In reality, Z-Moves offer similar advantages as they do in the games.
Pokémon can still hold items to support their battles, but compared to Mega Evolution, Z-Moves are slightly less versatile. However, their activation is much faster.
As long as the Trainer has enough Z-Crystals, Z-Moves can be used repeatedly, which in many ways gives them greater offensive flexibility than Mega Evolution.
After receiving the Z-Ring, Gary returned to the outskirts where he'd previously trained. He released Blaziken, planning to test the power of a Z-Move for the first time.
Blaziken expected today to be a regular training session, perhaps practicing Contest techniques. But seeing no partner Pokémon around, it tilted its head in confusion and looked curiously at Gary.
Blaziken: "Blaziken?" (Are you giving me special treatment today?)
"Blaziken, we're going to try a Z-Move today," Gary explained calmly. "I'll activate the Z-Crystal on this Z-Ring. You'll feel an extra surge of energy in your body. Channel that energy into your move—it'll change its form and strength. Got it?"
The process of forming a Z-Move involves converting Z-Energy into elemental power to reconstruct the targeted move. The Z-Crystal stores the exact blueprint of how to do that. As long as the Z-Crystal is activated, the Pokémon will instinctively know how to shape and unleash the upgraded move.
"Cha moo," Blaziken nodded, eyes gleaming with focus. He understood.
"Alright then. Let's begin."
Gary crossed his arms and began performing the Firium-Z pose.
Instantly, the Firium-Z crystal embedded in his Z-Ring lit up, glowing with a brilliant golden flame. As Gary moved through the dramatic gestures of the Z-Move, the aura around him intensified.
With a final sweeping motion, the Z-Energy surged through his body and transferred into Blaziken in a blazing arc of golden light.
Blaziken's body radiated with power. The Z-Energy flared around him, golden flames crackling along his feathers and limbs. He had never felt such immense strength.
"Let's go! Inferno Overdrive!"
Blaziken focused the energy. In front of him, a massive fireball nearly five meters in diameter began to form, swirling with intense heat and raw destructive power.
It looked more like a supercharged Fireball than a traditional Inferno Overdrive.
"Blaziken, fire it!" Gary shouted.
The Fireball launched forward, tearing across the field. Wherever it passed, the scorched earth cracked beneath the intensity of the heat.
The Fireball collided with a massive boulder in the field. A thunderous explosion erupted, sending debris flying in all directions. A black cloud billowed into the sky like a mushroom.
When the smoke cleared, the boulder had been reduced to scattered rubble. The sheer force of the Z-Move was staggering—easily on par with a Hydro Cannon from a fully trained Blastoise.
"It's even stronger than I expected," Gary remarked with amazement.
Blaziken was only at the Gym Leader tier, but with the aid of Z-Moves, it had just unleashed a Champion-level attack. That kind of spike in power meant it could instantly take out opponents of similar rank—and even challenge quasi-Elite-class Pokémon.
And this was just the beginning. Z-Moves, while initially limited to 18 fixed types, could also be upgraded over time.
Like Ash's Pikachu, who evolved his Gigavolt Havoc into 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt, other Pokémon could theoretically evolve their Z-Moves with experience and Trainer synchronization.
Exactly how the upgrade happens depends on both the Pokémon's growth and the bond with its Trainer.
"Nice work. Return," Gary said, recalling Blaziken into its Poké Ball. Latest content publıshed on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚑𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚑𝕟𝕖𝕥
With his Z-Move test completed, Gary summoned Latios next and took off into the sky, heading toward Sootopolis City.
Sootopolis City was a relic of ancient times, nestled within the caldera of a dormant white volcano. Legend told of a massive meteorite that crashed into the sea over a thousand years ago, forming the crater that would become Sootopolis.
According to the tales passed down by the Draconid Tribe in Meteor Village, Groudon and Kyogre had once clashed over that meteorite. But it wasn't the only one that fell. Many meteorites had impacted the Earth back then, and this city had risen from the ashes of one of them.
An ancient tribe known as the Sootopolitans had once guarded the city. They were thought to be closely related to the Draconids, who protected the skies and the legacy of Rayquaza. To protect their kin, the Sootopolitans eventually went into hiding, changing their names and blending into history.
Wallace—the current Gym Leader—was a direct descendant of the Sootopolitans, though he never showed much interest in tribal duties or ancient history.
Flying into the skies above the crater, Gary got his first breathtaking view of Sootopolis City.
The entire city sat inside the bowl of a sunken volcano, encircled by glistening white cliffs. The volcanic rock had been bleached by centuries of rainfall and ocean spray, leaving the entire area with a striking, marble-white hue.
"It really is... beautiful," Gary whispered.
He walked through the city's elegant streets, admiring the intricate, artistic architecture.
No wonder so many great Pokémon Coordinators had come from here.
The top Trainer in the city was clearly Wallace, with his master Juan as a close second. Both were famous not only for their battle skills but also for their exceptional performances in Pokémon Contests. Most Trainers here trained for both—the battlefield and the Contest stage—emphasizing harmony and grace alongside strength.
After enjoying the city's aesthetic beauty, Gary stopped by a lakefront restaurant and sat down at an outdoor table near the water's edge.
Across the lake stood a giant ancient tree—a landmark of the city for hundreds of years.
According to lore, the tree had been gifted to Sootopolis by a giant from the Kalos region, the same giant who had once built a terrible ultimate weapon in an attempt to revive his beloved Floette. That giant was none other than AZ, the fallen king of Kalos.
In his grief, AZ had sacrificed countless innocent lives to power the weapon and bring Floette back to life. But when Floette learned of what he had done, she abandoned him. Cursed with immortality, AZ had wandered the world alone for centuries, always searching for her.
Eventually, it was said that he had come to Sootopolis and gifted this giant tree—Floette's favorite species—to the city as an act of redemption.
However, the story diverged from the game canon. In this world, the final weapon AZ once wielded was never activated during the Kalos plot. In fact, Gary had learned that the weapon had been destroyed three centuries ago.
At the time, the Kalos people had overthrown their monarchy. The weapon had been dismantled during that revolution, and the imperial system collapsed with it. The Kalos League rose in its place.
It was likely that AZ himself had played a role in dismantling the weapon. Perhaps, in the end, Floette forgave him, and the two were finally reunited—finding peace after centuries of separation.
After finishing his meal and resting in a nearby park for a while, Gary made his way to the Sootopolis Gym.
The Gym was unlike any other. It resembled a grand cathedral, its blue roof shimmering in the sunlight, with towering white stone pillars carved with swirling wave patterns.