Pokemon Legends Z-A How to Evolve Inkay into Malamar

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Inkay is a highly desired Pokémon in *Pokémon Legends: Z-A*, especially with the introduction of Mega Malamar as a new Mega Evolution. Evolving Inkay is notoriously difficult, requiring specific adjustments to your Nintendo Switch, and the new evolution system in *Legends Z-A* makes it even more challenging if you’re not aware of the correct method.

This guide explains how to find and catch Inkay, and troubleshoot any issues you might have evolving it into Malamar. We’ll cover why the evolution process might not be working and how to fix it. Plus, we’ll show you how to take your Malamar a step further and turn it into Mega Malamar – a powerful Dark/Psychic-type Pokémon that’s currently dominating battles.

How to Get Inkay in Pokemon Legends Z-A

Inkay can be found in *Pokemon Legends Z-A* by heading to Wild Zone 11, which is in the lower right area of Lumiose City. You’ll need to defeat the first three Rogue Mega Evolution Pokemon – Camerupt, Victreebel, and Slowbro – to unlock this zone. Once it’s unlocked, look for Inkay near the water ponds, but remember it only appears at night. So, take a break from the A-Z Royale and go catch one!

Be cautious when hunting for Inkay in Wild Area 11, as the Alpha Pokémon there can be tough to handle. It tends to call in a lot of help during battle, making things much more difficult.

If you’ve gotten an Inkay around level 30, you can try evolving it. Some players may recall that the old method involved physically turning your Nintendo Switch, but that doesn’t seem to work anymore – the evolution icon isn’t even showing up for some. Let’s explore why this is happening and how to get it to evolve.

How to Evolve Inkay into Malamar

To evolve Inkay into Malamar, you’ll need it to be at least level 30. Before you turn your Nintendo Switch upside down, make sure you follow these instructions:

  1. Open the menu (X), then hover over Inkay.
  2. Select Inkay to open its Pokemon tab.
  3. Now, flip the Console upside down and the Evolve option will appear.
  4. Press Evolve to turn Inkay into Malamar.

To get Malamar, players need to open Inkay’s menu in the game *before* turning off their console. If they do this correctly, they’ll receive Malamar, which can then be Mega Evolved into Mega Malamar.

How To Unlock Mega Malamar in Pokemon Legends Z-A

Mega Malamar

In Pokemon Legends Z-A, you’ll need a special item called Malamarite to evolve Malamar into Mega Malamar. You can buy Malamarite at the Quasartico Headquarters in Lumiose City’s Magenta District. It costs 240 Mega Shards, and you’ll unlock the ability to purchase it a bit later in the game. Be ready to battle and defeat some powerful Rogue Mega Pokemon – like Beedrill, Banette, and Hawlucha – before you can get it.

Okay, so once you get the Malamarite, you gotta have Malamar hold it. Then, you just battle and collect enough Mega Energy, and when you’ve got enough, hit ‘L’ to Mega Evolve it! It temporarily boosts Malamar’s stats by a whole 100 – from 482 to 582, which is pretty significant. Honestly, though, a lot of the boost is in Special Defense, and in a game where you can switch out Pokemon and dodge attacks, that’s not *super* helpful. Still, it does get a nice bump to Attack, Special Attack, and Speed, and if you’re using moves like Psyshock or Night Slash, that extra power can definitely come in handy.

Perhaps Malamar’s most impressive ability is its move, Topsy-Turvy. This unique move flips the effects of stat changes – turning buffs into debuffs and vice versa. For example, if an opponent boosts their Special Attack and Attack, Topsy-Turvy can instantly turn those into six-stage drops instead. This makes Malamar and Mega Malamar a serious threat against opponents who rely on boosting their stats.

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2025-10-19 13:04