Pokémon Legends: Z-A has an incredibly large roster of Pokémon, but not every player will get to see them all during a playthrough. Most Pokémon in the game will be overlooked, which is a shame, as many can be strong additions to your team without being a traditional pick. In fact, many of your favorite pocket monsters might be ones you just haven’t found yet.
While many new Pokémon will release with the Mega Dimensions DLC for Legends: Z-A, there are plenty in the game already to find. Like many other Pokémon games, some Pokémon are overlooked because they are only strong at the early stages of your journey, with much better options becoming available later. That being said, some Pokémon fill a specific niche, only being noticed by those who actively search for them.
Pangoro
Underrated Attacker With Unique Typing
Pangoro is often a Pokémon in Legends: Z-A that most trainers don’t use, as they find a stronger Fighting-type than Pancham later in the game. However, if you stick with an early catch of the Dark/Fighting-type Pancham, Pangoro can be a powerful reward for any team. This Pokémon is surprisingly bulky, more than even other strong Fighting-types like Lucario or Machamp.
The only glaring weakness of Pangoro is a x4 weakness to Fairy-type attacks, which can hinder the Pokémon in the lategame. However, both Dark and Fighting-type moves allow it to counter Ghost-types, who usually can’t be attacked by pure Fighting-types.
The pure attacking power of Pangoro can be incredibly useful against other bulky Pokémon too, such as Kangaskhan or Diggersby in various trainer battles. At the same time, Pangoro is one of the few Dark-types to have excellent match-ups against other Dark-types, using Fighting-type moves to deal super-effective damage to powerful foes. Pangoro does especially well against normally stalwart Steel-types too, like Lucario, Scizor, or Metagross.
Mega Beedrill
Not Often Used Mega With Hyper-Specific Strengths
Most Mega Evolutions in Legends: Z-A tend to revolve around a select few Pokémon, either from your initial starter to other Pseudo-Legendary creatures who gain an additional form. More often than not, Pokémon like Mega Beedrill are overlooked, as they are not considered strong enough to take up the one Mega Evolution stone you get for a battle. However, Mega Beedrill might be the fastest and best attacking Mega around, making it far more useful than you’d expect.
Mega Beedrill’s Attack is an astounding 150, with a 145 Speed that dwarfs even some Legendary Pokémon you can catch. While this Bug/Poison-type has terrible defenses, its status as a glass cannon can help take out specific Pokémon quickly, especially within Legends: Z-A‘s changes to the standard battle formula.
Krookodile
Powerhouse Forgotten In Exchange For Similar Pokémon
When trainers in Legends: Z-A need a good Ground-type for their team, Garchomp or Camerupt are typical choices for their potent Mega Evolutions. Krookodile is rarely in the conversation, but this Dark/Ground-type is just as powerful, with a great collection of stats to bring to any team. Krookodile has above-average bulk and speed, with great Attack to contend with nearly any rival.
Unlike Garchomp, Krookodile also has great potential abilities to help it gain an edge in some battles. When you think about how aggressive combat in Legends: Z-A can become, Krookodile’s might from its stats makes it a powerful asset to have at your side. While not the fastest Pokémon you’ll ever get, Krookodile is a fantastic ally during the midgame if you can get it to evolve fast.
Trevenant
Rare Regeneration In A Fragile Typing
Trevenant is one of several Ghost-types in Legends: Z-A, but rarely ever used when Aegislash, Gengar, and Chandelure make up many teams. For those who need greater diversity in their roster, though, this Ghost-type’s additional Grass-type can give them exactly what they need. Most teams benefit from at least one Grass-type, a role Trevenant can fill for anyone who didn’t pick a Grass-type starter at their journey’s beginning.
Like many other Pokémon, Trevenant can only evolve from a Phantump that’s been traded to another person. To realize the potential of this Pokémon, you’ll have to communicate with others in a mutual trade for evolution.
Another appeal of Trevenant is how it gains access to a potent restorative move — Horn Leech. With standard Ghost-types debuffs, like Will-O-Wisp and Confuse Ray, this move can help Trevenant be a constant nuisance in battle, rarely losing in wars of attrition. While it has glaring type weaknesses, the match-ups Trevenant can win are almost always one-sided for guaranteed victories.
Mega Dragalge
Poisonous Power Usually Traded For Another Mega
Another rare Mega Evolution you might overlook is Mega Dragalge, a Poison/Dragon-type whose new form has never appeared in another Pokémon game. Poison-types have an array of weaknesses, making this Pokémon not as strong as other Megas you might use first. Yet, trainers who dare to use Mega Dragalge will have an excellent team member to take out Fairy-types, who are often used by the game’s strongest rival trainers.
Dragon-types are generally strong, but Mega Dragalge is unique in its specialization, not existing as a pure attacker. This Pokémon has potent Special Attack prowess, while also being extremely resilient with a 163 Special Defense stat. This is the highest Special Defense among any Pokémon in the game, allowing Mega Dragalge to endure match-ups that would normally be fatal, including Psychic-types you might face.
Mega Drampa
Reliable Dragon-Type For Overwhelming Special Attack Offense
One of the most underrated new Mega Evolutions in Legends: Z-A is Mega Drampa, a Normal/Dragon-type who you can get fairly easily within the game. This Pokémon is often put on the sideline compared to other powerful Dragon-types in the game, especially ones like Garchomp or Baxcalibur, the latter of whom comes from the Mega Dimensions DLC. However, Drampa is a Pokémon you don’t need to grind for levels to get an evolution, as it is strong without one.
The Normal-type of Mega Drampa makes it slightly weaker to Fighting-types, but it also gives it a wider variety of learned moves than most Dragon-types are capable of.
Mega Drampa boasts a whopping 160 Special Attack stat, making it an offensive juggernaut in the right situations. Meanwhile, a 116 Special Defense makes it tank-like against Ice-types who might try to exploit the Pokémon’s key weakness. With 110 physical Defense as well, Mega Drampa is one of the Dragon-types with the most endurance in the game, even if its 36 Speed almost demands the move Trick Room to get it going.
Mega Skarmory
Balanced And Reliable Offensive Force Rather Than A Specialized Role
Most Mega Evolutions in Legends: Z-A are committed to specific stats, giving players a Pokémon that is very strong in one key category. This helps them fulfill specialized roles, but Mega Skarmory offers greater balance through adaptable skills rather than a rigid position. This gives you more flexibility to use other Pokémon on your team, with a Mega Skarmory’s equivalent offense and defense capabilities providing a solid foundation.
An example of Mega Skarmory’s balanced traits comes from its nearly equal 110 Defense and 100 Special Defense. Mega Skarmory already has plenty of resistance from its Steel-type, but its Flying-type is enhanced by a great 140 Attack score. With 110 Speed as well, Mega Skarmory can hit hard, hit first, and be resilient against enemy attacks as long as you don’t throw it into a bad match-up.
Mega Blastoise
Least Used Starter From Other Options
The variety of starters in Legends: Z-A have many trainers picking old favorites, but Mega Blastoise is likely the least used among those picks. While trainers seem to chase after Mega Greninja, Chesnaught, or Delphox in addition to Charizard or Venusaur, Blastoise is sometimes the odd one out, likely due to its simpler typing compared to others.
Mega Blastoise has incredibly balanced stats, with Attack, Defense, Special Attack, and Special Defense all over 100. This makes a jack-of-all-trades perfect for a team that doesn’t have any Water-type presence on it yet.
As a pure Water-type, Mega Blastoise might be a straightforward pick for your Mega Evolution. However, it is easily overshadowed by Mega Charizard X or Y, as that Pokémon gives players two different Mega options from the same creature. Still very strong in battles, Mega Blastoise may not have as much variety as its fellow Kanto starters, but it’s still a solid choice.
Noivern
Fast Dragon Replaced By A Common Classic
On paper, Noivern should be a Pokémon used on a variety of trainer teams. A Dragon/Flying-type with an incredible 123 Speed stat, Noivern can use sharp attacks to outclass many Pokémon it matches up against. At the same time, another Dragon/Flying-type often takes its spotlight as a Pseudo-Legendary — Salamence.
Salamence has a Mega Evolution, stronger attacking power, and is easier to evolve from Shelgon, a decently powerful enough Pokémon. Noivern is slightly harder to evolve from a weaker Noibat, but that Pokémon has both its typings right away, unlike Bagon or Shelgon from Salamence’s line. With Noivern being faster as well, it is a Pokémon that can meet different player preferences as they want to break the mold of using Salamence on every team.
Mega Absol
Sometimes Discarded After Fulfilling A Main Story Role
Mega Absol is a Dark-type Pokémon whose strongest form you obtain when you get its Mega Stone in Legends: Z-A automatically in the main story. This makes the Pokémon one of the easiest Megas to have, but this ease of access can cause trainers to take it for granted. By being almost given to you, many trainers opt to pick another Mega Evolution for their team, whether it’s their starter or some other creature.
Mega Absol may not be bulky, but it has some great stats at its disposal, from a 150 Attack to a 115 score in both Speed and Special Attack. With only a few weaknesses, Mega Absol is very versatile for any team, even taking no damage from Psychic-types at all. This makes Mega Absol an X-factor that can round out a team filled with Pokémon who have distinct pros and cons.