Chesnaughtite is Chesnaught’s exclusive Mega Stone in Pokémon Legends: Z‑A, and it is locked behind a short, time‑limited Ranked Battles season. If you want Mega Chesnaught on your team, you have to plan around that window.
How Chesnaughtite works in Legends: Z‑A
Chesnaughtite is a Mega Stone that lets Chesnaught transform into Mega Chesnaught during battle. The item is:
| Item | Use | Who can use it | Copies per save |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesnaughtite | Mega Evolves Chesnaught when Mega Power is activated | Chesnaught only | 1 |
It behaves like other Mega Stones in Legends: Z‑A: you equip it as a held item, then trigger Mega Evolution once the Mega gauge is full. Unlike most other stones, though, there is no way to buy it, trade it, or convert Mega Shards into it. It lives entirely inside Ranked Battles Season 3.
Chesnaughtite unlock requirement (Ranked Battles Season 3)
Chesnaughtite is tied to the game’s third Ranked Battles season in the Z‑A Battle Club. There are two closely related reward structures to be aware of, and they line up like this:
| Context | Requirement | Season 3 window | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season milestone reward | Reach Rank S during Season 3 | November 26 – December 17, 2025 | Guaranteed Chesnaughtite, one per save file |
| Rank‑up reward track | Progress from Rank Z upward; Chesnaughtite appears in the top band of rewards (Z→S block) | Same season window | Chesnaughtite delivered once when you clear the threshold |
Key points that matter in practice:
- Chesnaughtite is exclusive to Ranked Battles Season 3.
- You only ever receive one Chesnaughtite per save; duplicates are blocked even if the track would award another.
- Mega Stones cannot be passed to other players by trading Pokémon that are holding them.
Once the rank requirement is met, the game immediately grants Chesnaughtite. You do not have to wait until the season ends; you can unlock the stone mid‑season and start using it right away.
Ranked Battles Season 3 structure and rewards
Ranked Battles in Legends: Z‑A use a lettered ladder, starting at Rank Z and climbing through the alphabet. Season 3 keeps that format and layers season‑specific rewards on top.
| Rank band | Notable rewards | Mega Stones tied to Season 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Z – S | Nugget x1 at each rank; various consumables | Greninjite (Y), Delphoxite (V), Chesnaughtite (S) |
| R – L | Nugget x1, Seed of Mastery x1 per rank | — |
| K – F | Nugget x2, Seed of Mastery x1, Bottle Cap x1 per rank | — |
| E – B | Nugget x2, Seed of Mastery x2, Bottle Cap x2, Gold Bottle Cap x1, Safari Ball x2 per rank | — |
| A (max) | Big Nugget x1, Seed of Mastery x3, Bottle Cap x3, Gold Bottle Cap x1, Safari Ball x3 | — |
If you already own Greninjite or Delphoxite from earlier seasons, the Season 3 track will skip handing out duplicates; the game does not allow more than one copy of any Mega Stone in a single save.
On top of rank‑up rewards, every Ranked Match grants some experience items such as EXP Candies or Rare Candies. That means there’s still value in playing after you hit the Chesnaughtite threshold or even max rank.
How Ranked Battles work in the Z‑A Battle Club
To plan the grind to Chesnaughtite, it helps to understand how Legends: Z‑A’s Ranked format works.
| Match structure | Details |
|---|---|
| Players per match | 4 trainers on the field at once |
| Pokémon per player | 3 Pokémon, all auto‑scaled to level 50 |
| Win condition | Placement is decided by number of KOs (eliminations); fainting multiple times is allowed as long as you secure more KOs |
| Species rules | Only one of any species per team; only one of Xerneas, Yveltal, Zygarde, or Diancie per team |
Placement directly feeds into your rank points:
| Placement | Rank point change |
|---|---|
| 1st | +30 |
| 2nd | +10 |
| 3rd | −10 |
| 4th | −30 |
Ties for a position share the point value for that position. Because of the penalties for 3rd and 4th, staying in the top two is the most reliable way to climb quickly.
Strategies to reach the Chesnaughtite rank quickly
Reaching the Chesnaughtite threshold during a short season window is very manageable if you treat Ranked as a points game rather than a highlight reel.
- Prioritize 2nd place or better. A consistent stream of +10s with occasional +30s will outpace a volatile mix of wins and 4th‑place crashes.
- Play opportunistically. Because eliminations matter more than surviving, “third‑party” weakened opponents. Let other trainers soften targets, then finish them with wide‑coverage moves.
- Use strong area‑of‑effect moves. Attacks like Surf and Rollout can tag multiple opponents and steal KOs at once, which boosts both placement and elimination count.
- Minimize deaths that don’t buy you KOs. Trading your Pokémon for a secure elimination is fine; getting wiped while dealing no finishing blow is what drags placements down.
Played this way, climbing from the starting Rank Z up through the Chesnaughtite band can take under an hour of focused matches, often less if you already have a solid Ranked team built.
How to unlock the Z‑A Battle Club
The Z‑A Battle Club unlocks early in the main story, so you can prepare for Chesnaughtite well before Season 3 starts.
| Requirement | What to do |
|---|---|
| Main story progress | Clear Main Mission 03, “A New Life in Lumiose City” |
| Pokédex condition | Register at least five different Pokémon species |
Once those conditions are met, the Z‑A Battle Club becomes accessible through the game’s Link Play menu. To join Ranked:
- Open the main menu.
- Select Link Play.
- Choose Ranked Battles from the Battle Club options.
Ranked Battles require an internet connection and a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, the same online conditions that apply to other multiplayer modes on Nintendo Switch.
How to get Chesnaught ready for Mega Evolution
Chesnaught itself does not appear as a static overworld encounter in most of the game’s documentation; the most reliable route is still evolving the Chespin line.
| Stage | Method | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Chespin → Quilladin | Level up Chespin | 16 |
| Quilladin → Chesnaught | Level up Quilladin | 36 |
There are two practical avenues to start that chain:
- Catch Chespin in a Wild Zone and evolve it naturally through battle or Training Items.
- Catch Quilladin or Chesnaught directly in higher‑level Wild Zones (for example, Wild Zone 20 can spawn Chesnaught), then backfill the Pokédex by evolving lower forms later if you care about completion.
Wild Zone encounters rotate, and levels vary by area, so using the interactive map or in‑game habitat data is the easiest way to zero in on the Kalos grass starter line.
Equipping Chesnaughtite and Mega Evolving Chesnaught
Once you have both Chesnaught and Chesnaughtite, the last step is wiring it into your battle flow.
| Step | Action in‑game |
|---|---|
| 1. Open boxes | From the main menu, open your Pokémon Boxes. |
| 2. Select Chesnaught | Highlight the Chesnaught you want to Mega Evolve. |
| 3. Give held item | Choose “Give an item to hold”. |
| 4. Choose Chesnaughtite | Move to the Mega Stones tab, select Chesnaughtite, and confirm “Give to Pokémon”. |
With the stone attached:
- Take Chesnaught into battle, either in the story, Z‑A Royale, or Ranked.
- Attack and take damage until the Mega Power (Mega Energy) gauge is full.
- Press the right analog stick (R3) to trigger Mega Evolution for that battle.
Mega Chesnaught gains boosted base stats and a changed ability for the duration of the fight, then reverts to regular Chesnaught afterward with Chesnaughtite still equipped.
If you want Mega Chesnaught on your roster, everything hinges on a short Ranked Battles Season 3 window and a climb into the top ranks. Unlock the Battle Club early, prep a team that can reliably place in the top half of four‑player matches, and be ready to sprint up the ladder as soon as the season goes live.
