When sunny skies refuse to budge in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, rain can be the secret key to unlocking rare encounters, environmental changes, and battle advantages. Here’s how to take control of the clouds and make it rain whenever your strategy-or your mood-demands it.
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How to change the weather to rain in Pokémon Legends: Z-A
In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, changing the weather to rain involves interacting with specific in-game elements and locations that influence the environment. Players can trigger rain by visiting areas known for weather shifts or by using weather-related items and abilities during their adventure. Mastering these techniques allows trainers to strategically affect battles and encounter water-type Pokémon more frequently.
The best way to change the weather in-game is to just quickly rest on a bench to skip time forward until it starts to rain.
Obviously, this is not a fast method, but it seems to be the only method we can confirm. Since the battle zone cutscene plays during every shift from day to night and vice versa, it’s a bit time-consuming. You should also be prepared to sit in for a lengthy reset session, as it took us dozens of resets before it actually started to rain in-game. You may get luckier than us, though!
Alternatively, Side Mission 64, “Let it Rain, Let it Pour,” does force it to rain in the game in order for you to battle the trainer in question, but, in our experience, the rain immediately stopped once the battle ended. Even if the rain does continue for you, this isn’t a reliable solution, since you can only complete this side mission once.
As the main reason to change the weather to rain in Pokémon Legends: Z-A is to either catch a Goomy or evolve your Sliggoo, we actually recommend catching your Goomy in the westernmost dead-end room of the Lumiose Sewers, as you can find them there even when it isn’t raining. This section of the sewers is unlocked after starting Side Mission 57, “The Camerupt Entrepreneur,” which is unlocked after completing Main Mission 19.
Where to find benches to skip time fast in Lumiose City
Benches for skipping time in Lumiose City are most commonly found right outside every Pokémon Center, making them the fastest and most reliable option for time advancement.
Key Bench Locations
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Benches are scattered across Lumiose City, with one placed conveniently near each Pokémon Center, marked clearly on your map.
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Additional benches can be found in various Wild Zones and sectors, including rooftops and near key landmarks like restaurants, Magenta, Rouge, and Jaune sectors, and plazas.youtube
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For quick access, fast travel to any Pokémon Center; then look just outside for a bench to use the time skip feature.
Tips for Fast Time Skipping
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Interact with a bench and choose “Kill some time here” to advance time until either morning or night.
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If benches are not available at the start, progress through the main story until early main missions are complete-benches unlock between Mission 5 and Mission 8.
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Use the benches outside Pokémon Centers for the quickest cycle, since they’re close to fast travel points and central to the city.
Benches outside Pokémon Centers will be your best bet for efficient time skipping, while exploring other sector benches offers broader coverage for hunting Pokémon and resetting spawns.youtube
Best benches for bench-reset shiny farming in Lumiose City
The best benches for bench-reset shiny farming in Lumiose City are those located close to high-density or rare Pokémon spawns, especially near sector plazas, rooftops, and busy wild zones.youtube+1
Top Bench-Reset Locations
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Zone 6 Bench: Great for Houndoom, Houndour spawns, and also covers high-value targets within 50 yards, such as Hawlucha and Furret.youtube
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Restaurant Le Nah Benches (Magenta Sector): These rooftop benches reset Magikarp, Dratini, and flying/rare Pokémon on the upper levels, making daytime and rooftop resets extremely efficient.youtube
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Jaune Sector Benches: Especially near Jaune Street and Jaune Sector 2, good for Swirlix, Spritzee, Mawile, Shuppet, and Hawlucha, as well as Alphas and Mega evolutions.youtube
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Zone 12 Bench: Covers Froslass and a variety of ice-types (Bergmite, Snorunt), as well as static Alpha Pokémon.youtube
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Magenta Sector 7 Bench: Near Ralts, Abra, Dedenne, and Eevee, which makes it especially useful for those hunting for these rarities.youtube
Method Tips
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Always choose a bench close to your target Pokémon’s spawn; any bench within range (usually visible area or 50 yards) will reset the nearby Pokémon when skipping time.youtube
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Rooftop benches are highly recommended for covering multiple vertical spawn layers (especially flying types or rooftop-exclusive spawns).youtube
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Combine benches with fast travel points (Pokémon Centers, plazas) for efficiency and faster cycling.youtube
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Use turbo controllers or simple repeated inputs to maximize resets in optimal locations.youtube+2
By prioritizing benches in these sectors and adjusting according to your shiny targets, you can maximize your chances and efficiency for bench-reset shiny farming in Lumiose City.youtube+1
