Pokemon Legends: Z-A features my favorite Bug-type Pokemon of all time, Generation 2's Heracross, but the first one you get in the game comes with a catch. Pokemon Legends: Z-A doesn't really feature any brand-new Pokemon to catch, but the game does bring back some of the most popular Pokemon from past games.

In the early hours of Pokemon Legends: Z-A, players choose their starter Pokemon between Chikorita, Tepig, and Totodile. They then encounter Pokemon like Fletchling and Bunnelby. More Pokemon are slowly introduced as players progress through Pokemon Legends: Z-A's main story, and it doesn't take long at all for a Heracross to show up.

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Pokemon Legends Z-A: How to Nickname Pokemon

Pokemon Legends: Z-A allows players to give captured Pokemon unique nicknames as many times as they want. Here’s how.

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Pokemon Legends: Z-A's First Heracross Has a Nickname You Can't Change

pokemon legends z-a heracross nickname

Most Pokemon Legends: Z-A side missions are optional, but there are three early on that are required to progress the story. Pokemon Legends: Z-A players must complete the first three side missions, which includes Side Mission 2: A Use for an Evolution Stone. This mission requires players to catch a Pikachu and trade it for a Heracross. I love Heracross. It's my favorite Bug-type Pokemon by far, and quite easily one of my favorite Pokemon of all time. But unfortunately, the Heracross players get from the trade is saddled with a nickname, and there is no way to change it.

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Heracross
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Evolution 1 Method
Heracronite
Fairy
2
HP
80
Attack
125
Defense
75
Special Attack
40
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Pokemon fans are split on nicknames. There are some that nickname every Pokemon they catch, but others that prefer to stick with the proper names for the Pokemon. I fall into the latter camp, and so it makes me cringe every time I throw out Heracross in Pokemon Legends: Z-A and I see it's called "Bois." This wouldn't be a huge deal if players could change the nicknames of traded Pokemon, but that's not possible. This restriction has never really made sense to me, and I'm always holding out hope that Game Freak will change it, but it never does.

I could replace this "Bois" Heracross with a different one, but Heracross can't be caught in Pokemon Legends: Z-A until players reach Wild Zone 13, itself only available after completing Main Mission 14. At that point, I will have already leveled my traded Heracross significantly anyway, so it will feel pointless to catch a new one without a nickname. In the meantime, I will hold out hope that the Generation 10 Pokemon games, rumored to be releasing next year as Switch 2 exclusives, finally give players the option to edit the nicknames of Pokemon they get from trades.

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Pokemon Legends: Z-A
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RPG
Adventure
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Systems
super greyscale 8-bit logo
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Top Critic Avg: 79 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
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Released
October 16, 2025
ESRB
Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases
Developer(s)
Game Freak, Creatures Inc.
Publisher(s)
Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Genre(s)
RPG, Adventure