Pokemon Legends Z-A Side Quests: How They Work and What to Do First

Side missions in Pokemon Legends: Z-A are optional jobs from people around Lumiose City, and they appear on your map as the story opens them up. There are well over 100, and the best ones hand out extra starters, a shiny Mareep, useful TMs and new city features. Prioritise the missions that give Pokemon, then pick up the rest as you pass by.

How side missions work

Every side mission shows up on the map once it is available, so you never have to hunt for a quest giver. If one you expect is missing, the usual reasons are that the story has not moved far enough, an earlier mission in the same chain is unfinished, or the mission wants you to have caught a particular Pokemon first.

To check your list, open the map with the Plus button and press X. The Side tab holds side missions, and the Main tab holds the 42 story missions, so you can always see what is waiting.

How many there are

The count depends on when you ask. RPG Site's list at launch had 118 numbered entries, with the first three tied to the main story, and Nintendo Life describes the game as having over 100. Serebii's current list runs from Side Mission 1 to 200 plus three EX missions, and it does not split the base game from the Mega Dimension DLC.

Missions to do first

These pay out Pokemon or features you will use for the rest of the game.

Other missions are worth a stop for what they unlock. A run of Holovator missions (4, 40, 45, 56, 61 and 80) opens or repairs Holovators around the city, and missions 40, 61 and 76 pay Mega Shards, which you can trade for Mega Stones as covered in our Mega Evolution guide.

The shiny Mareep

Side Mission 17 opens once you reach Main Mission 08. Find Duve just outside the northern entrance to Wild Zone 1. When the mission ends, a shiny Mareep stays in the zone until you catch it, and you can only catch it after finishing. Our shiny hunting guide covers finding more.

The Kalos starters

All three Kalos starters come from side quests that open once you reach Rank Y in the Z-A Royale:

• Chespin: head down an alley northeast of Centrico Plaza and beat the Chespin in three battles back to back.
• Fennekin: start at a park in the Magenta District, then fetch a Revitalizing Twig from Wild Zone 5 for the herbalist on Vernal Avenue.
• Froakie: talk to the construction worker in the northeast corner of the map and clear three timed platforming challenges.

Add the Kanto starter from Side Mission 22 and the post-game Wild Zone covered in our best starter guide, and you can end up with far more than one partner.

Mega Dimension side missions

The DLC adds side missions with higher numbers. Side Mission 139, The Dauntless Raichu Duo, appears in a random yellow Hyperspace portal, needs Side Missions 2 and 108 finished first, and rewards Raichunite X and Y. Side Mission 189, Siblings of the Sky, leads to Mega Latias and Mega Latios once you have rolled credits on the DLC.

For the bigger picture, go back to the Legends: Z-A hub.