Mega Evolution was introduced in Pokemon X and Y back in 2013 and dominated competitive play for years before being quietly shelved in Sun and Moon. Legends: Z-A did not just bring it back — it rebuilt the entire system from scratch. The game ships with 62 directly obtainable Mega Evolutions, adds 26 forms that never existed before, and the Mega Dimension DLC pushed the total to 81 obtainable Megas out of 93 listed in the Mega Evolution Pokedex. If you have been trying to figure out how all of this works, where to start, and which Megas are actually worth building around, this guide covers it.

How Mega Evolution Works in Legends: Z-A

The original Mega Evolution system was simple: hold the right Mega Stone, your trainer has a Key Stone, and during battle you trigger the transformation once per fight. It lasted indefinitely. Legends: Z-A threw that rulebook out.

The new system runs on a Mega Gauge. You fill it by landing moves on opponents or by collecting Mega Power orbs that drop from Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokemon during battles and wild zone encounters. Once the gauge is full, you activate Mega Evolution by clicking the right thumbstick. The transformation is not permanent — it runs on a timer, and when it expires, your Pokemon reverts. Collecting Mega Power orbs while Mega Evolved extends the timer slightly.

This changes the strategic calculus significantly. In XY and ORAS, Mega Evolution was usually saved for a specific moment and locked in. Here, you are making ongoing decisions about when to pop the gauge, how to extend the window, and whether you can afford to spend time collecting orbs mid-fight. The real-time battle format Legends: Z-A uses makes this feel more active than turn-based Mega management ever did.

The Mega Dimension DLC added one more layer: Z Mega Evolution. A Z Mega form consumes Mega Power at twice the normal rate, so your timer burns down twice as fast. The trade-off is that all of a Z Mega's moves have zero wind-up time. In the base game, moves have a brief animation before they connect — Z Megas skip that entirely. Against rogue Mega encounters with aggressive attack patterns, the difference in responsiveness is noticeable.

The Full Count: 93 Megas, 26 Brand New

Before Legends: Z-A, the total number of Mega Evolutions across all games sat at 48. The base game added 26 forms that had never existed in any previous title — not as leaks, not as cut content, entirely new. That includes Mega Meganium, whose four flowers fire a combined Solar Beam called the Mega Sol Cannon according to its Pokedex entry, and Mega Scovillain, which dials up its spiciness rating and swings its signature necktie as a physical weapon.

The Mega Dimension DLC introduced 19 additional new Megas (22 if you count form variants separately) covering 18 Pokemon. Notable additions include Mega Raichu X and Mega Raichu Y — two distinct Mega paths for a single Pokemon, the first time Raichu has received any Mega form. The DLC also brings Z Mega variants for select Pokemon as a separate tier above the standard Mega.

Of the 93 total entries in the Mega Evolution Pokedex, 81 are directly obtainable and required for full completion. The remaining 12 are listed but either tied to specific story sequences or not currently available through standard gameplay.

Best Mega Evolutions to Build Around

With 81 options available, knowing where to focus matters. Here is what the data points to as the top performers:

  • Mega Chandelure — Highest Special Attack of any non-legendary Mega at 175. Ghost/Fire typing with improved defensive bulk makes it a devastating sweeper. The type combination leaves few safe switch-ins in the current metagame.
  • Mega Dragonite — 700 base stat total, 145 Special Attack, 125 Special Defense. An unusually balanced Mega that functions as both a wallbreaker and a durable presence. Benefits heavily from having a solid IV spread before Mega Evolution triggers.
  • Mega Excadrill — 165 Attack. Physical Ground/Steel coverage that hits hard without requiring setup. Straightforward to use effectively and one of the more forgiving Megas for newer players.
  • Mega Froslass — Currently posting a 63.8% win rate in Pokemon Champions regulation M-A competitive play, making it one of the most consistent Megas in active tournament data right now.
  • Mega Zygarde — 778 base stat total, activates its signature boost at 50% HP, capable of OHKOing almost anything. Excluded from ranked PvP formats because it is a legendary, but for PvE content and the harder rogue Mega encounters, it is the single most powerful Mega in the game.

Mega Meganium has also drawn competitive attention. Its Mega Sol ability gives it a unique sun-based role that the current metagame has not fully answered yet, though its 52.2% win rate suggests capable but not dominant at high ladder.

How to Get Mega Stones Without Spending Days on It

Mega Stones come from three main routes in Legends: Z-A:

  • Stone Emporium in Lumiose City — sells Mega Stones for returning Mega Evolutions from X, Y, ORAS, and Sun/Moon. Prices range from 50,000 to 100,000 Poke Dollars depending on the stone.
  • Quasartico Inc. — exchanges Mega Shards for Mega Stones. Shards come from story quests and from breaking crystals scattered around Lumiose City. This is the primary path to stones for the new Megas that did not exist in older games.
  • Defeating Rogue Mega Pokemon — a handful of stones are exclusive drops from specific rogue encounters. These are the scarcest and require finding the right rogue spawn point.

The Poke Dollar route through the Stone Emporium is the most predictable but also the most time-intensive. The Mega Shard path through Quasartico scales better as you progress through the story, since quest rewards accumulate and crystal locations become familiar.

Where Genning Fits Into a Mega Build

Mega Evolution does not change a Pokemon's IVs or nature — those are set before you ever trigger the transformation. A Mega Chandelure with a suboptimal Special Attack IV will underperform a correctly built one by a meaningful margin at 175 SpAtk. The difference between 31 and 20 IVs in Special Attack represents roughly 23 stat points after Mega transformation, which is the gap between landing an OHKO and leaving the opponent alive to counter.

If you want to build a proper Mega team for Z-A Royale ranked play or for the harder rogue Mega encounters, starting from a correctly speced base Pokemon matters. Genning lets you skip the RNG overhead of breeding or chaining and start with the right foundation immediately — correct nature, 31 IVs in the relevant stats, the right moveset loaded in.

You can browse and order any Pokemon you need directly through the GenPKM Pokedex, or use the Pokemon Creator to configure the exact IV spread and nature for your Mega build before it gets traded to you via Link Trade. The site supports Legends: Z-A trades directly. For players who want to understand the legality side of how genning works before they use it, the safety and legality guide covers the details without the marketing spin.

Image: The Pokemon Company / Nintendo (via Kotaku)

Frequently asked questions

How many Mega Evolutions are there in Pokemon Legends: Z-A total?

The Mega Evolution Pokedex lists 93 entries. Of those, 81 are directly obtainable and required for completion (62 in the base game, 81 with the Mega Dimension DLC). The base game introduced 26 entirely new Mega forms that had never appeared in any previous Pokemon game.

What is Z Mega Evolution and how is it different from regular Mega Evolution?

Z Mega Evolution was introduced in the Mega Dimension DLC. A Z Mega form drains the Mega Gauge at twice the normal rate, shortening your active window, but removes all wind-up time from every move the Pokemon uses. In the real-time battle system, this means attacks connect significantly faster, which is a major advantage against aggressive opponents.

Can you use Legendary Mega Evolutions like Mega Zygarde in ranked PvP?

No. Legendary Pokemon with Mega forms, including Mega Zygarde with its 778 base stat total, are excluded from ranked Z-A Royale seasons. They remain usable in PvE, rogue Mega encounters, casual battles, and local play formats.

What is the fastest way to farm Mega Stones in Legends Z-A?

For returning Megas, the Stone Emporium is the most reliable source at 50,000 to 100,000 Poke Dollars per stone. For new Legends: Z-A exclusive Megas, Quasartico Inc.'s Mega Shard exchange is the primary path. A small number of stones are exclusive drops from specific Rogue Mega Pokemon encounters and have no other source.

Does IV spread matter for Mega Evolution builds?

Yes. Mega Evolution amplifies base stats but does not change IVs or nature. A Mega Chandelure with 31 Special Attack IVs and a Modest nature will hit meaningfully harder than one with lower IVs at the same level. For competitive Z-A Royale play, starting from a correctly built base Pokemon before you ever Mega Evolve it is worth the effort.