Zygarde Cell

Overview

A Zygarde Cell is a form-change resource stored inside the Zygarde Cube rather than taking up separate space in your Item Bag. You spend Zygarde Cells to change Zygarde into its stronger formes: changing from 10% Forme to 50% Forme costs 50 Cells, and advancing from 50% Forme to Complete Forme requires an additional 200 Cells (250 Cells in total).

Under the October 2026 gameplay update, any Cells discovered while following a Route are awarded automatically when you complete the Route, so you no longer need to tap a green glimmer on the map. Collecting Zygarde Cells is completely separate from earning Zygarde Candy.

How to get it

• Unlock Routes at Trainer Level 7, obtain the Zygarde Cube from Stage 3 of the From A to Zygarde Special Research, and complete Routes to receive any discovered Zygarde Cells as completion rewards (up to 3 Cells per day from Routes).

• Complete specific event Timed Research when available, such as the 2025 Year of the Snake Timed Research (10 Zygarde Cells) or the 2026 Pokémon GO Tour: Kalos in-person En Garde! Timed Research (50 Zygarde Cells).

How to use it

1. Spend 50 Cells for the first change to 50% Forme, then 200 more for Complete Forme.

2. Review the form-change confirmation before spending Cells or reverting a form.

Worth knowing

The full initial path costs 250 Cells, not 200.

Zygarde Cells are not guaranteed on every Route walk. You can earn at most 3 Cells per day from Routes, and only your first walk on a given Route each day can award them. Keep space open in your 300-Cell Zygarde Cube so you do not miss Route or research rewards.

Plan the full form-change path

The first step costs 50 Cells to go from 10% Forme to 50% Forme, followed by another 200 Cells for Complete Forme. Starting from 10% Forme therefore requires 250 Cells in total; the second requirement is additional, not a cumulative total of 200.

To collect Cells from Routes, reach Trainer Level 7 under the current leveling system (updated from the launch-era Level 5 requirement) and claim the Zygarde Cube from Stage 3 of the From A to Zygarde Special Research, which also awards your 10% Forme Zygarde encounter.

When you finish walking a Route, check the completion rewards for any discovered Cells. The October 2026 update removed the need to watch for and tap a green glimmer on the map before tapping Complete Route, but it did not increase the discovery chance, so some Routes still award zero Cells. You can collect up to 3 Zygarde Cells per day from Routes, and a single Route completion can award 1 to 3 Cells within that daily limit.

Only your first attempt on a specific Route each day has a chance to drop Cells; repeating the same Route later that day will not award any, even if the first walk gave none.

Form changes and Cell storage

The Zygarde Cube holds up to 300 Zygarde Cells. At launch in July 2023, the Cube held 250 Cells, and some older descriptions still list 250—which is also the total needed for one full form-change path from 10% Forme to Complete Forme. The capacity was raised to 300 in January 2025 so Trainers at the former cap could claim Timed Research rewards.

Once your Cube reaches 300/300 Cells, you cannot collect additional Cells from Routes or claim research rewards that include Zygarde Cells until you spend some.

Reverting to a weaker forme costs 10 Zygarde Candy and 2,000 Stardust per change. Moving back to a stronger forme requires Cells again, so reversion is not a free cosmetic toggle. Check the confirmation for the exact forme and cost before spending.

Separate the Cell balance from Zygarde’s other resources

If you have 70 Cells and use 50 for the first form change, 20 remain toward the next 200-Cell requirement. You need another 180, not another 200. The first complete path totals 250, while the Cube’s capacity is a separate limit.

Walking Zygarde as your Buddy can earn Zygarde Candy, and Rare Candy converts into Zygarde Candy for powering up, unlocking a second Charged Attack, or reverting to a weaker forme. Neither replaces Route collection for Zygarde Cells. Furthermore, the Zygarde Cube is a permanent Key Item that displays your Cell balance; it is not consumed or replaced when you change Zygarde’s forme.