Pokemon Legends Z-A Ranked Battles Guide
Ranked Battles Overview
Ranked Battles in Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduce a completely new kind of Pokémon competition. Unlike traditional turn-based battles, these matches take place in real time. Four Trainers face off simultaneously on a shared battlefield. You'll move freely, launch attacks, dodge incoming hits, and compete to defeat as many Pokémon as possible within the time limit.
Your performance determines your rank — starting from Rank Z, the lowest, up to Rank A, the highest. Each victory and every strategic action earns you points that help you climb higher. There are 26 ranks in total, and your progress reflects your strength and strategy as a Trainer.
Each Ranked Battle season resets everyone's progress back to Rank Z, giving all Trainers a fresh chance to compete and climb the ladder anew.
Preparing Your Battle Team
Before entering Ranked Battles, you'll need to create a proper Battle Team. From the main menu, open your Boxes, then press the X Button twice to switch from "Current Party" to "Battle Teams." From here, you can choose three Pokémon from your Boxes to form your team.
Pokémon currently in your party cannot be added to your Battle Team, so be sure to move any Pokémon you want to use into your Boxes first. It's also important to equip held items, such as Mega Stones or other stat-boosting gear, to strengthen your team before entering battle.
Every Pokémon in Ranked Battles is automatically set to Level 50, so focus on type synergy, move coverage, and team balance instead of raw power.
How to Join Ranked Battles
Once your team is ready, it's time to test your skills online in Pokémon Legends: Z-A Ranked Battles. From the main menu, select Link Play, then choose Ranked Battles.
You'll need a stable internet connection and a Nintendo Switch Online membership to participate. After you enter the Z-A Battle Club, you'll have a final opportunity to edit your team before matchmaking begins. When you're ready, press the A Button and the system will find opponents near your rank for a fair and balanced battle.
All Pokémon are standardized at Level 50 during Ranked Battles, ensuring that every player competes on equal footing.
Battle Rules and Match Flow
Each Ranked Battle lasts for three minutes, and all four Trainers are active at the same time. You can move freely around the battlefield, engage any opponent, and pick up special glowing items that appear as the battle goes on.
When one of your Pokémon faints, you'll be sent back to your starting point, and your entire team will be fully healed before you reenter the fray. You're allowed to switch your active Pokémon up to three times each time you enter battle, and this limit resets whenever you faint and return.
At the end of the match, Trainers are ranked from first to fourth place based on how many opposing Pokémon they defeated and how many bonus points they earned during battle. Once you reach the point threshold for your current rank, you'll be promoted to the next one.
Your rank will never decrease during the season, so even if you lose a few matches, your progress remains safe.
How to Earn More Points
While defeating Pokémon is your main source of points, Pokémon Legends: Z-A rewards creative and strategic play. Performing certain actions during battle grants you additional points that can help you rank up faster.
You'll gain extra points by:
Landing the first attack or the final blow of the battle.
Being the first Trainer to Mega Evolve.
Picking up the first glowing item that appears on the field.
Defeating at least one Pokémon from each of your three opponents.
Using supereffective moves five or more times in a match.
Defeating a Pokémon that has Mega Evolved.
Landing the most total attacks in battle.
Targeting opponents that are at full HP the most number of times.
Defeating a Pokémon while your own is Mega Evolved.
Finishing the battle without any of your Pokémon fainting.
Each of these actions contributes bonus points that can push you toward a higher rank even if you don't finish first in eliminations. Smart timing and aggressive play can make a huge difference.
Glowing Items on the Battlefield
During each match, you'll find glowing orbs scattered across the battlefield. These items offer powerful temporary boosts and can often turn the tide of the fight if used wisely.
Green Items restore HP for all Pokémon in your team.
Red Items temporarily boost Attack and Special Attack.
Blue Items temporarily increase Defense and Special Defense.
Mega Power Orbs charge your Mega Power faster, allowing you to Mega Evolve sooner.
Grabbing the right item at the right time can decide the outcome of a close match — sometimes even more than raw offense can.
Ranking Up and Rewards
Winning Pokémon Legends: Z-A Ranked Battles increases your points, helping you climb to higher ranks faster. As you progress, you'll also earn special rewards that can be used to enhance your Pokémon team. These may include Mega Stones, Exp. Candies, and other useful battle items.
The ranking system is designed to encourage consistent play. Since your rank doesn't decrease during the season, you can experiment, learn, and improve without fear of losing progress. At the end of each season, everyone's ranks reset, and rewards are distributed based on performance.
Important Requirements
Before joining online Ranked Battles, make sure you have the following:
An active Nintendo Switch Online membership.
A stable internet connection.
The latest update for Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
Online multiplayer is available across all versions, including Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and the expanded version with the Upgrade Pack.
Ranked Battles are a great way to earn rewards and make your Pokémon even stronger. If you don't have a powerful team yet, you can easily obtain Pokémon Legends: Z-A Pokémon from PKMBuy.
We offer a wide selection of Pokémon for every type of Trainer — choose the ones that fit your battle strategy and start climbing the ranks today.
