Pokémon Legends: Z-A players are once again proving that creativity knows no limits when it comes to shiny hunting. A newly discovered glitch in Wild Zone 20 allows players to hunt for up to six Alpha Pokémon simultaneously, drastically increasing the odds of finding ultra-rare shiny variants.
Following the success of earlier discoveries like the shiny duplication glitch and the Wild Zone 3 door method, this new technique has become a hot topic within the Pokémon community — especially among shiny hunters eager to expand their collections. The method, which involves careful manipulation of Alpha spawns and the game’s respawn system, has been verified by multiple players and shared widely online.
✨ Shiny Hunting in Pokémon Legends: Z-A Is Getting Wilder
Since the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, shiny hunting has become one of the game’s most popular activities. Much like Pokémon Legends: Arceus before it, Z-A gives players open-world environments filled with dynamic Pokémon encounters, making it the perfect playground for shiny hunters.
In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, shiny Pokémon can appear in nearly any biome, but certain areas — known as Wild Zones — offer increased spawn rates and special variants known as Alpha Pokémon. Alphas are larger, stronger, and more aggressive versions of regular species, making them both dangerous and highly desirable.
Players have already developed multiple shiny hunting techniques, ranging from simple resets to complex map-based manipulation methods. The most commonly used include:
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Bench-resetting: Interacting with benches on the map to refresh spawns.
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Despawn running: Moving about 70 meters away from a Pokémon, then returning to reset its spawn.
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Flying method: Repeatedly gliding into an area to refresh all Pokémon within a 50-meter radius.
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Door method: Exclusive to Wild Zone 3, this resets Pokémon near doors or entry points.
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Fossil reset: Reviving 10 or more fossils, checking for shinies, and restarting if none appear.
And now, thanks to the community’s relentless experimentation, players have uncovered the Wild Zone 20 Alpha Gathering Glitch — one of the most efficient shiny hunting tricks in the game so far.
🧭 How the New Wild Zone 20 Alpha Glitch Works
The new shiny hunting method was first reported by a Discord user named EagleBMW, before being analyzed and demonstrated by well-known YouTuber Austin John Plays, a trusted voice in the Pokémon community.
The technique is relatively straightforward but requires patience and precise timing. Essentially, players lure multiple Alpha Pokémon into the same location — specifically under the central tower in Wild Zone 20 — and then use save-and-restart tactics to repeatedly reset their shiny status.
According to players who’ve replicated the method successfully, here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how to perform it:
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Trigger aggro from the two Alpha Pokémon located at the base of the tower in Wild Zone 20.
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Lead both Alphas north toward the nearby stream.
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Exit the Wild Zone and immediately save the game. Then, close and restart.
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Re-enter Wild Zone 20, trigger aggro from the Alphas near the stream again, and guide them to the northern gate. Exit once more, save, and restart the game.
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Walk approximately 60 meters away from the gate (marking the location on the map helps). Save and restart again.
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Return to the gate and check if the Alphas remain in position. Then, move toward the tower without exceeding 70 meters from the gate, keeping both Pokémon aggressive toward you.
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Under the tower, two more Alpha Pokémon should appear. Trigger their aggro and lead all four toward the northern stream.
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Repeat these steps until all four Alphas — and eventually up to six — are gathered at the gate.
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Once they’re grouped together, save your progress, allow yourself to be knocked out by the Alphas, and re-enter Wild Zone 20.
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If all Alphas have respawned under the tower, begin shiny hunting as usual using your preferred reset method.
By stacking multiple Alphas in the same area, players can check for shinies across several Pokémon at once — effectively multiplying their odds.
🧠 Why This Works — The Science Behind the Glitch
Pokémon Legends: Z-A’s open-world design features dynamic spawn systems that refresh Pokémon based on player distance, save states, and area transitions. Normally, each Alpha Pokémon has a fixed spawn location and timing, but by manipulating aggro triggers and exits, players can “trick” the game into stacking multiple active Alpha entities in one place.
Crucially, this doesn’t break the game’s data structure or introduce duplicates. Instead, it leverages the normal spawn rules in creative ways. This makes it a safe glitch, unlike the now-patched shiny duplication exploit, which risked instability and potential bans when linked with Pokémon HOME.
Players using this Alpha-gathering method can freely shiny hunt without fear of penalties or corrupted save files.
🔮 Tips to Improve Shiny Odds
While this glitch drastically improves efficiency, shiny hunters can further boost their chances by combining it with traditional shiny-enhancing tools and mechanics. Here are a few tips:
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Obtain the Shiny Charm: This key item significantly increases shiny odds across all encounters.
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Use Lures Wisely: Time-based lures in Z-A improve spawn rates of Alphas and rare Pokémon.
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Save Strategically: Always save before entering an encounter zone to ensure repeatable results.
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Track Distances: Use the in-game map’s pin system to measure the exact 60–70m reset distances.
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Stay Patient: Even with six Alphas in play, shiny hunting remains a numbers game — persistence pays off.
⚔️ Why Wild Zone 20 Is the Perfect Place for Alpha Hunts
Wild Zone 20 has quickly gained a reputation among Pokémon Legends: Z-A players as one of the most rewarding (and dangerous) areas in the entire game. Featuring multiple Alpha spawns and a dense population of high-level Pokémon, it’s ideal for both experience farming and shiny collection.
Some of the most sought-after Alphas available in this area include:
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Eelektross – known for its striking blue shiny form.
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Skarmory – a fan-favorite steel bird with vivid green coloration in its shiny version.
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Eeveelutions – including Umbreon, Vaporeon, and Sylveon, which are notoriously difficult to shiny hunt.
Gathering all these Alpha Pokémon together not only saves time but also offers players the thrill of managing multiple massive Pokémon on-screen at once — an impressive sight even by Z-A’s high visual standards.
💬 Community Reaction: Enthusiasm and Experimentation
The Pokémon community has embraced the Wild Zone 20 method with enthusiasm. On Reddit, Discord, and YouTube, players are sharing clips of their Alpha groups and documenting successful shiny captures.
Many consider it one of the most exciting shiny hunting techniques since the original duplication glitch, especially since it doesn’t rely on game-breaking exploits.
Some fans are even experimenting further, trying to see whether this method could be expanded to other Wild Zones or combined with fossil resets for hybrid shiny hunting strategies.
However, others have cautioned that players should always back up save data before attempting advanced manipulation, just in case the glitch behaves unpredictably after future patches.
⚙️ No Risk of Bans or Data Corruption
Unlike some of the more controversial exploits in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the Wild Zone 20 Alpha method is considered safe and legitimate by most players. The process doesn’t involve modifying data, using third-party tools, or altering the game’s core files.
Furthermore, since it doesn’t generate duplicate Pokémon or illegal data entries, it doesn’t trigger flags in Pokémon HOME or Nintendo’s online monitoring systems.
This means shiny hunters can experiment freely without worrying about bans, soft-locks, or corrupted saves — something that has made this method even more appealing.
🔔 The Bigger Picture: Creativity in the Pokémon Community
Pokémon fans have always been known for uncovering unique mechanics and hidden interactions in every new title. From MissingNo. in the original Red & Blue to Arceus’s mass outbreak exploits, the series has a long history of unintentional — yet fascinating — gameplay discoveries.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A continues that tradition. As the most open-ended game in the series so far, it rewards exploration and experimentation in ways no previous entry could. The Wild Zone 20 glitch is a perfect example of players pushing the game’s systems to their limits, turning a technical quirk into a thrilling advantage.
Whether Game Freak chooses to patch it out or leave it as a harmless curiosity remains to be seen. But for now, it’s become one of the most talked-about shiny hunting strategies of 2025.
🧾 Final Thoughts: The Shiny Hunt Evolves Again
Pokémon Legends: Z-A has already cemented its place as a favorite among shiny hunters, but the discovery of the Wild Zone 20 Alpha glitch elevates the experience even further. By allowing trainers to target up to six Alphas simultaneously, the method transforms shiny hunting from a slow grind into an exhilarating spectacle of precision and patience.
As more players test and refine the process, it’s likely to become a staple technique — at least until future patches alter spawn behavior. For now, the glitch remains one of the safest and most rewarding ways to chase shinies in Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
Whether you’re after a golden Skarmory, a sparkling Eeveelution, or a rare electric-blue Eelektross, Wild Zone 20 might just be your best bet yet.
