Although one could argue that Pokemon Legends: Z-A is not exactly the easiest game in the franchise, I do find it pretty straightforward in terms of battles, mechanics, exploration, and whatnot. For this reason, I was beyond appalled by the game's lengthy tutorial, as I felt it was not necessary, and it ended up restricting access to exploring Lumiose City a lot. As soon as I finished the tutorial, I started looking for some of my favorite Pokemon, be it Staryu in Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Wild Zone 2 at night or Litleo in Wild Zone 3. Not long after my first few promotion matches, I started experimenting with the game's shiny hunting mechanics, and that's how I found my very first shiny - an Alpha Litleo, napping in Wild Zone 3.
I was extremely happy to have found it, and it felt like it was meant to be because Mega Pyroar is possibly my favorite new Mega Evolution. Pokemon Legends: Z-A has been a fantastic experience so far for me, and I even decided to leave my Emboar behind to make a team with no starter because I desperately wanted Mega Pyroar instead. However, the monkey's paw curled.
I found shiny Alpha Litleo thanks to Pokemon Legends: Z-A's broken shiny hunting method in Wild Zone 3, where you can basically be AFK and just keep the left joy-con pressed down to go up and down the stairs, infinitely resetting the critters in the area.
I got the shiny in Pokemon Legends: Z-A that I wanted the most as my first, and as an Alpha, too, but I just found out that the game is already breaking my heart. As it was clear to me by then, you don't get all Mega Stones in Pokemon Legends: Z-A from the get-go, but rather via story progression, Stone Emporium, and by trading Mega Shards. Unfortunately, Mega Pyroar's Pyroarite is only available during Mission 37, which is the final mission in the game before post-game content.
How to Get Every New Mega Evolution and Stone in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
To be honest, I was shocked that a Pokemon game revolving around the most beloved gimmick in the franchise would timegate Mega Stones for the new Mega Evolutions behind missions that require many hours into the story, but I was not prepared for this. A lot of the new Mega Evolutions are only available very far into the game, meaning that no matter what, you can't exactly have a full team of new Megas early, even if there are 26 of them.
* Mega Greninja: Greninjite is available in Ranked Battles when reaching Rank K or higher.
* Mega Delphox: Delphoxite is available like Greninjite, but in Season 2.
* Mega Chesnaught: Chesnaughtite is available like Greninjite, but in Season 3.
* Mega Meganium: Meganiumite is obtained during Mission 10 if Chikorita is your starter.
* Mega Emboar: Emboarite is obtained during Mission 10 if Tepig is your starter.
* Mega Feraligatr: Feraligite is obtained during Mission 10 if Totodile is your starter.
* Mega Drampa: Drampanite is purchasable for Mega Shards.
* Mega Victreebel: Victreebelite is obtained after Mission 13.
* Mega Eelektross: Eelektrossite is purchasable for Mega Shards after Mission 14.
* Mega Excadrill: Excadrite is purchasable for Mega Shards after Mission 14.
* Mega Hawlucha: Hawluchanite is obtained after Mission 17.
* Mega Chandelure: Chandelurite is purchasable for Mega Shards after Mission 19.
* Mega Falinks: Falinksite is purchasable for Mega Shards after Mission 19.
* Mega Barbaracle: Barbaracite is obtained after Mission 22.
* Mega Scolipede: Scolipite is purchasable for Mega Shards after Mission 24.
* Mega Skarmory: Skarmorite is purchasable for Mega Shards after Mission 24.
* Mega Froslass: Froslassite is obtained after Mission 27.
* Mega Clefable: Clefablite is purchasable for Mega Shards after Mission 30.
* Mega Dragalge: Dragalgite is purchasable for Mega Shards after Mission 30.
* Mega Scrafty: Scraftinite is purchasable for Mega Shards after Mission 30.
* Mega Dragonite: Dragoninite is obtained after Mission 32.
* Mega Starmie: Starminite is obtained after Mission 34.
* Mega Zygarde: Zygardite is obtained during Mission 37.
* Mega Malamar: Malamarite is purchasable for Mega Shards after Mission 37.
* Mega Pyroar: Pyroarite is purchasable for Mega Shards after Mission 37.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A is Officially Timegating Its Best Content For No Reason
What this means is that, barring Eternal Flower Floette and Mega Floette, Mega Pyroar and Mega Malamar are the absolute last new Mega Evolutions you unlock in the game, even after Mega Zygarde. It makes no sense to me that these new Megas for Pokemon that are not very popular like others are post-game only, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I learned this.
Story-wise, it makes perfect sense to have Zygarde being unlocked right at the end, and I don't think anyone would have put it in their planned starting team. However, locking Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Mega Malamar and Pyroar behind finishing the game is just ridiculous, and it makes even less sense when considering that Malamar's Mega Evolution was possibly the most heavily advertised of the bunch.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Timegated Mega Evolutions Are a Headscratcher
Likewise, I get it if some Megas need to be timegated for story purposes or just game balance. Mega Starmie is OP in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, so I'm not too mad it's locked behind Mission 34, even if it's one of my favorites and even if I strongly believe that new Megas should have been available sooner. But random Pokemon like Pyroar being locked behind the entire game is a headscratcher, and it breaks my heart that my first and favorite shiny is going to be more "valuable" only at the very end of the game. I would have loved to use Mega Pyroar on my team to take on Mega Beedril as early as Mission 19, for example, but evidently, that was not in the cards.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Ranked Battles will at least be a good place to min-max my shiny Alpha Pyroar for optimized battle usage.
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4.6/10
Pokemon Legends: Z-A
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OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 81/100 Critics Rec: 82%
Released October 16, 2025
ESRB Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases
Developer(s) Game Freak, Creatures Inc.
Publisher(s) Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
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