If you really want all Mega Evolutions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, you have to play the ranking mode. MyMMO editor Nikolas Hernes did not find it too difficult, especially since a certain Pokémon dominated completely.
Why do you need to play the ranking? Pokémon Legends: Z-A focuses entirely on Mega Evolutions. Most can be unlocked or acquired in the game. The 3 evolutions of the Kalos starters (Greninja, Chesnaught, Delphox) also received a Mega Form. However, you can only get that through the ranking mode.
Currently, you can unlock the Mega Stone for Greninja until November 5, 2025, if you reach rank K. It sounds harder than it is, especially if you have Excadrill as an Elite Pokémon and with the Mega Stone.
2 Mega Pokémon are only available in the DLC:
Achieve the Mega Stone and more in just one evening
What makes Excadrill so good? First of all, it is not complicated to rank up, and you don’t need any great preparation. If you play the ranking mode on the side, you can also reach rank K. However, I relied fully on Excadrill to make it happen as quickly as possible.
The ranking mode is a bit unusual. You do not play against a single trainer. 4 trainers fight each other simultaneously in a small area. Whoever takes down the most Pokémon by the end of the time wins. For various actions and placements, you earn ranking points that help you level up. To obtain the Mega Stone, you need to go from rank Z to rank K.
I fully relied on Excadrill, the mole-type Pokémon with Ground and Steel types. Mine is an Elite Pokémon, so it has slightly better stats and a special move, in my case Focus Blast. You can catch one yourself in Wild Area 14. Just watch out for the red eyes.
Additionally, I also focused on the Mega Evolution. You can obtain Excadrill’s Mega Stone at the Quasar Corporation for 360 Mega Shards.
In the ranking mode, you can take 3 Pokémon with you, but to achieve rank K, I only relied on Excadrill and 2 of its moves. I even reached rank C in just 2-3 hours.
2 moves led to success
How does a match with Excadrill play out? First, you start in one of the 4 corners of an arena with the other 3 players. If you already have a type advantage, you can also try to take down an opposing Pokémon before Mega Evolution. If your Excadrill gets in trouble, just switch to another Pokémon. This allows you to even evade moves. Your goal should be to charge the Mega Energy to transform your Excadrill.
My moveset for Excadrill consisted of the following moves:
- Drill Run
- Earthquake
- Rock Slide (for Flying Pokémon, since Ground moves do not hit)
- Focus Blast/Swords Dance (I hardly ever used both)
My tactic was to start with Drill Run since the move initiates quickly and you are also close to the opponent. If the opposing Pokémon is still alive afterward, I used Earthquake. This strategy is especially effective when 2-3 opponents are clustered in one spot. Both attacks can hit multiple opponents, and with a bit of luck, you can score 2-3 points simultaneously.
I used Rock Slide in emergencies if the opponent had a Charizard, Gyarados, or Dragonite. I have seen these 3 in my matches frequently.
As a backup, I also took a Flambirex with Mega Stone and a Pixie with Mega Stone. However, I used them quite rarely unless I had trouble with Grass or Dragon-type Pokémon. Even when you are at a type disadvantage in some matches, I could collect over 200 points with Excadrill in a few rounds and reach rank C in one evening.
Since you only need rank K for the Mega Stone of Greninja, it should take you 30 minutes to a maximum of 1.5 hours. It’s really only about speed. In no bad round did I ever lose points.
If you want to play efficiently, play really nasty
How can you play even more efficiently? With the new battle system and point distribution in the mode, you do not need to deal the highest damage; it is enough to take down a Pokémon. So, it’s worth attacking weakened Pokémon.
At the same time, running away could be worthwhile before you have enough Mega Energy. These are both nasty tactics that aren’t particularly fun, but the system rewards such tactics with points. Don’t worry: charging aggressively can also pay off. You only get a short time penalty for a defeated Pokémon until you respawn.
Which other Pokémon might be worth it? I myself have not tried all of the following Pokémon, but I have seen them more often:
- Dragonite
- Feraligatr
- Gardevoir
- Gyarados
- Charizard
All 5 always had the Mega Evolution. Other items might also be worth it, but if you only want Mega Greninja, you don’t need to worry about that. A Mega Evolution already sparked discussions at the beginning: A new Mega Evolution in Pokémon Legends: Z-A simply changes the length of the legs, resulting in a huge discussion among fans: “That is really creepy”
