During Main Mission 19 of Pokemon Legends Z-A, you’ll venture into the murky depths of Lumiose City‘s sewer system. It’s a memorable experience filled with unique Pokemon encounters and atmospheric exploration. But here’s the problem: once you complete that mission, the original entrance seals shut, leaving many players wondering if they can ever return.
The good news? You absolutely can get back into the sewers—you just need to know where to look. This guide will walk you through the exact process of unlocking permanent sewer access, explain which exclusive Pokemon call the sewers home, and provide strategic tips for making the most of your underground adventures.
Why You’d Want to Return to the Sewers
Before we dive into the how, let’s talk about the why. The Lumiose City sewers aren’t just atmospheric set pieces—they’re home to some genuinely useful and rare Pokemon.
Exclusive Pokemon:
- Skrelp – Only available in the sewers
- Litwick – Only available in the sewers
If you missed these Pokemon during your initial story mission visit, or if you want to hunt for their Alpha versions, returning to the sewers becomes essential for completing your Pokedex. Beyond exclusives, the sewers also house several Dark, Ghost, and Dragon-type Pokemon that are valuable for team building.
Additional Reasons to Return:
- Hunt for Alpha versions of sewer-exclusive Pokemon
- Complete Pokedex entries you missed during Main Mission 19
- Farm specific Pokemon for competitive team building
- Explore areas you may have rushed through during the story
The Problem: Original Entrance is Sealed
Here’s what confuses most players. After completing Main Mission 19, if you try to return through the entrance you originally used, you’ll find it completely inaccessible. The game doesn’t provide obvious signage or hints about alternative routes, leaving many trainers frustrated.
This design choice makes sense narratively—you’ve completed your business there, so why would the entrance remain open? But from a gameplay perspective, it’s annoying for completionists and Pokemon hunters who need to return.
Thankfully, there’s a solution involving a side mission that permanently unlocks a new entrance.
Finding the New Sewer Entrance: Step-by-Step
Getting back into the sewers requires completing a specific side mission called “The Camerupt Entrepreneur” (Side Mission 057). Here’s exactly how to access it.
Prerequisite
You must have completed Main Mission 19 before this side mission becomes available. If you haven’t finished that story mission yet, this guide won’t help—you’ll need to progress the main story first.
Navigation Guide to Bleu Sector 3
- Head to Bleu Sector 3
- Located directly west of Wild Zone 2
- Positioned just south of Wild Zone 5
- Check your map if you’re having trouble locating it
- Find the Staircase
- Look for a flight of stairs on the eastern side of Bleu Sector 3
- The stairs pass between two buildings
- This is a distinctive landmark that’s hard to miss once you’re in the right area
- Climb and Turn Left
- Ascend the stairs
- Immediately turn left after reaching the top
- Don’t continue straight or turn right—left is the key
- Follow the Path
- Continue along the path as it descends
- You’ll encounter some purple sludge blocking your way (more on this below)
- Keep following the downward path
Dealing with the Purple Goo Obstacle
As you descend toward the mission giver, you’ll notice purple sludge blocking portions of the path. This is the same type of obstacle you’ve likely encountered elsewhere in Lumiose City.
How to Clear Purple Goo:
- Use any Water-type attack
- The goo dissolves instantly when hit with Water moves
- Pokemon like Blastoise, Vaporeon, or even a basic Squirtle work perfectly
Make sure you have at least one Pokemon with Water-type moves in your party before attempting this route. If you don’t, you’ll need to backtrack and adjust your team composition.
Meeting the Mission Giver
After clearing the purple sludge, continue down the path until you encounter an NPC standing directly in front of a gate. This character will offer you Side Mission 057: The Camerupt Entrepreneur.
Important: You must accept and start this side mission. Simply talking to the NPC isn’t enough—actually initiating the mission is what triggers the gate to become accessible.
Unlocking Permanent Sewer Access
Here’s where things get convenient. Once you accept The Camerupt Entrepreneur side mission, several things happen simultaneously:
- The NPC moves aside – He was blocking the gate, but now steps away
- The gate becomes interactable – You can now click on it to enter the sewers
- Fast travel unlocks – The entrance registers as a travel spot in your map
That third point is crucial. Once unlocked, you can use Pokemon Legends Z-A’s fast travel system to return to the sewers instantly from anywhere in Lumiose City. No more navigating through Bleu Sector 3 every single time—just open your map and warp directly to the sewer entrance.
Pro Tip: Add this location to your mental list of frequently used fast travel points. If you’re serious about hunting Alpha Skrelp or Litwick, you’ll be visiting repeatedly, so fast travel saves enormous amounts of time.
Complete List of Sewer Pokemon
Now that you have access, let’s discuss what you’ll actually find down there. The Lumiose City sewers host a diverse collection of Pokemon, many of which lean toward Dark, Ghost, and Dragon types.
All Pokemon Available in Lumiose Sewers:
- Patrat (Normal-type)
- Gastly (Ghost/Poison-type)
- Haunter (Ghost/Poison-type)
- Inkay (Dark/Psychic-type)
- Skrelp (Poison/Water-type) – EXCLUSIVE TO SEWERS
- Dragalge (Poison/Dragon-type)
- Goomy (Dragon-type)
- Scraggy (Dark/Fighting-type)
- Noibat (Flying/Dragon-type)
- Klefki (Steel/Fairy-type)
- Litwick (Ghost/Fire-type) – EXCLUSIVE TO SEWERS
The Must-Catch Exclusives
Skrelp: This Poison/Water-type Pokemon evolves into Dragalge and offers interesting competitive potential. Since Skrelp only spawns in the sewers, missing it during Main Mission 19 means returning is mandatory for Pokedex completion.
Litwick: A Ghost/Fire-type with a unique type combination, Litwick eventually evolves into the powerful Chandelure. Like Skrelp, this is a sewer exclusive—you won’t find it anywhere else in Lumiose City.
Why Exclusives Matter:
For completionists, these two Pokemon alone justify returning to the sewers. But beyond Pokedex completion, both evolution lines offer solid competitive value. Dragalge provides excellent special bulk with its unique typing, while Chandelure hits incredibly hard with its massive Special Attack stat.
Alpha Pokemon Hunting
Every Pokemon in the sewers can potentially spawn as an Alpha variant. Alpha Pokemon feature:
- Larger physical size
- Higher stats than regular versions
- Red glowing eyes
- More aggressive behavior
If you’re building a competitive team or just enjoy collecting powerful Pokemon, hunting for Alpha Skrelp and Alpha Litwick provides excellent long-term goals. Just be prepared to spend considerable time—Alpha spawns are random and relatively rare.
Battle Strategy for Sewer Exploration
The sewer Pokemon roster leans heavily toward Dark, Ghost, and Dragon types. Understanding this distribution helps you bring the right team composition.
Recommended Type Coverage:
Fairy-type attacks are your MVP in the sewers. Here’s why:
- Super effective against Dark-types (Inkay, Scraggy)
- Super effective against Dragon-types (Goomy, Noibat, Dragalge)
- Neutral to most other encounters
Suggested Pokemon for Sewer Exploration:
- Gardevoir (Psychic/Fairy with excellent Special Attack)
- Sylveon (pure Fairy-type with strong defensive stats)
- Klefki (wait, you can catch one in the sewers!)
- Any Fairy-type with offensive moves
Alternative Coverage Options:
While Fairy-type moves provide the best overall coverage, consider bringing:
- Psychic-types – Effective against the Poison-types (Gastly, Haunter, Skrelp)
- Ground-types – Handles any threats you encounter effectively
- Ice-types – Super effective against the Dragon-types
Types to Avoid:
- Normal-types struggle here due to Ghost-type immunities
- Fighting-types have disadvantages against several sewer residents
- Psychic-types (as your main attacker) can struggle with Dark-types
Maximizing Your Sewer Runs
Once you have permanent access, here are some tips for efficient exploration:
For Pokedex Completion:
- Visit at different times of day—some Pokemon may have time-based spawns
- Use the chain-catching method if available to increase spawn rates
- Mark off each caught species to track progress
For Alpha Hunting:
- Save before entering if you’re specifically hunting Alpha variants
- Alphas are more common in specific areas—explore thoroughly
- Bring plenty of Ultra Balls or specialized catching Poke Balls
For Shiny Hunting:
- The sewers provide a concentrated area for shiny hunting specific species
- Consider using shiny-boosting items if available in this game
- Patience is key—shiny rates remain low regardless of location
Connection to Other Content
The sewers connect thematically and mechanically to other aspects of Pokemon Legends Z-A:
- Many sewer Pokemon have unique evolution requirements, similar to Onix needing special items to become Steelix
- The purple goo obstacle appears throughout Lumiose City in various Wild Zones
- Some sewer Pokemon like Goomy can be found elsewhere, but the sewers provide reliable spawns
Additional Resources
Need more help with Pokemon Legends Z-A?
- Official Pokemon Legends website: https://legends.pokemon.com/
- Purchase the game: Pokemon Legends Z-A on Nintendo Store
- More guides: Check our complete Wild Zones guide for spawn information across all areas
Common Questions and Troubleshooting
Q: The NPC isn’t appearing in Bleu Sector 3. What’s wrong? A: Make sure you’ve completed Main Mission 19 first. The side mission only becomes available after that story milestone.
Q: Can I access the sewers before completing Main Mission 19? A: No, your first visit must be through the story mission. The alternative entrance only unlocks afterward.
Q: Do sewer Pokemon respawn? A: Yes, Pokemon in the sewers respawn like any other area. You can return multiple times for hunting.
Q: Is there anything else unique in the sewers besides Pokemon? A: The sewers may contain items and resources, though the primary draw is the exclusive Pokemon spawns.
Final Thoughts
The Lumiose City sewers represent one of Pokemon Legends Z-A’s more memorable locations, and the ability to return freely makes it even better. While the game doesn’t make finding the new entrance particularly obvious, once you unlock it via The Camerupt Entrepreneur side mission, you gain permanent access through convenient fast travel.
Whether you’re completing your Pokedex, hunting for Alpha variants of Skrelp and Litwick, or simply enjoying the atmospheric underground environment, the sewers offer worthwhile content beyond the initial story visit. The concentration of Dark, Ghost, and Dragon-type Pokemon makes it an excellent training ground for building type coverage, while the exclusive spawns ensure completionists will return eventually.
Just remember to bring Water-type moves for clearing purple goo and Fairy-type attacks for handling the majority of encounters. With those bases covered, you’re ready to explore the sewers to their fullest potential.
Happy sewer diving, trainers—and try not to think too hard about what that purple goo actually is!