Pokémon Legends Z-A’s alpha Magikarp is out for blood, and we deserve it

Going into Pokémon Legends: Z-A, I expected to face some difficult encounters with alpha Pokémon, much like in the game’s predecessor. What I wasn’t expecting was for an alpha Magikarp to brutally Hydro Pump me into oblivion for daring to look its way. How was I supposed to know it could do that?

Appearing in Pokémon ZA’s Wild Zone 2, alpha Magikarp is a sight to behold. The extra-large fish Pokémon flops around on the grass or lurks in the pond and, at least in my encounter, starts the battle with Splash. This lulled me into a false sense of security, thinking, “Oh, this must be a joke alpha!” But then, the aforementioned Hydro Pump one-shot my active ‘mon and made my trainer black out. I’ve come to the conclusion that this brave Magikarp must be taking revenge for all its fallen brethren over the decades.

To be fair to myself, the gen 1 Pokémon is known for its incredibly weak learnset, which has never included Hydro Pump outside of moves learned by TM. So, once you get over the initial fear of this flopping fish, you should consider it as an asset. Magikarp evolves into Gyarados starting from level 20, so if you catch this bad boy, you can get a stat-boosted behemoth for your team. Just make sure that you’re a high enough rank in the Z-A Royale that it’ll actually listen to you, though.

So, what do you need to catch an alpha Magikarp? As well as an abundance of Poké Balls and some good dodging skills, you’ll need some decent grass and electric-type attackers to cover Magikarp’s weaknesses. You’ve got plenty of options to choose from, given the abundance of Pokémon ZA starters with the grass type, and grabbing a Pokémon ZA Pikachu early on is a good move in preparation for February’s DLC. Plus, paralysis is extremely strong in this game, significantly slowing down the alpha Magikarp’s relentless attacks. With all these things combined, and some extra training, you’ll have an alpha Gyarados in no time.

Once you’ve secured your Gyarados, check out our Pokémon ZA mega stones guide to find out how to take it to the next level. We’ve also got guides covering many more of the Pokémon ZA zones, so you can find even more awesome alphas for your team.