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If you plan to Mega Evolve more than a couple of teammates, you're going to need a mountain of Mega Shards. The game quietly teaches the basics (break pink “Mega Crystals,” get Shards), but it doesn't explain the best places, the right moves, or how to multiply your gains. Here's a clean, practical route from a player who made too many laps around Lumiose's rooftops.

Mega Shards 101 (and why you need so many)

• What they are: a currency dropped by breaking the pink crystal nodes scattered around the city and certain Wild Zones.
• What they buy: Mega Stones (and some useful consumables) at Quasartico Inc.
• When you can spend them: after Main Mission 10 – “The Secrets of Mega Evolution.”
• Typical costs: common stones ~180 Shards; mid-tier ~240; premium picks ~360. If you want the Shiny Charm path (which involves Mabel's research and a “Mega Pokedex”), expect to buy a lot.

How to Break Crystals Fast (controls & combat tips)

1. Call out your Pokemon, hold ZL to lock the node, and use a damaging move to shatter it.
2. Ranged or fast moves feel best: Quick single-target: Extreme Speed, Quick Attack (e.g., Lucario for snappy taps). AoE for clumps: Earthquake, Rock Slide—great on dense rooftops.
3. You earn XP for the Pokemon doing the breaking and charge Mega Power once you've unlocked Mega Evolution—nice incidental perks while farming.

Multiplying Your Shard Income (don't skip this)

Early in the story you'll start finding Colorful Screws (purple orbs). Trade these at Racen's Construction (bottom-right of the city) for Canary plush upgrades:

• Pink Canary → more Mega Shards from each crystal (the one that matters here).
• Gold Canary → boosts prize money from trainer battles (does not affect selling treasure items).
  Upgrade the Pink first; it scales your entire route. They go up to Lv. 4, and each tier is a noticeable bump.

Respawns & Reset Rules (what actually works)

• Crystal nodes don't hard-reset by resting on benches or save-reloads.
• In practice, they repopulate after ~10 real-minutes of play. Treat that as a loop timer: clear a cluster, do something else (battles, errands), then swing back.
• Cycling day/night is useful for you, not the crystals—they repop over time, not on time-skips.

The Farming Loadout (quick checklist)

• 1 fast hitter for single crystals (Extreme Speed/Quick Attack user).
• 1 AoE user (Earthquake/Rock Slide) for tight groups.
• Glide & double jump make the rooftop circuit vastly faster (unlock them ASAP).
• Mount swapping habits (if you use them) to traverse gaps and ladders quickly.
• Camera angle slightly overhead helps you spot pink glows on ledges.

If you're more focused on team strength than farming routes, you can always buy Shiny Pokemon Legends ZA options from trusted player markets to round out your lineup. This lets you skip the grind and jump straight into hunting Mega Crystals with a fully optimized squad. It's a quick way to turn your farming runs into efficient, high-reward sessions.

The Best Spots (reliable clusters)

No spoilers beyond place names and “there are crystals here.” If you're super sensitive to exploration spoilers, skip this section.

1) Hotel Z Rooftops (Central City)
A great early loop. Scale the long ladder, hop the connected roofs, and you'll usually hit multiple clusters on one terrace. Not the densest in the game, but very accessible and quick to clear.

2) Wild Zone 9 – Construction Rooftops
Enter the scaffolded complex, climb the very tall ladder to the top. There are two strong pockets of crystals on adjacent roofs; AoE shines here. Don't waste time poking every ledge—the main platform pays best.

3) Prism Tower Perimeter (Early Game Window)
Before late-game changes around the tower, the outer walls have scattered clumps you can pick along a single lap. If you're post-game and geometry changes removed your route, skip this and focus on #2 and #4.

4) Northwestern Restaurant Walls (City's NW block)
A sleeper hotspot. The outer walls and corners are loaded with nodes. With good movement (bunny-hopping up trim and ledges), you can vacuum a big haul in minutes. Great place to end a loop before switching to battles.

General rule of thumb: rooftops beat streets. If you can see a network of connected roofs or perimeter walls, there's a good chance the designers tucked several nodes up there.

A Simple 30–40 Minute “Do-Everything” Loop

1. Start at Hotel Z, clear the roof line.
2. Zip to Wild Zone 9, climb, AoE the two main clumps.
3. Swing past the NW restaurant walls, clear the perimeter.
4. Run trainer battles at night for Challenger Tickets and prize money (Gold Canary helps here).
5. Loot sparkly ground treasures as you move; bulk-sell later for cash.
6. Return to your first stop—by now, ~10 minutes have passed and crystals should be repopulating.
7. After Main Mission 10, drop by Quasartico Inc. whenever you cross a threshold (180/240/360) to buy a new stone and tick the Mega Pokedex.

This loop keeps Shards flowing while also feeding your wallet and combat tickets—zero idle time.

Spending Priorities (what to buy first)

• Team-first approach: Buy Mega Stones that instantly improve your active squad (ace, speed control, or win-con Mega). Power now > collection later.
• Coverage & utility next: Stones that unlock type coverage, priority, or bulk for boss encounters.
• Collection phase: When your team is set, start filling the 180-cost group to bang out easy Mega Pokedex entries, then work up to pricier picks.

Note: A subset of stones are purchasable at the Stone Emporium for PokeDollars (think ~50k → 100k+ each). That's why the side-loop for money matters—mix Shards and cash to accelerate the set.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Grinding streets only. Most of the density is above eye level.
• Ignoring Pink Canary upgrades. It's the biggest force-multiplier.
• Wasting time bench-resetting. Nodes are time-based respawns. Keep moving.
• Bringing only single-target moves. You'll leave multi-crystal clumps on the table.
• Sitting on 300+ Shards. Convert at Quasartico Inc. as soon as you cross thresholds—progress compounds.

Quick FAQ

Do crystals scale with story progress or time of day?
Story gates access to certain rooftops/zones, but Shard yield is driven by your Pink Canary level and the clump sizes you hit—not the clock.

Does Gold Canary help with Shards?
No. Gold = prize money from battles only. For Shards, upgrade Pink.

Can I force respawns by reloading or bench resting?
No. Treat it as a live timer. Clear a cluster, go do something else, come back.

What moves should I teach for AoE clears?
Earthquake is king when terrain allows. Rock Slide, Razor Leaf, and similar spread moves are good backups. Keep one fast single-target button for isolated nodes.

TL;DR Summary

• Break pink Mega Crystals with damaging moves; ranged/AoE clears are fastest.
• Upgrade the Pink Canary at Racen's Construction with Colorful Screws to multiply Shard gains (Lv.4 is huge).
• Run a rooftop circuit: Hotel Z → Wild Zone 9 → NW restaurant walls, then battle/loot for ~10 minutes and loop back as nodes repopulate.
• After Main Mission 10, spend Shards at Quasartico Inc.; use Stone Emporium (cash) to complement.
• Prioritize Stones that immediately boost your active team, then fill out the collection.