TL;DR
- Complete main story first – legendaries are post-game exclusive content
- Choose between two quest arcs: ‘The One That Gives’ for Xerneas or ‘The One That Takes’ for Yveltal
- Defeat specific Alpha Pokemon in designated Wild Zones to progress quests
- Prepare level 70+ teams with type advantages for legendary battles
- Zygarde requires completing both quest lines and defeating trainer L first
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Ready to embark on the ultimate challenge of capturing legendary Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Z-A? These magnificent creatures—Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde—await skilled trainers in Lumiose City’s post-game content. However, securing these powerful beings demands strategic preparation and mastery of advanced battle mechanics.
Critical insight: Legendary encounters are exclusively available after completing the main storyline. While Zygarde appears during campaign moments, permanent capture opportunities only unlock during endgame activities. Proper team preparation at this stage significantly impacts your success rate.
Upon finishing the primary narrative, you’ll awaken at Hotel Z where new adventures begin. Conversations with companions and NPCs reveal the Infinite Z-A Royale event activation. This ongoing competition enables continuous ticket acquisition from Battle Zone engagements, culminating in rival trainer confrontations.
- Complete ticket collection and defeat your initial opponent—Zach the Driver, who surprisingly still fields low-tier Pokemon like Pidgey and Pikachu despite your progressed rank
- Claim rewards from Quasartico Inc. before returning to Hotel Z for critical intelligence
- NPC briefings introduce two mythical entities: “The One that Gives” and “The One that Takes,” initiating separate quest chains
Pro Tip: Before pursuing legendaries, ensure your team averages level 75+ with diverse type coverage. The Complete Guide offers additional strategic frameworks applicable to these high-stakes encounters.
This legendary hunt focuses on Xerneas, the Life Pokemon. You can tackle either quest line first, but strategic sequencing optimizes your overall efficiency.
Begin by consulting Mable at the Pokemon Research Center. She reports Alpha Pokemon manifestations across three specific Wild Zones requiring immediate investigation and suppression.

The initial phase demands defeating three high-level Alpha Pokemon across designated zones:
- Wild Zone 3: Steelix (level 70) – vulnerable to Water, Fire, Fighting, and Ground attacks
- Wild Zone 5: Electivire (level 72) – weak against Ground-type moves
- Wild Zone 9: Garchomp (level 75) – susceptible to Ice and Dragon attacks
Common mistake: Underestimating Alpha Pokemon stats. These creatures possess enhanced HP, attack power, and special abilities compared to their regular counterparts.

After neutralizing all Alpha threats, return to Mable for coordinates to Xerneas’ sanctuary. The Fairy-type legendary operates at level 80 with devastating Moonblast and Geomancy capabilities.
Optimization strategy: Deploy Steel or Poison-type Pokemon with high special defense. Xerneas’ signature move Geomancy sharply raises its Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed if not interrupted.
Parallel to Xerneas’ quest, this path leads to Yveltal, the Destruction Pokemon. The sequence emphasizes Mega Evolution mechanics and requires careful resource management.

Initial objectives mirror the alternative quest: defeat designated Alpha Pokemon manifestations. However, the battle approach differs significantly, emphasizing speed and offensive pressure.
Critical preparation: Ensure your team includes at least one Pokemon capable of Mega Evolution with sufficient Mega Stones inventory. The Weapons Unlock guide provides analogous progression systems that translate well to Mega Evolution preparation.
Alpha Pokemon locations for this quest:
- Wild Zone 4: Tyranitar (level 73) – weak against Fighting, Ground, Bug, Steel, Water, Grass, and Fairy attacks
- Wild Zone 7: Metagross (level 74) – vulnerable to Fire, Ground, Ghost, and Dark moves
- Wild Zone 11: Salamence (level 76) – susceptible to Ice, Rock, Dragon, and Fairy types

Yveltal emerges at level 80 with devastating Dark and Flying-type attacks. Its Oblivion Wing move drains half the damage dealt to restore HP, making prolonged battles risky.
Advanced tactic: Deploy Electric, Ice, Rock, or Fairy-type Pokemon. Yveltal’s Dark/Flying typing creates multiple vulnerability points that skilled trainers can exploit.
The culmination of your legendary journey involves Zygarde, the Order Pokemon. This encounter requires completing both previous quest lines and demonstrates the game’s most complex battle mechanics.

Before facing Zygarde, you must defeat trainer L in a demanding six-on-six battle. This opponent fields a balanced team with diverse type coverage and strategic synergy.
Pro preparation: Develop a team with multiple sweepers and dedicated support Pokemon. The Class Guide offers complementary team composition principles that enhance Pokemon battle readiness.

Zygarde presents unique challenges through its form-changing mechanics. The Pokemon transitions between 10% Forme, 50% Forme, and Complete Forme during combat, each with distinct stat distributions and move pools.

Zygarde’s Complete Forme activates at 50% HP or below, dramatically increasing all stats except Speed.
Master strategy: Inflict freeze or sleep status before Zygarde reaches half health to prevent form transformation. Ice-type moves deal quadruple damage to its Dragon/Ground typing.
Time investment: Allocate 2-3 hours for the complete Zygarde encounter, including preparation and multiple attempt allowances.
Successfully encountering legendaries represents only half the challenge—secure capture demands specialized approaches and equipment.
Ball selection hierarchy: Ultra Balls provide baseline effectiveness, but Dusk Balls during night or in caves offer 3.5x capture rates. Timer Balls become increasingly potent after 10 turns, reaching 4x effectiveness at 30+ turns.
Status effect priority: Sleep and freeze conditions dramatically improve capture odds, increasing success rates by approximately 2.5x compared to paralyzed or poisoned states.
Team composition essentials:
- Include Pokemon with False Swipe to ensure 1HP remaining without causing knockout
- Incorporate status-inflicting moves like Hypnosis, Spore, or Thunder Wave
- Designate a dedicated “catcher” Pokemon with moves that prevent fleeing or self-destruction
Resource management: Stock 50+ Ultra/Dusk Balls and 20+ status healing items before each legendary encounter.
Common pitfall: Attempting capture with insufficient HP reduction. Legendaries at full health have near-zero capture probabilities even with premium Poke Balls.
Optimization insight: Legendary Pokemon possess a capture rate of 3 (compared to 255 for common species), necessitating maximum HP depletion and status conditions.
Action Checklist
- Complete main storyline and awaken at Hotel Z to activate post-game content
- Participate in Infinite Z-A Royale, defeat Zach the Driver, and claim Quasartico rewards
- Choose quest line: ‘The One That Gives’ for Xerneas or ‘The One That Takes’ for Yveltal
- Defeat all designated Alpha Pokemon in specified Wild Zones
- Battle and capture chosen legendary using status effects and specialized Poke Balls
- Complete alternate quest line, defeat trainer L, and capture Zygarde
No reproduction without permission:SeeYouSoon Game Club » How To Catch All Legendary Pokemon In Pokemon Legends: Z-A – Zygarde, Xerneas, And Yveltal Locations Master the post-game legendary hunts for Zygarde, Xerneas, and Yveltal in Pokemon Legends: Z-A with expert strategies
