Inkay has quickly become one of the fastest-rising stars of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, due to the inclusion of Mega Malamar, which is one of the highlight Mega Evolutions of the game. Evolving Inkay remains one of the most difficult evolutions across the franchise, but as per evolution system tweaks in Legends: Z-A, it is atrociously easy to get yourself into trouble if you don’t grasp the exact process.
This guide summarizes where to find Inkay, how to trigger its special evolution to Malamar, and thereafter how to get into its Mega form to enhance its ability in battle.
Where to Find Inkay in Pokémon Legends: Z-A
You can catch Inkay in Wild Zone 11, which is located in the southeastern section of Lumiose City. This area becomes accessible after you’ve defeated the first three Rogue Mega Pokémon — Camerupt, Victreebel, and Slowbro.
Once Wild Zone 11 opens, explore the small water ponds in the area at night to spot Inkay. They tend to appear in groups, so it shouldn’t take long to find one.
Stuck Inkay will, of course, be level 30, a handy level to evolve it. Evolving it, though, is not as simple as leveling it up — it still has a special “flip” trick, albeit with a twist in Legends: Z-A.
How to Evolve Inkay into Malamar
To evolve Inkay, ensure that it is at least level 30. Then, perform the following steps with spot-on timing and sequence:
- Open the main menu (X) and navigate to your Pokémon list.
- Hover over Inkay and open its full Pokémon description screen.
- Using the description screen, hold your Nintendo Switch console upside down.
- The “Evolve” option should now be available — press it to evolve Inkay into Malamar.
If you try flipping the console before entering Inkay’s menu, the evolution prompt won’t show. The game would only sense the motion when its status screen is active, so be sure to do that in the proper sequence.
Once you’ve done that, you’ll have Malamar officially on your team — and you’re about to take it further into Mega territory.
How to Get Mega Malamar in Pokémon Legends: Z-A
To Mega Evolve Malamar, you’ll need to acquire Malamarite, its exclusive Mega Stone. This can be purchased from the Quasartico Headquarters vendor located in the Magenta District of Lumiose City.
- Malamarite costs 240 Mega Shards.
- It becomes available later in the story, usually after defeating several high-tier Rogue Mega Pokémon such as Beedrill, Banette, and Hawlucha.
Once you’ve obtained the stone:
- Make Malamar hold the Malamarite.
- In battle, build up enough Mega Energy.
- Press L to trigger the Mega Evolution.
Base stats of Mega Malamar increase from 482 to 582, greatly enhancing all across the board, especially Attack, Special Attack, and Speed. Although its Special Defense does the same, that specific stat is not as much of an issue in Legends: Z-A’s free-movement battle system.
