The Z-A Battle Club is getting a new look for the fall. From October 8 to 29, Season 18 of the ranked battles in Pokémon Legends: Z-A allows one Legendary Pokémon per team, chosen from seven heavyweights. Seven Mega Stones are up for grabs as you climb the rankings, and the end of the season will coincide with the release of a pack bundling the game and its Mega Dimension DLC.
One Legendary per team, no more
Announced on October 1 via the in-game news and Pokémon HOME, Season 18 will open on Thursday, October 8 at 8:00 a.m. and end on Thursday, October 29 at 2:59 a.m., Paris time (after the switch to winter time on October 25). Its special feature: each team can include a single special Pokémon from among Xerneas, Yveltal, Zygarde, Mewtwo, Kyogre, Groudon and Rayquaza. The rest of the team must be drawn from the regional Pokédex.
The full rules:
- Allowed Pokémon: No. 001 to 232 of the Lumiose Pokédex and No. 001 to 132 of the Mega Dimension Extra Dex
- Special Pokémon: only one per team, from among the seven Legendaries listed above
- Restrictions: the same species and the same held item may appear only once per team
- Level: Pokémon from Lv. 1 to 100 are accepted, all set to Lv. 50 in battle
- Format: real-time four-player battles, limited to three minutes
In these four-player clashes, where you need to KO as many opponents as possible in three minutes, the choice of Legendary is likely to weigh heavily.
Seven Mega Stones to earn
As in previous seasons, several ranking tiers unlock a Mega Stone. Here are the ones handed out during Season 18:
- Rank S: Blazikenite (Blaziken)
- Rank T: Swampertite (Swampert)
- Rank U: Sceptilite (Sceptile)
- Rank V: Baxcalibrite (Baxcalibur)
- Rank W: Chesnaughtite (Chesnaught)
- Rank X: Delphoxite (Delphox)
- Rank Y: Greninjite (Greninja)
These Mega Stones can’t be obtained during a normal playthrough. Be careful: it is impossible to own two copies of one. If one of them is already in your Bag, the corresponding tier won’t give it to you again. End-of-season rewards, such as Gold and Silver Capsules, are added depending on your final rank. A Nintendo Switch Online subscription is still required to take part.
A Switch 2 pack with Mega Dimension on October 29
On the very day the season closes, Thursday, October 29, a pack bundling Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and the Mega Dimension DLC on a single game card will be released. No need, then, to buy the expansion separately. Those who already own the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition only need to purchase Mega Dimension on its own. The pack remains playable on the original Nintendo Switch, without the Switch 2-specific enhancements. You will need to have finished the main story to access the Mega Dimension plot, in which 
Hoopa notably appears.
As a bonus, buying the pack entitles you to a single-use code for 100 Ultra Balls. The code doesn’t expire, but it requires an Internet connection and about an hour of play to unlock the Mystery Gift feature.
Key takeaways: from October 8 to 29, the ranked battles in Pokémon Legends: Z-A welcome one Legendary per team and hand out seven Mega Stones, including those of the Hoenn starters. A good chance to head back to the Battle Club before the Switch 2 Edition + Mega Dimension pack arrives on October 29.
Source: in-game news and Pokémon HOME, official Pokémon Legends: Z-A website (Mega Dimension pack), official website (ranked battles)
