Pokémon Legends: Z-A throws an incredible number of wild encounters at you, and before you know it your boxes are overflowing with low-level duplicates and half-finished team experiments. If your storage is already close to full, learning how to release Pokémon efficiently is one of the most important bits of housekeeping you can do.
This guide explains how to release Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, how to mass release them, and how to manage your boxes so you never accidentally get rid of something valuable like a shiny or a key team member.
All controls below use the default button layout on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.
Why You Should Release Pokémon In Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Pokémon Legends: Z-A is built around catching a lot of Pokémon. Wild Zones, survey-style tasks, shiny hunting and team building all encourage you to keep throwing Poké Balls. That also means your storage will fill up very quickly.
A few key points about storage in this game:
- You can ultimately unlock up to 32 boxes.
- Each box holds 30 Pokémon, for a total capacity of 960 stored Pokémon.
- Releasing Pokémon is purely for freeing space and organizing your collection. You do not receive items or special currency for releasing them.
So why release anything at all if there are no direct rewards?
Because clean boxes save time. Releasing Pokémon helps with:
- Keeping your living dex neat and easy to navigate.
- Making it much easier to find specific Pokémon for Battle Club teams or ranked play.
- Freeing space for shinies, event Pokémon and future breeding or move projects.
- Avoiding the nightmare of hitting the storage cap just before a stretch of story where you want to catch a lot of things.
If you notice multiple boxes that are mostly full of common Pokémon you will never use, it is absolutely worth taking time to clear them out.
How To Access Your Boxes
In Legends: Z-A you do not need a special PC in a Pokémon Center to manage storage. You can usually access your boxes straight from the menu.
To open your Boxes:
- Press X to open the main menu.
- Move the cursor to “Boxes”.
- Press A to open the full Box interface.
From here you can:
- Move Pokémon between your party and boxes.
- Rename boxes and change their wallpaper.
- Use multi-select to mass move or mass release Pokémon.
- Check summaries so you can see moves, marks, balls and other details before you decide to release.
Box access is typically available in safe areas like Hotel Z, in parts of Lumiose City, and near Wild Zones when the game allows full menu access.
How To Release A Single Pokémon
If you only want to get rid of a few surplus Pokémon, releasing them one by one is simple.
Follow these steps:
- Open the menu with X.
- Select “Boxes” and press A.
- Use L / R or the on-screen arrows to scroll to the box that contains the Pokémon you want to release.
- Move the cursor over that Pokémon and press A to open its options.
- Choose “Release” from the options list.
- A confirmation message will appear, such as “Let this Pokémon go?”
- Select Yes to finalize the release.
- Select No if you changed your mind.
Once you confirm, that Pokémon is gone permanently. There is no built-in undo or “recently released” feature, so double check before you confirm, especially for rare or sentimental Pokémon.
A good habit is to quickly check the summary of anything you are unsure about. Look for:
- The shiny icon or unusual colors.
- Strange or rare Poké Balls.
- Ribbons or special marks.
- Unique movesets that might be hard to get again.
If anything looks special, move it to a “safe” box before you start releasing.
How To Mass Release Pokémon In Pokémon Legends: Z-A
If you have been catching everything that moves for survey points or shiny odds, your boxes can fill up with duplicates very fast. Releasing those one at a time is painful. That is where mass release comes in.
Mass release works through the multi-select function in the Boxes screen.
Here is how to use it:
- Press X to open the menu.
- Select “Boxes” and press A.
- Once you are inside the Boxes screen, press X again.
This switches your cursor into multi-select mode. - Move the cursor and press A on each Pokémon you want to release.
Marked Pokémon will show a visual indicator, usually a highlight or icon. - While still in multi-select mode you can switch between boxes using L / R, which lets you tag Pokémon across multiple boxes in one go.
- When you have selected everything you want to release, press X again.
- A message will appear asking if you want to release all selected Pokémon.
- Confirm with Yes.
All the selected Pokémon will be released at once and your boxes will instantly free up a big chunk of space.
Helpful habits for mass releasing
Using mass release carelessly can be risky, so it helps to follow a few safe habits:
- Sort before you select. Use sorting options to group Pokémon by species, level or other criteria before mass releasing. That makes it easier to target low-value duplicates.
- Keep one of each species. For living dex or future projects, it is smart to keep at least one good example of each species instead of releasing every copy.
- Check for shinies and special balls first. Before you go wild with multi-select, scan your boxes for shiny icons or rare Poké Balls like special event balls or Apricorn-style balls. Move those Pokémon to a safe box.
When used carefully, mass release turns what could be an hour of box cleaning into just a few minutes.
How To Unlock More Boxes And Manage Space
At the start of the game, it might look like you only have a handful of boxes. That is enough for early story play, but it will feel cramped by the time you start shiny hunting or breeding.
The good news is that Legends: Z-A actually hides more boxes that unlock as you use them.
Unlocking extra boxes
The box expansion is very simple:
- Each time you actively use all your available boxes, the game will unlock additional ones.
- You usually do not need to fill them completely. Just having at least one Pokémon in each existing box is often enough to trigger the next unlock.
- Eventually you can reach 32 total boxes, giving you room for 960 Pokémon in storage.
A practical trick early in the game is:
- Catch a batch of common Pokémon.
- Spread them across all your current boxes so none of them are empty.
- Let the game unlock more boxes.
- Once you have more storage, go back and mass release the filler Pokémon you used for expansion.
This way you speedrun your storage upgrades without actually committing to keeping those early catches.
Setting up “safe” and “junk” boxes
To avoid releasing something important by accident, it is helpful to set up a very clear structure:
- A box called “Shinies” for every shiny you catch.
- One or more “Teams” boxes for your main story and Battle Club squads.
- A “Breeding / Projects” box for Pokémon with special moves, natures or IVs.
- A “Story / Event” box for time-limited Pokémon or ones with unique ribbons, balls or origins.
Everything outside of these boxes is generally less important. When you mass release, simply avoid your “safe” boxes and work on the rest.
Using a “Maybe” box
Sometimes you are not sure whether a Pokémon is worth keeping. In that case:
- Move it into a box labeled “Maybe”.
- Finish mass releasing the obvious duplicates from your other boxes.
- Come back to the “Maybe” box later and review them one at a time.
This prevents regret and keeps your decision-making focused instead of rushed.
Box Organization Tips For Long Term Play
Once you start engaging with shiny hunting, DLC content, Ranked Battles and co-op, box organization becomes even more important. Proper structure can save a lot of time whenever a new event drops or you decide to build a new team.
Some organization styles that work well:
- Function based: Separate boxes for main story teams, Battle Club teams, breeding stock, shinies, and legendaries or mythicals.
- Threat role based: Boxes for sweepers, walls, support Pokémon and utility picks if you love competitive play.
- Wild Zone based: If you like knowing where each Pokémon came from, you can keep them grouped by the Wild Zone where they were caught.
No matter what style you choose, the key is consistency. That way, when you decide to release Pokémon, it is obvious which boxes are safe to clear and which should never be touched with multi-select.
Frequently Asked Questions About Releasing Pokémon In Legends: Z-A
Do you get any rewards for releasing Pokémon?
No. In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, releasing Pokémon is an old-school cleanup tool. You do not receive grit items, currency or other rewards. It is all about freeing space and reducing clutter in your boxes.
Can you undo a release?
No. Once a Pokémon is released and the action is confirmed, it is gone permanently. There is no feature in the game that lets you recover released Pokémon.
If you are doing a big mass release session, it is smart to:
- Save your game manually before you start.
- Release in small batches instead of marking your entire storage at once.
- Double check that your shiny and team boxes are out of the firing line.
Is it better to just ignore extra Pokémon instead of releasing them?
If you are nowhere near full capacity, it is fine to let extras sit in boxes for a while. However, as you get deeper into the game and start filling more boxes, cleaning out low-value duplicates becomes very helpful.
Benefits of regular releases include:
- Faster team building, since you are not scrolling past dozens of junk Pokémon.
- Easier shiny management, with shinies clearly separated from common versions.
- Peace of mind when new events, Mystery Gifts or DLC content arrive and you suddenly need free space.
Keeping your boxes tidy is one of those things that does not feel urgent at first, but it makes the entire late game experience of Pokémon Legends: Z-A much smoother. With smart use of mass release, good box labels and a few safe storage habits, you can catch aggressively without ever worrying about hitting the storage wall at the worst possible moment.