In Pokemon Legends: Z-A players are able to explore every corner of Lumiose city to capture new Pokemon or go up against other Trainers in battle. However, along the way you will begin to notice giant boulders blocking certain routes or objectives. If you’re confused about how to get past these boulders, everything you’ll need to know about how you can break them has been included in the guide below.
Updated, October 20, 2025: This guide has been updated to include the other terrain obstacles of thorns/brambles and piles of poisonous sludge/goop.
Table of Contents
- How to Smash Boulders in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
- How to Break Thorns / Brambles in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
- How to Get Rid of Purple Sludge / Goo in pokemon Legends: Z-A
How to Smash Boulders in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
In Pokemon Legends: Z-A, the boulders can actually be a pesky annoyance, keeping you from reaching certain areas or objectives. This is first seen near the start of the game, where boulders along the initial exploration area block you from returning to Hotel Z.
However, the boulders can be broken, enabling you to pass by. To do this, you will need to first unlock the TM known as Rock Smash. This TM can be unlocked by completing enough of Mable’s Research Requests to reach level 2, when Rock Smash will automatically be given out as a reward.
How to Get TM 004 – Rock Smash in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Mable‘s Research Requests are missions that involve capturing different Pokemon and registering them in your Pokedex. By completing tasks such as capturing monsters of a specific Type and filling your Pokedex, you will earn points. After earning a specific amount of points, you will reach the next research level and gain a unique reward, such as TMs and rare notable items.
To first unlock Research Requests, you will need to complete the tutorial and then advance onto the main story mission of capturing five different species of Pokemon. If you get lost, feel free to look out for Urbain, and he should be able to lead you in the right direction.
After you capture five different species, you will then need to head over to the Pokemon Research Center. This should be marked with a yellow marker on your map, but in case you have trouble finding it, you can also feel free to refer to the screenshot below. Locate this building, then step inside and head to the third floor, where you will meet Mable and gain your first reward of the Rock Smash TM.
How to Use Rock Smash in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Once you have Rock Smash, you will then need to teach it to an eligible Pokemon. Luckily, you should have captured a Bunnelby as part of the tutorial, and this little guy is capable of learning the move.
Open the menu, then go to your bag and scroll over to the TM slot. Select Rock Smash. Now, choose Bunnelby or any other eligible Pokemon and teach them the move.
Next, summon this Pokemon and hold ZL to lock onto the boulder in question. Once locked on, use the Y, X, A, and B buttons to select Rock Smash from the move list, and your Pokemon will crush the boulder into dust! You can now use Rock Smash to clear the boulders from the path back to Hotel Z with no problems.
This is a really useful way to not only clear extra space around the map, but also to gain EXP and potentially even discover hidden items. In addition to this, Rock Smash can also be used to break through other similar surfaces, such as Mega Crystals. This makes it a valuable move to keep one of your main Pokemon for ease of exploration.
How to Break Thorns / Brambles in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
To break thorns/bramble piles in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, the method is that of the same to breaking boulders, but with use of a different move Type. As you can presume, the thorns can be burned to nothing with any damaging Fire Type move to allow you to pass through.
How to Get Rid of Purple Sludge / Goo in pokemon Legends: Z-A
When it comes to the big piles of sludge/goo around Lumiose City, you will need a Water Type Pokemon. Or, at the very least, you will need a Pokemon that is capable of using a damaging Water Type move. By using any of these moves on the piles of sludge, you will be able to wash them away, opening up the path for you to progress forward.