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A Battle Royale Battle Zones, Explained

So, in *Legends: Z-A*, a big part of what you do happens in these designated areas all over the city, and that’s totally true for the Battle Royale mode. Every night, a special Battle Zone appears somewhere in Lumiose City. The first thing I did when night fell in the demo was pull up the map to see where the action was going to be. Then, you just head over there to jump into battle. It seems like the nighttime battles are contained within the Battle Zone itself – which is good, because I didn’t have to worry about random trainers attacking me while I was just trying to navigate the city streets!

Okay, so when I head into the Battle Zone, I know I’m signing up for fights! There are usually a few other trainers wandering around, and if they spot me, it’s game on. But I can also try to be sneaky and approach them like I’m catching a wild Pokémon. If *I* start the battle, though, I get a little edge and can get the first hit in, which is awesome.

When you win battles, you’ll get points and Poke Cash. Keep an eye out for coins and cards that appear during battle – collecting them speeds up your progress and adds extra excitement. It’s not just about battling trainers; you can also find items and complete tasks. Nighttime in Lumiose City is full of things to do!

Battle Royale Special Tasks Unlock More Rewards

I’m really excited about the special task cards in *Pokémon Legends: Z-A*. I’ve always loved side quests, and these seem like a fun way to have extra goals while trying to win. Plus, they’re a great way to earn rewards faster, similar to how you collect Blueberry Points in *Pokémon Scarlet & Violet*.

Special task cards give you specific goals to complete, like battling trainers in a certain way or using specific types of Pokémon. Completing these tasks earns you rewards and unlocks new ones. I only saw a few examples, but they definitely make trainer battles more engaging and unpredictable.

When you finish your time in the Battle Royale Battle Zone, you’ll get a report card of sorts. This pop-up lets you know how many points you earned, how many battles you won, and how close you are to unlocking the next rank-up battle. I don’t know about you, but I love a progress report, so getting this after every night in the Battle Zone is something I’m looking forward to in Legends: Z-A for sure.

Battle Your Way to the “Boss Trainer” To Progress in Pokemon Legends: Z-A Battle Royale

In Battle Royale, your aim is to climb the ranks from Z to A. You do this by earning points to unlock battles against special boss trainers. Winning these battles lets you move up a rank, so consistently challenging these trainers is key to reaching the highest position.

These trainer battles aren’t your typical fights. They’re similar to challenging a gym leader, but made more difficult by the new real-time battle system. Each trainer has their own unique approach, so you’ll need to figure out how to counter it while also managing things like dodging attacks, healing your Pokémon, and making sure they use their moves. In one battle, the trainer used ‘Protect’ a lot, which was surprisingly effective and forced me to adapt. And that was just a simple battle – I expect the challenges to get much tougher as I progress.

The new rank-up battles in *Pokemon Legends: Z-A* seem to be taking the place of gym leaders, which makes sense since the game doesn’t have a traditional gym challenge. They appear to offer the kind of difficult battles that many *Pokemon* fans have been wanting. After trying one Battle Royale, I was definitely excited to play more battles in *Pokemon Legends: Z-A*.

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2025-09-28 18:13