Pokemon Legends: Z-A Has Totally Ruined a Gen 1 Move

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As a long-time Pokémon fan, I’m a little bummed about how useless Substitute has become in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The new real-time battle system just makes it too easy to break through with powerful attacks and quick movements. Even though you can still teach Pokémon Substitute as a move, it’s honestly not worth using up a move slot because battles are so fast-paced now. It feels like a move that used to be really strategic just doesn’t have a place in this new game.

In most main Pokemon games, the move Substitute creates a temporary copy of the user, but it costs 25% of the Pokemon’s maximum health. This copy takes damage instead of the original Pokemon, and disappears once it takes enough hits. Having a Substitute out can help a Pokemon survive a potentially knockout attack, giving it a chance to attack back or switch to another Pokemon. It’s a useful defensive tactic in competitive battles, and as of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, almost any Pokemon can learn it.

Substitute Is All But Useless in Pokemon Legends: Z-A

While the Substitute move still technically works in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, it’s not very effective in battles due to the game’s new combat system. Unlike previous Pokemon games, Pokemon Legends: Z-A features action-based battles with quick cooldowns, letting you use moves frequently. Trainers can also move around the battlefield to dodge or position themselves for attacks. Although Substitute creates a decoy that opponents can target, it doesn’t actually protect the Pokemon using the move from being attacked. This means it’s more of a temporary distraction than a reliable strategy in ranked battles.

Using a Substitute to take damage for you isn’t always effective, especially against certain attacks. Some moves, like Ice Beam, Flamethrower, and Hydro Pump, hit in a line and can bypass the Substitute to damage you directly. Powerful Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, such as Gyarados and Dragonite, are particularly good at breaking through Substitutes and hitting their target.

Substitute is a useful defensive move in traditional turn-based Pokemon battles, but it’s not effective in the faster-paced combat of Pokemon Legends: Z-A. It’s currently unclear whether future Pokemon games will go back to the classic turn-based system or continue with the real-time battles introduced in Pokemon Legends: Z-A.

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2025-10-22 23:04