The “Reaching Rank D” main story mission in Pokémon Legends: Z-A teams you up with Emma for a detective-style quest: helping Ivor track down his missing sister, Gwynn. It’s a straightforward enough mission—until you reach City Hall in Jaune Sector 9 and get hit with the vague objective to “question bystanders around the building.”
With dozens of NPCs milling around the area, it’s easy to waste time talking to random people who have nothing useful to say. Let me save you the headache and point you directly to the right person.
The Quick Solution: Which Bystander to Talk To
Here’s the step-by-step breakdown to complete this objective efficiently:
After the cutscene with Emma ends at City Hall’s front entrance:
- Face the City Hall building
- Head to the courtyard on the left side of the building
- Look for a small square area with a water fountain in the center
- Find the woman with dark hair wearing a blue sweater standing right next to the fountain
- You’ll see the text “The Fist of Justice, huh?” hovering above her head
Talk to her, and she’ll reveal that Gwynn frequently hangs out at a café in Centrico Plaza. This information triggers your next objective and moves the mission forward.
Why This Mission Confuses Players
The game doesn’t give you much direction here, which is unusual for main story missions. City Hall is surrounded by multiple NPCs—people standing on steps, wandering the plaza, loitering near benches—and the game doesn’t highlight who you actually need to speak with.
The fountain courtyard is easy to miss if you’re not specifically looking to the left of the building. Most players instinctively check the front entrance area first or wander around the main plaza, talking to every NPC they see before eventually stumbling onto the correct person.
This design choice adds a tiny bit of detective work to the mission, which fits thematically with helping Emma investigate, but it can definitely slow down your progress if you’re not sure where to look.
What Happens After You Find the Right Bystander
Once the woman by the fountain tells you about Gwynn’s café hangout spot, your objective updates to head to Centrico Plaza. This is the central hub area of Lumiose City, so if you’ve been exploring, you should already be familiar with it.
The mission continues from there with more investigation and eventually leads to tracking down Gwynn herself. Without spoiling too much, the Reaching Rank D mission is one of the longer story quests, so settling this City Hall section quickly helps maintain your momentum.
Tips for Story Mission Efficiency
If you’re the type who likes to power through main missions efficiently, here are some general tips:
- Use fast travel between major districts to save time moving around Lumiose City
- Keep your team well-balanced for unexpected battles—check out our guide to the strongest Pokémon if you need team-building advice
- Stock up on healing items before longer missions, especially as you approach higher ranks
- Pay attention to NPC dialogue hints—they often subtly point you in the right direction
Why Rank Missions Matter
The Rank system in Pokémon Legends: Z-A gates your progress through different areas of Lumiose City and unlocks new Wild Zones as you advance. Reaching Rank D is a significant milestone that opens up more of the city and gives you access to stronger Pokémon.
Each rank mission also tends to introduce new mechanics or story elements, so while they can occasionally be tedious (like this bystander-hunting segment), they’re worth completing to fully experience everything the game has to offer.
Moving Forward in the Story
Once you’ve completed the Reaching Rank D mission, you’ll unlock new opportunities to:
- Explore additional districts and Wild Zones
- Encounter stronger wild Pokémon
- Access new shops and services
- Progress toward late-game content and Legendary encounters
If you’re building your team for future challenges, consider catching some of the best early Pokémon or working on special evolutions that become available as you rank up.
Final Thoughts
Don’t overthink the City Hall bystander objective—just head straight to that left-side fountain courtyard and talk to the woman in the blue sweater. The mission flows smoothly once you get past this little roadblock.
For more helpful mission guides and tips, visit the official Pokémon Legends website or check out the game at the Nintendo Store.
Happy investigating, trainer!
