What is a good in-game team for Legends: Z-A?

Question

Share your best in-game teams for Pokemon Legends: Z-A on this thread! Teams should be aimed toward making casual runs of the game efficient, enjoyable and hassle-free.

Please follow these guidelines regarding detail in your post:

1. For every Pokemon on the team, give recommended moves for use throughout the playthrough. Ideally, comment on more than just the four moves you'll finish with post-game.
2. Provide explanation and detail. Justify your Pokemon and moveset choices; possible discussion points include ease-of-use, team synergy, and coverage for key battles.

Please also follow these guidelines regarding the contents of your team:

1. Mention alternatives if you recommend Pokemon, moves, etc. that are only available after excess grinding.
2. There are some unspoken rules of in-game teams, such as to keep the starter on the team and avoid legendaries. It's kind to give other options if you break these rules.
3. Don't recommend Pokemon, moves, etc. that are only available through glitches and cheats.
4. Original content only. You can use ideas you found elsewhere, but don't steal written content.

Submit your team as an answer, not a comment. To keep things tidy, we will remove any teams posted as comments in this thread. If you want to update your post, use the 'edit' button.

Please be sparing with images and formatting.

Comments

Bois the heracross is amazing

Answer 1

Btw, i'd recommend teaching Protect to at least 1 or 2 Pokemon, it's pretty useful in this game

Mega Feraligatr

I've picked this one for a couple reasons; Mega Meganium has good typing but only learns like 2 fairy moves, & there are better Fire or Fighting type Pokemon in the game than Emboar in my opinion.

Recommended moves:
-Aqua Jet (Level 21)
-Liquidation (Level 14)
-Crunch (Tutor)
-Ice Fang (TM)
-Breaking Swipe (Level 26)
-Dragon Claw (TM)

Charizard (Mega X or Y is up to you)

Yeah I know it's basic but Charizard is actually really good in this game, one of, if not the best fire type. You'd obtain Charmander after completing Main Mission 8, where you'd get a sidequest from Mabel & choose a kanto starter.

Recommended moves:
-Flamethrower (Level 30)
-Fire Blast (Tutor)
-Air Slah (Tutor)
-Dragon Rush (Level 42)
-Dragon Pulse (TM)

Mega Victreebel

One of the stupidest-looking Pokemon in the game, is also somehow one of the strongest. I highly suggest catching the Alpha Bellsprout in Wild Zone 5, because not only is it high-levelled, it's able to instantly evolve into Weepinbell, then you can buy a Leaf Stone from the Stone Emporium & boom, an early-game, 490 BST monster.

Recommended moves:
-Sludge Bomb (Tutor)
-Giga Drain (TM)
-Sludge Wave (Level 40)
-Power Whip (Level 44)
-Toxic Spikes (Level 26)
-Energy Ball (TM)

Bois the Mega Heracross

This in-game trade Pokemon is so stupidly broken, I can't believe they're making it MANDATORY for you to get it so you can progress in the story. You can buy the Heracronite at Quasartico Inc. as soon as you reach Rank F, & even before then it is an absolute menace, did they even think that this was balanced?

Recommended moves:
-Pin Missle (It has this move as soon as you obtain him)
-Aerial Ace (Level 15)
-Earthquake (TM)
-Megahorn (Level 45)
-Close Combat (Level 50)
-Swords Dance (Level 38)
-Brick Break (Level 24)

Mega Excadrill

Drillbur can be found as early as Wild Zone 8, as for the Excadrite, it can be bought at Quasartico Inc. after completing Main Mission 15. Ground/Steel is a great type combo, plus how can you pass up a base 165 attack stat?

Recommended Moves:
-Swords Dance (Level 36)
-Rock Slide (Level 32)
-Rock Blast (Level 16)
-Earthquake (Level 46)
-Iron Head (TM)
-Drill Run (Level 40)

Mega Gardevoir

You're prolly reading this BEFORE Febuary 28, 2026. If not, I have an alternative below. But if you ARE reading this before Pokemon Day, a Ralts holding the Gardevoirite can be obtained in the Mystery Gift.

Recommended moves:
-Moonblast (Level 49)
-Psychic (Level 38)
-Calm Mind (Level 35)
-Hypnosis (Level 9)
-Thunderbolt (TM)
-Focus Blast (TM)

Alternative to Mega Gardevoir:

Florges

Yeah sure it can't mega evolve but that dosen't mean it's bad. Flabèbe can be found pretty much anywhere with flowers, and a Level 20 Floette can be caught on top of a roof in-between Bleu Sector 4 & 6. & as for the Shiny Stone you'll need to evolve it...watch this video (explains it way better then I ever could): https://youtu.be/M-8KcIzFoj8?si=o90ZJl9yADAquF01

Recommended moves:
-Moonblast (Tutor)
-Energy Ball (Level 40)
-Calm Mind (TM)
-Psychic (TM)
-Synthesis (Level 33)
-Draining Kiss (Level 18)

Comments

I like it (even if the images are a bit big). Also, i think you can get a Gardevoirite at Quasartico.

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I would use this team if I had ent already picked tepig

Answer 2

I used this team for my Z-A playthrough and it was easy
You can ignore the abilities and Tera Types. After all, this is Z-A

Totolid (Feraligatr) (M) @ Feraligite
Ability: Torrent
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 Atk / 128 Def / 128 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Liquidation
- Outrage
- Crunch
- Earthquake

Earthquake is helpful team coverage for Gyarados and Charizard. Chose the name after its disturbing Mega Evolution. Outrage has a better damage output than moves like Dragon Claw and the confusion never seems to bother him. Plus, it has STAB.

Gyarados (M) @ Gyaradosite
Ability: Intimidate
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 63 HP/ 252 Atk / 63 SpD / 130 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Earthquake
- Waterfall
- Bounce

The team already has some dark type attackers, so Crunch can be skipped. Yes, it has STAB with Gyarados' Mega Evolution, but I use a more defensive build on my Gyarados. Like Totolid, Earthquake is coverage. Bounce and Waterfall both utilize movement to dodge attacks, and Iron Head helps the resident Dark and Dragon types/Megas.

Excadrill (F) @ Excadrite
Ability: Sand Rush
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Earthquake
- Drill Run
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide

Now this is one of my favorite sweepers. Utilize its insane speed and STAB to cut effortlessly through your foes. Rock Slide can be replaced by some different moves, just found it helpful for reaching enemies behind obstacles.

Absol (F) @ Absolite Z
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Shadow Claw
- Night Slash
- Play Rough
- Knock Off

This one was mostly out of the fact that Absol is one of my favorite Pokemon. It doesn't really "click" with the others and often licks its dainty little paws in the back of the team. Absolite Z gave it a big power boost that I'm glad for, though. Play Rough is coverage for the other teammates and the other moves are mostly for STAB.

Ampharos (F) @ Ampharosite
Ability: Static
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Electric
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpA
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Discharge
- Thunderbolt
- Power Gem

This gal means business. My shiny Ampharos (obtainable through a side quest) packs a real punch with some very versatile moves. Thunderbolt is for quick KOs, Volt Switch for dodging, and Discharge for area damage. I rarely use Power Gem, though. It's mostly just to fill up the extra spot. Could be useful for some bosses, though.

Charizard (F) @ Charizardite Y
Ability: Blaze
Tera Type: Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Flamethrower
- Fire Blast
- Air Slash
- Hurricane

Some Charizard X fans might spit in my face because I chose Y. I welcome you to, however. Y keeps the STAB for Flying type moves, unlike X. Plus, Y has resistance against Fairy, which I'm pretty vulnerable to. Hurricane can be used like Rock Slide to get far off items and the like. Other moves are raw power.

I find that I do better when I replace Absol with Xerneas, however. Here's an additional Xerneas moveset:

Xerneas @ Leftovers
Ability: Fairy Aura
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 128 HP / 148 SpA / 232 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Geomancy
- Moonblast
- Psychic
- Focus Blast

Since Xerneas can't Mega Evolve, I use Leftovers for a slightly more bulky set. Psychic and Focus Blast are coverage. Geomancy and Moonblast are pretty self explanatory.

Comments

I find that Gyarados is kinda overpowered when it comes to Z-A Royales. It's also pretty bulky and I will always like him. BTW if an elec type pops up I just switch to Excadrill and boom- KO. Same with Charizard & ice. I don't find the type overlap to be an issue, personally. I only have a bit of trouble with ghost types, but that's why Feraligatr has Crunch.

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True. I kinda forgot that gyaridos was good in Z-A. I never used him :P also you have ghost problems? I thought you had absol on the team

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I typically replace Absol with Xerneas

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As said by ax109. Xerneas is a legendary. And they are not allowed on this thread sorry :/
You DO know that this is a thread for playing the the main story of the game right?

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Sorry, I really just read the title and got to work: ignore Xerneas. Absol is not recommended for a playthrough, however. Snorelax used Florges, which is probably a good choice for the playthrough.

Answer 3

Mega Feraligatr
moves:
-Liquidation
-Earthquake
-Ice Fang
-Swords dance

Mega Victreebel
moves:
-Giga Drain
-Toxic spikes
-Sludge Wave
-Protect

Mega pyroar
moves:
-Heat Wave
-Will-o-wisp
-Dark Pulse
-Earth power

Mega Hawlucha
Moves:
-Lunge
-Brick break
-Swords Dance
-Iron Head

Mega Malamar
moves:
-Night Slash
-Psyshock
-Stealth rock
-poison jab

Mega Riachu X and/or Y
moves:
-Thunder wave
-Thunderbolt
-Focus blast
-Surf/protect