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Pokémon Legends: Z-A

How to Get and Evolve Inkay

By
Craig Robinson
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Pokemon dex collectors are currently on the warpath for unlocking the "Shiny Charm" iconShiny Charm. To do so, you need to reach level 50 with Mabel’s research tasks. A lot of the best ways to do this is by collecting pokemon of different types and evolving them to fill out your collection. So, naturally, players want to collect a lot of types for their dex as efficiently as possible. This is why "Inkay" iconInkay evolution is such a pain to deal with compared to other Pokemon. Here’s a look at how to evolve Inkay in Pokemon Legends ZA and what makes this evolution method so unique.

Here’s how to catch and evolve Inkay in Pokemon Legends ZA. Image via Gamer Guides / Nintendo.

How to evolve Inkay

To evolve Inkay in Pokemon Legends ZA, you need the following:

  • Inkay must be level 30 or higher
  • Flip your gyro controls upside down during the evolution

Yeah so, make sure your peripherals work because you need gyro settings enabled on your controller. When you’re on the stash and pokemon party menu with your Inkay, feel free to turn your controller or Joy-Cons upside down physically. If that doesn’t work, disconnect controllers and flip the Switch upside down itself.

If your Inkay is level 30 or higher, the evolve screen should pop up on your display. Accept it and you’re evolving your Inkay successfully into "Malamar" iconMalamar.

This shouldn’t be too much of a problem, considering you can get Inkays from Wild Zone 11 at evolution level anyway. So, it’s just a matter of grabbing a working gyro controller.

This unusual evolution method is a callback to the original games where Inkay required the Nintendo 3DS to be held upside down during leveling. It’s one of the most unique evolution requirements in the entire Pokemon franchise, which is why so many players struggle with it initially.

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Guide Information
  • Guide Release
    15 October 2025
  • Last Updated
    13 January 2026
    Version History
  • Guide Author

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An ambitious new adventure set in Lumiose City awaits in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Explore the city, unravel its secrets and battle Pokémon like never before! The guide will contain the following:

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