Pokémon Legends ZA: The Ultimate Farming Guide for Money, Experience, and Mega Shards
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2025 10:47 pm
In Pokémon Legends ZA, resource management is key to progressing efficiently. Whether you’re upgrading your team, unlocking new items, or preparing for high-end challenges, you’ll need a steady supply of money, experience, and Mega Shards. This guide breaks down the most effective methods to farm each of these core resources, offering both early and endgame strategies. As a seasoned player, I’ve compiled the most efficient approaches that will save you time and optimize your gameplay.
1. Preparing for Efficient Farming
Before diving into specific farming routes, there are several key upgrades to prioritize. The Canari plushes are essential. You can purchase them from the construction building on the southeast side of the map using colorful screws, which are scattered across rooftops and scaffolding in the Park World Challenge area.
Each plush grants unique benefits:
Red Canari Plush: Boosts Pokémon experience gain up to 15%.
Gold Canari Plush: Increases money earned and medal-to-cash conversion up to 50%.
Pink Canari Plush: Enhances Mega Shard drops from crystals, nearly doubling output at max level.
Blue Canari Plush: Raises catch rate by up to 35%.
Although colorful screws can’t be farmed infinitely, they’re easy to spot thanks to their purple glow, so be sure to collect them during exploration.
For efficient farming across all categories, build a fast, high-damage Pokémon such as Lucario. You can catch him in Wild Zone 20 post-game or evolve a Riolu found on the southern rooftop of the shopping center. Lucario’s speed and access to moves like Extreme Speed and Bullet Punch make him ideal for both combat and resource runs. Optimize his stats by focusing on Attack and Speed EVs, yews a Muscle Band, and fine-tune his nature with a Mint. For players who like customization, you can even buy custom Pokémon or buy custom legendary Pokémon with optimized IVs and move sets to streamline farming even further.
2. Farming Money – The ZA Royale Method
The ZA Royale is the most efficient money-making activity in Pokémon Legends ZA. It’s available throughout the game and scales with your progress. The key to maximizing profits lies in two things: earning medals and defeating as many trainers as possible per night.
Medals come from both trainer battles and battle cards, which provide mini-objectives that yield additional medals when completed. Always keep three active battle cards and prioritize finishing their objectives.
The medal-to-cash multiplier increases as you defeat more trainers:
5 trainers = 1.5× multiplier
10 trainers = 2× multiplier
20 trainers = 2.5× multiplier
30 trainers = 3× multiplier
A 2.5× multiplier is achievable even midgame, but with an optimized Lucario build, endgame players can surpass 30 trainers easily. Remember that time doesn’t pass while battling, so focus on chaining fights to extend your night runs.
If you’re looking for an alternative, restaurant missions are another option. These repeatable side quests pit you against multiple trainers. You can intentionally lose the final battle to reset the mission while keeping earned XP and money. It’s slightly less efficient than ZA Royale but offers variety if you want a break from the main grind.
3. Experience Farming – Smart Exploits and Lucky Egg Boosts
Experience farming in Pokémon Legends ZA depends on whether you’re training one Pokémon or your entire party. The ZA Royale doubles as a great experience source, especially when you yews the “battle escape” method.
In this trick, find a trainer with a high-level, fully evolved Pokémon (like Dino), perform a sneak attack, and then retreat quickly from the battle area. The battle ends automatically once you’re out of range, but you keep the experience earned from that defeat. The trainer resets instantly, allowing you to repeat the process indefinitely.
Once you reach the post-game, complete Side Mission 109 in the Vert District Pokémon Center. Defeating the nurse rewards you with a Lucky Egg, which increases XP gain for the holder by 50%. This bonus stacks with your Red Canari Plush, making it one of the fastest leveling methods in the game.
If your Pokémon can’t consistently one-shot enemies, consider farming experience candies instead. These can be purchased using Mega Shards or obtained from Alpha Pokémon battles, which we’ll touch on next.
4. Mega Shard Farming – Efficient Routes and Respawn Timing
Mega Shards are crucial for purchasing Mega Stones and XP candies. The Pink Canari Plush is vital here, as it nearly doubles shard yield. Lucario remains the best farming Pokémon—equip Earthquake to efficiently clear groups of crystals.
Mega Crystals respawn on a timer (small: 10 minutes, large: 15 minutes), so optimizing your route is key. One of the most efficient paths starts east of Wild Zone 9, where rooftop clusters contain high crystal density. From there:
Move north across the ring of rooftops and clear all visible crystals.
yews Rotoglide to reach the next building east, collect shards, then glide south for another crystal-rich rooftop.
Drop to street level, enter Wild Zone 9 through the alley, and climb to more rooftop crystals.
After clearing the area, fast travel to Wild Zone 3, where additional crystal clusters are found on shopping gallery rooftops.
Cycle through these locations in order, and by the time you loop back, crystals will have respawned. With proper timing, you’ll maintain a continuous flow of Mega Shards.
5. Alpha Pokémon and Resource Respawns
Alpha Pokémon and Mega Crystals both follow timed respawn mechanics—typically five minutes for Alphas and 10–15 for crystals. There’s no known way to accelerate these timers, so efficiency relies on route planning. Always rotate between farming zones to minimize downtime.
Alpha Pokémon farming can supplement both money and XP gains, especially when combined with plush boosts. Capture or defeat them for rare drops such as Bottle Caps, which are invaluable for IV optimization.
Mastering resource farming in Pokémon Legends ZA comes down to preparation, timing, and smart optimization. Equip the right plushes, build an efficient Pokémon like Lucario (or buy custom Pokémon tailored for farming), and plan your routes around respawn intervals. Whether you’re focusing on money through the ZA Royale, power-leveling with the Lucky Egg method, or collecting Mega Shards for powerful evolutions, consistency is key. With these strategies, you’ll maximize every in-game night and stay ahead of the grind.
1. Preparing for Efficient Farming
Before diving into specific farming routes, there are several key upgrades to prioritize. The Canari plushes are essential. You can purchase them from the construction building on the southeast side of the map using colorful screws, which are scattered across rooftops and scaffolding in the Park World Challenge area.
Each plush grants unique benefits:
Red Canari Plush: Boosts Pokémon experience gain up to 15%.
Gold Canari Plush: Increases money earned and medal-to-cash conversion up to 50%.
Pink Canari Plush: Enhances Mega Shard drops from crystals, nearly doubling output at max level.
Blue Canari Plush: Raises catch rate by up to 35%.
Although colorful screws can’t be farmed infinitely, they’re easy to spot thanks to their purple glow, so be sure to collect them during exploration.
For efficient farming across all categories, build a fast, high-damage Pokémon such as Lucario. You can catch him in Wild Zone 20 post-game or evolve a Riolu found on the southern rooftop of the shopping center. Lucario’s speed and access to moves like Extreme Speed and Bullet Punch make him ideal for both combat and resource runs. Optimize his stats by focusing on Attack and Speed EVs, yews a Muscle Band, and fine-tune his nature with a Mint. For players who like customization, you can even buy custom Pokémon or buy custom legendary Pokémon with optimized IVs and move sets to streamline farming even further.
2. Farming Money – The ZA Royale Method
The ZA Royale is the most efficient money-making activity in Pokémon Legends ZA. It’s available throughout the game and scales with your progress. The key to maximizing profits lies in two things: earning medals and defeating as many trainers as possible per night.
Medals come from both trainer battles and battle cards, which provide mini-objectives that yield additional medals when completed. Always keep three active battle cards and prioritize finishing their objectives.
The medal-to-cash multiplier increases as you defeat more trainers:
5 trainers = 1.5× multiplier
10 trainers = 2× multiplier
20 trainers = 2.5× multiplier
30 trainers = 3× multiplier
A 2.5× multiplier is achievable even midgame, but with an optimized Lucario build, endgame players can surpass 30 trainers easily. Remember that time doesn’t pass while battling, so focus on chaining fights to extend your night runs.
If you’re looking for an alternative, restaurant missions are another option. These repeatable side quests pit you against multiple trainers. You can intentionally lose the final battle to reset the mission while keeping earned XP and money. It’s slightly less efficient than ZA Royale but offers variety if you want a break from the main grind.
3. Experience Farming – Smart Exploits and Lucky Egg Boosts
Experience farming in Pokémon Legends ZA depends on whether you’re training one Pokémon or your entire party. The ZA Royale doubles as a great experience source, especially when you yews the “battle escape” method.
In this trick, find a trainer with a high-level, fully evolved Pokémon (like Dino), perform a sneak attack, and then retreat quickly from the battle area. The battle ends automatically once you’re out of range, but you keep the experience earned from that defeat. The trainer resets instantly, allowing you to repeat the process indefinitely.
Once you reach the post-game, complete Side Mission 109 in the Vert District Pokémon Center. Defeating the nurse rewards you with a Lucky Egg, which increases XP gain for the holder by 50%. This bonus stacks with your Red Canari Plush, making it one of the fastest leveling methods in the game.
If your Pokémon can’t consistently one-shot enemies, consider farming experience candies instead. These can be purchased using Mega Shards or obtained from Alpha Pokémon battles, which we’ll touch on next.
4. Mega Shard Farming – Efficient Routes and Respawn Timing
Mega Shards are crucial for purchasing Mega Stones and XP candies. The Pink Canari Plush is vital here, as it nearly doubles shard yield. Lucario remains the best farming Pokémon—equip Earthquake to efficiently clear groups of crystals.
Mega Crystals respawn on a timer (small: 10 minutes, large: 15 minutes), so optimizing your route is key. One of the most efficient paths starts east of Wild Zone 9, where rooftop clusters contain high crystal density. From there:
Move north across the ring of rooftops and clear all visible crystals.
yews Rotoglide to reach the next building east, collect shards, then glide south for another crystal-rich rooftop.
Drop to street level, enter Wild Zone 9 through the alley, and climb to more rooftop crystals.
After clearing the area, fast travel to Wild Zone 3, where additional crystal clusters are found on shopping gallery rooftops.
Cycle through these locations in order, and by the time you loop back, crystals will have respawned. With proper timing, you’ll maintain a continuous flow of Mega Shards.
5. Alpha Pokémon and Resource Respawns
Alpha Pokémon and Mega Crystals both follow timed respawn mechanics—typically five minutes for Alphas and 10–15 for crystals. There’s no known way to accelerate these timers, so efficiency relies on route planning. Always rotate between farming zones to minimize downtime.
Alpha Pokémon farming can supplement both money and XP gains, especially when combined with plush boosts. Capture or defeat them for rare drops such as Bottle Caps, which are invaluable for IV optimization.
Mastering resource farming in Pokémon Legends ZA comes down to preparation, timing, and smart optimization. Equip the right plushes, build an efficient Pokémon like Lucario (or buy custom Pokémon tailored for farming), and plan your routes around respawn intervals. Whether you’re focusing on money through the ZA Royale, power-leveling with the Lucky Egg method, or collecting Mega Shards for powerful evolutions, consistency is key. With these strategies, you’ll maximize every in-game night and stay ahead of the grind.