Rare Candy raises a Pokémon’s level by one in Pokémon Legends: Z‑A. You can secure a steady supply by completing a handful of side missions and by collecting hidden items scattered throughout Lumiose City. When Rare Candy is limited, EXP Candies and an early upgrade item can speed up leveling across your team.

Get Rare Candy from side missions (guaranteed)

The missions below award Rare Candy upon completion. Progress the main story to unlock each one, then finish the side objective to claim the reward.

No. Side mission Unlock requirement District Rare Candy reward
12. The Many Flowers of Flabébé. Complete Main Mission 6. Bleu. x1.
25. Troublesome Patrons. Battle your rival in Main Mission 10. Magenta. x2.
51. Floette Frolicking with Flowers. Defeat Canari in Main Mission 19 and complete “The Many Flowers of Flabébé”. Bleu. x2.
98. Jumbo Variety Pumpkaboo. Unlock Main Mission 35. Jaune. x2.
116. Show the Power of Aurorus!. Unlock Main Mission 38. Bleu. x3.

Step 1: Advance the main story until the mission listed in the “Unlock requirement” is available. This is what gates each side mission.

Step 2: Head to the specified district and start the side mission with its named objective. The mission becomes available once the unlock condition is met.

Step 3: Complete the side mission’s tasks. When you finish, confirm the reward includes the Rare Candy quantity shown above.

Step 4: Repeat for the remaining side missions to stockpile Rare Candy for late‑game battles.

Find Rare Candy around Lumiose City (pickups)

Rare Candy also appears as world pickups. Look for glowing floor sparkles and Poké Ball items across rooftops, streets, and tucked‑away alleys.

Step 1: Sweep each district methodically and inspect both ground-level and elevated paths. Check corners, dead ends, and rooftop routes for hidden items.

Step 2: Clear environmental barriers as you progress. Break rocks, shatter crystals, and remove purple sludge using appropriate Pokémon moves to open new item paths.

Step 3: Revisit earlier areas after major story beats. New passages often become accessible later and can contain previously unreachable pickups, including Rare Candy.

Speed up leveling when Rare Candy is scarce

Use EXP Candies

EXP Candies (XS, S, M, L, XL) drop from battles and appear as field sparkles throughout the city. They provide experience directly and are widely available.

Step 1: Prioritize S and M EXP Candies early on. These sizes give meaningful gains without waiting for rarer drops.

Step 2: Challenge Alpha Pokémon when you’re ready. These encounters frequently yield EXP Candies alongside other useful items.

Boost EXP with Canari’s Red Plush

Canari’s Red Plush increases experience earned from battles and can be upgraded with Colorful Screws for larger boosts.

Step 1: Use the Red Plush once you receive it early in the main story. It passively boosts experience gained from fights.

Step 2: Upgrade the Red Plush with Colorful Screws to raise the bonus. Level 1 (+5%) costs 3 screws, Level 2 (+10%) costs 5 screws, and Level 3 (+15%) costs 8 screws.

Step 3: Combine the EXP bonus with regular battling and EXP Candies to level multiple Pokémon faster with fewer Rare Candy uses.

Farm higher‑tier EXP Candies in late game

Late‑game play opens additional ways to acquire larger EXP Candies, including high‑level encounters and resource exchanges tied to end‑game progression.

Step 1: Push into higher‑level zones and repeat tough encounters to build a supply of L and XL EXP Candies.

Step 2: Use those large candies to raise levels across your team, saving Rare Candy for precise, single‑level jumps when needed.

What Rare Candy does

Using a Rare Candy immediately increases a single Pokémon’s level by one. It’s most useful for targeted level thresholds, such as learning a move or meeting a battle requirement, and it saves time compared to grinding experience through regular battles.

Collect the guaranteed mission rewards first, then sweep Lumiose for pickups. With EXP Candies and the Red Plush bonus, you’ll level teams quickly and save Rare Candy for the exact moments it matters.