If you want to be the top trainer in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, you’ll need to climb the ranks in the Z-A Battle Royale. This means sacrificing sleep and spending every available moment each night battling trainers in the Battle Zone. As you progress, the battles will become tougher, but the rewards will be worth it. Learning how Battle Zones work is essential to making your journey smoother. Play your cards right, and both your rank and your wallet will thank you.
What Are Battle Zones?
Every night, a red area appears on the Lumiose City map. In the game, this shows as a zone separated from the rest of the city by a glowing red wall that only allows entry through specific gateways, similar to Wild Areas. Inside, trainers patrol, looking for battles. Your goal is to fight these trainers to earn Challenge Points and Prize Medals, which are key for advancing. However, battles here are more complex than in previous Pokémon games.
Battle Zones operate on timers. They last all night, and you can see how much time is left until dawn by checking the countdown bar around your minimap. The red part shows how much time remains—it shrinks as the night progresses. During this period, your main objectives are to:
- Defeat as many trainers as possible.
- Collect cards and complete their tasks.
Completing these goals will enable you to challenge stronger trainers in Promotion Matches to rank up.
Battle Zone Trainers
Trainers will reward you with a set number of Prize Medals and Challenge Points for each defeat. The more trainers you beat, the more rewards you’ll earn. Also, defeating trainers provides a multiplier for your Prize Medals at the end of the night, growing with the number of trainers defeated:
| Trainers Defeated | Medal Multiplier |
|---|---|
| 5 or fewer | x1.0 |
| 6 to 9 | x1.5 |
| 10 or more | x2.0 |
While fighting trainers, it’s best to sneak up on them rather than rushing in. Many are patrolling, so crouching and approaching slowly for a surprise attack is smarter. When you lock onto a trainer’s Pokémon, you’ll see their rank. Be cautious—some trainers are several ranks higher and have strong Pokémon, making fights risky. Losing a battle will cost you some Prize Medals.
To reset the trainers in an area, you can:
- Teleport back to the Battle Zone via the map.
- Run to the far side of the zone, especially on figure-eight maps.
- Climb a ladder, with rooftops often providing the best vantage points since trainers there tend to be stronger.
Most efficient is climbing to rooftops, as high-ranked trainers and rare rewards are more likely to appear there. Afterward, you can descend to reset the trainers below.
When engaging, try to approach trainers quietly to get a surprise attack, which gives you an advantage. Keep an eye on their rank; some are significantly stronger and may risk your progress. Avoid battles you’re not prepared for, especially with higher-ranked trainers.
Trainer Benefits
Certain trainers offer special perks if defeated. For example:
- Baristas heal your Pokémon after battles.
- Couriers may give you items that restore health.
- Collectors might reward you with rare cards.
You can check which trainers are available by opening the Z-A Royale app from the menu, allowing you to target specific trainer types.
Battle Zone Cards
Cards are spread throughout the Battle Zone and can be picked up, with a carry limit of three at a time. Each card has an objective, like:
- Landing or knocking out a Pokémon with a specific move type.
- Starting or winning a surprise battle.
- Defeating a trainer above your rank.
- Inflicting a status condition on Pokémon.
Completing these adds more Prize Medals and Challenge Points. Higher-ranked players and rarer cards tend to have better rewards. Rare cards, indicated by a faint white glow, offer the greatest points, but if time runs low, it’s smarter to focus on smaller objectives to finish before the clock runs out.
Prize Medals
Prize Medals are exchanged for Poké Dollars at the end of each night (Prize Medals x 10 = Poké Dollars). A multiplier, based on how many trainers you’ve defeated, can boost your earnings. You can earn Prize Medals through:
- Battling and defeating trainers.
- Picking up medals around the zone.
- Completing card objectives.
- Gaining extra trainer rewards (like defeating socialite trainers).
Unless you’re aiming for promotion, you don’t build up points for the next rank; each new promotion resets your Challenge Points to zero. Once enough Challenge Points are accumulated, you need a Challenger’s Ticket to enter a Promotion Match, which is required to rank up. The amount of points needed increases with each rank, so efficiency in gaining them is crucial over several nights of grinding.
After reaching a certain rank, you can no longer gain Challenge Points until you complete a Promotion Match. These matches are not always immediately available—they depend on the story’s progress, requiring you to complete main missions until you’re assigned the next challenge.
