Pokemon Legends: Z-A features some incredibly powerful Fire-type Pokemon for trainers to catch and train, making choosing just one a difficult decision for many. Additionally, since PLZA’s battle format is drastically different from the turn-based combat players have become accustomed to, much of the script is flipped.
Pokemon that were considered top-tier in previous Pokemon games may not necessarily be as good as players remember, and Pokemon that were considered terrible may have some newfound merits that make them worth considering.
Pokemon Legends Z-A: Best Pokemon to Catch ASAP
Boost your team with these early-game powerhouses in Pokemon Legends Z-A!
Emboar
Type: Fire/Fighting
|
How to Get |
Choose and evolve Catch and evolve Tepig in |
|---|---|
|
Mega Stone |
Emboarite is obtained during Main Mission 10 if trainers picked Tepig as their starter in PLZA. Otherwise, Emboarite can be purchased from the Stone Emporium after Main Mission 37. |
Wild Zone 20
Emboar is one of the most powerful physical Fire-type attackers in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, only outshone by Flareon in terms of sheer firepower. As Mega Emboar, it gets only stronger, increasing its Attack stat to a whopping 148, the highest in the entire game.
As a Fire/Fighting-type Pokemon, Emboar gets STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) on moves like Close Combat and Flare Blitz and has incredible coverage options in the form of Thunder Punch, Earthquake, Knock Off, and Head Smash. Mega Emboar is also surprisingly bulky, boasting decent Sp. Def and HP.
Chandelure
Type: Ghost/Fire
|
How to Get |
Catch and evolve Catch and evolve Catch Alpha |
|---|---|
|
Mega Stone |
Chandelurite can be purchased from the Quasartico Mega Shard Exchange for 360 Mega Shards after Main Mission 20. |
Wild Zone 17Chandelure is easily among the top three Fire-types in Pokemon Legends: Z-A due to its excellent stat spread that only gets better when it Mega Evolves. In its base form, Chandelure boasts an impressive 145 Sp. Atk, making it the premier user of moves like Flamethrower, Overheat, and Shadow Ball. As Mega Chandelure, its Sp. Atk goes up to 175, making it by far the best Fire-type Special Sweeper in the entire game.
On top of that, Ghost/Fire is a great defensive typing, as not only does it have no 4x weaknesses and only four 2x weaknesses, but it’s immune to Normal and Fighting-type moves as well. Since evolving Lampent into Chandelure is possible relatively early on in the game, Chandelure can serve as a powerhouse during a large portion of the campaign.
Charizard
Type: Fire/Flying
|
How to Get |
Choose and evolve Catch and evolve Charmander from |
|---|---|
|
Mega Stone |
Charizardite X and Y can be purchased from the Stone Emporium for 100,000 Poke Dollars after Main Mission 10. |
As the most iconic Fire-type Pokemon in the entire franchise, Charizard remains one of the best representatives of its typing in Pokemon Legends: Z-A. In its base form, Charizard is a Special Attacker with balanced stats. Compared to the other Fire-types in Lumiose City, however, this version of Charizard is not very impressive, especially considering its bad Def and Sp. Def and its 4x weakness to Rock-type moves.
However, when Mega Evolution is added to the mix, it becomes a completely different story. Mega Charizard X becomes a Fire/Dragon-type Pokemon, losing its 4x weakness and becoming a balanced Special and Physical Attacker. As Mega Charizard Y, the Pokemon’s Special Attack stat experiences a massive growth (159), making it one of the most potent damage dealers in any scenario.
Houndoom
Type: Dark/Fire
|
How to Get |
Catch and evolve Catch Alpha Catch Alpha Houndoom from |
|---|---|
|
Mega Stone |
Houndoomite can be purchased from the Quasartico Mega Shard Exchange for 180 Mega Shards. |
Wild Zone 6Houndoom is a Dark/Fire-type Pokemon players can get very early on in Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Thanks to its good Special Attack, Houndoom works wonders as a Special Sweeper, especially in the early game when it’s only up against first or second-evolution tier Pokemon.
Houndoom’s main weakness is its terrible Defense (50), which makes it susceptible to being OHKO-ed randomly. As Mega Houndoom, this weakness is mitigated significantly, as both its Defense and Sp. Def sit at a respectable 90 in this form. Mega Houndoom also gains a much higher Special Attack (140) as well as excellent Speed (115), making this form a huge power spike for the Pokemon. Best of all, since Houndoomite can be bought as soon as players get access to Mega Evolution, Mega Houndoom is one of the earliest possible Mega Evolved Pokemon players can get on their teams.
Camerupt
Type: Fire/Ground
|
How to Get |
Catch and evolve Catch Alpha |
|---|---|
|
Mega Stone |
Cameruptite can be obtained by defeating Rogue Mega Camerupt during Main Mission 12. |
Wild Zone 8Camerupt is a highly defensive Fire/Ground-type Pokemon that also doubles as an offensive powerhouse. Both Fire and Ground are excellent offensive typings for a Pokemon, and Camerupt takes full advantage of the STAB benefits it gets from them thanks to moves like Lava Plume, Earth Power, Flamethrower, and Earthquake.
Despite these positives, Camerupt’s crippling 4x weakness to Water-type attacks makes it vulnerable to Pokemon like Greninja and Feraligatr. Mega Camerupt gets a big boost to its Sp. Atk (145), allowing the Pokemon to shine using Special moves. Camerupt’s only other weakness, its slow Speed, is basically a non-factor in Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s battle format, another advantage that allows it to blitz through the campaign easily.
Delphox
Type: Fire/Psychic
|
How to Get |
Catch and evolve |
|---|---|
|
Mega Stone |
Delphoxite can be obtained by reaching Rank S during Season 2 Z-A Ranked Battles. |
Wild Zone 18Delphox is a Fire/Psychic-type Special Attacker in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, with access to some great offensive moves like Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Psychic, and Mystical Fire. However, Delphox is a relatively squishy Pokemon, defensively speaking, and is susceptible to being worn down by bulky physical attackers.
Additionally, Delphoxite is only available well into the post-game, making it impossible to use Mega Delphox during the main missions of Pokemon Legends: Z-A. As a result, players only have the regular Delphox to work with for much of the playthrough, which becomes less and less attractive as more Mega Pokemon become available.
Every Fully Evolved Fire-Type Pokemon, Ranked
Fire Pokemon are known to be some of the strongest in the franchise. These stand out as the best ones trainers can use.
Pyroar
Type: Fire/Normal
|
How to Get |
Catch and evolve Catch Catch Alpha Pyroar from |
|---|---|
|
Mega Stone |
Pyroarite can be purchased from the Quasartico Mega Shard Exchange for 240 Mega Shards after Main Mission 37. |
Wild Zone 3Thanks to its mediocre stat spread, Pyroar is one of the more overlooked Fire-type Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Z-A but one that is still worth considering. Litleo, Pyroar’s pre-evolution, is one of the very first Fire-type Pokemon players can catch in PLZA (alongside Fletchling), making it a great option for the early game.
In battles, Pyroar is a speedy Special Attacker with weak defenses and bulk. While Speed doesn’t play as large a role in Pokemon Legends: Z-A as it does in other mainline Pokemon games, it’s still a desirable stat. In an equal match, Pyroar's moves come off cooldown much faster than its opponent’s, ensuring the Pokemon gets to fire off more moves in a shorter period, which suits its glass-cannon-like stat spread.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 79 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
- Released
- October 16, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak, Creatures Inc.
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
