If you’ve been exploring Lumiose City‘s construction sites and scaffolding in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, you’ve probably spotted tantalizingly placed collectibles that seem just out of reach. Those Colorful Screws dangling over gaps, TMs sitting on distant platforms—they’re all waiting for you to unlock Roto-Glide, the game’s essential traversal ability that transforms how you navigate the city.
While your dodge roll can handle small gaps early on, serious parkour challenges require Roto-Glide. Let me show you exactly how to unlock this ability, how to use it effectively, and where it becomes absolutely essential for exploration and collecting.
What Is Roto-Glide?
Roto-Glide is essentially a double jump mechanic that lets you boost yourself back into the air while falling. Think of it as a mid-air recovery that extends your jumping distance significantly, allowing you to cross gaps that would otherwise be impossible to traverse.
Key features of Roto-Glide:
- Functions like a double jump or air dash
- Activates only when you’re already falling
- No cooldown between uses (but only works once per fall)
- Works everywhere—Lumiose City, Wild Zones, rooftops, construction sites
- Essential for collecting hard-to-reach items and accessing hidden areas
This isn’t just a nice-to-have ability—it’s fundamental to fully exploring the game. Without Roto-Glide, you’ll miss out on collectibles, hidden Pokémon spawns, and entire sections of the map.
How to Unlock Roto-Glide
You’ll get Roto-Glide as part of the main story progression, so you can’t miss it if you’re playing through normally.
Main Mission 16: A Rogue Mega Beedrill
Unlocking Roto-Glide:
- Progress through the main story until you reach Main Mission 16: A Rogue Mega Beedrill
- Complete this mission’s objectives
- You’ll automatically unlock Roto-Glide as a permanent ability
- No additional items or requirements needed
Main Mission 16 comes relatively early in the game, which is good news because you’ll want Roto-Glide for mid-game exploration. Once unlocked, it stays with you permanently and doesn’t require any equipping or special conditions to use.
If you’re working through story missions and want help with other objectives, check out guides like clearing purple sludge or removing vines and thorns that block your progress in similar ways.
How to Use Roto-Glide
Once you’ve unlocked it, using Roto-Glide is straightforward, but there are some important mechanics to understand.
Basic Controls
Using Roto-Glide:
- Find a high point (scaffolding, rooftop, platform edge)
- Jump or fall off the edge
- While falling, press the A button
- Your character will boost back upward, extending your jump distance
- Use the left stick to control your direction mid-air
Critical mechanic: Roto-Glide only activates when you’re already falling. You can’t use it from a standing position on flat ground—you need elevation first.
Advanced Roto-Glide Techniques
Maximizing your glide distance:
Start high: The higher your starting point, the more distance you can cover. Look for tall scaffolding or building edges.
Timing matters: You don’t need to press A immediately. Wait a moment to fall toward your target, then activate Roto-Glide to course-correct and boost the final distance.
One use per fall: Remember, you can only use Roto-Glide once before touching the ground. Plan your trajectory carefully.
Chain with dodge roll: For maximum distance, combine your initial jump with a dodge roll, then use Roto-Glide mid-air for extended reach.
Control your direction: While gliding, you maintain full directional control. Adjust your path mid-air to land precisely where you want.
These techniques become especially important when you’re hunting for collectibles or trying to reach Dratini’s rooftop location or other rare Pokémon spawns in hard-to-reach places.
Where to Use Roto-Glide: Construction Sites
The game hints at construction site exploration early, but most areas remain inaccessible until you unlock Roto-Glide.
What You’ll Find at Construction Sites
Construction site collectibles:
- Colorful Screws – Used for crafting and upgrades
- TMs (Technical Machines) – Teach your Pokémon new moves
- Evolution items – Stones and special items for Pokémon evolution
- Rare consumables – Potions, Revives, and other battle items
- Hidden Pokémon spawns – Some species only appear in these elevated areas
Construction sites are scattered throughout Lumiose City, and each one typically contains multiple platforms and gaps that require Roto-Glide to fully explore. Don’t just rush past them—take time to thoroughly search each site.
Navigation Tips for Scaffolding
Exploring construction sites effectively:
Look up: Many valuable items are placed on higher levels of scaffolding. Always check above you.
Find climbing points: Ladders, climbable walls, and jump points are your friends. Use them to gain elevation before gliding.
Mark what you can’t reach: If you spot something but can’t figure out the path, mark it mentally (or take a screenshot) and return once you’ve found the right approach angle.
Use web bridges: Don’t forget about cocoon web bridges to access adjacent buildings and create alternate paths to construction sites.
Construction sites become mini-puzzle areas where you need to figure out the right sequence of climbs, jumps, and glides to reach everything. It’s genuinely satisfying when you finally snag that hard-to-reach item.
Using Roto-Glide in Wild Zones
Roto-Glide isn’t just for Lumiose City—it works in every Wild Zone throughout the game, and some Pokémon are deliberately placed in areas only accessible with this ability.
Hidden Pokémon and Secret Areas
Why Roto-Glide matters in Wild Zones:
- Some Pokémon spawn on elevated platforms or across gaps
- Hidden areas contain rare spawns not found elsewhere
- Collectibles and items are tucked away in hard-to-reach corners
- Completing your Pokédex often requires revisiting Wild Zones with Roto-Glide
If you’ve been progressing through Wild Zones and noticed mysterious areas you couldn’t reach, now’s the time to backtrack. Check out our guides for Wild Zone 2, Wild Zone 4, Wild Zone 6, and our comprehensive all Wild Zones guide for specific locations that benefit from Roto-Glide access.
Backtracking for Completionists
Once you unlock Roto-Glide, consider revisiting earlier Wild Zones:
Zones worth revisiting:
Each of these zones likely has collectibles or Pokémon you couldn’t reach before. Systematically revisiting with Roto-Glide ensures you’re not missing anything important.
Common Roto-Glide Mistakes to Avoid
Don’t try to use it on flat ground: Roto-Glide only works when falling. You need elevation first.
Don’t forget you only get one use: Plan your trajectory before activating. You can’t boost multiple times in a single fall.
Don’t rush the animation: Let Roto-Glide fully activate before adjusting your direction. Mashing buttons can cause weird inputs.
Don’t ignore scaffolding: Those construction sites aren’t just decoration. They’re treasure troves waiting to be explored.
Don’t skip early areas: Just because you couldn’t reach something before doesn’t mean it’s not worth going back for after unlocking Roto-Glide.
Combining Roto-Glide with Other Traversal Tools
Roto-Glide is most powerful when combined with other navigation mechanics:
Traversal synergies:
Dodge roll + Roto-Glide: Max distance coverage for the longest gaps
Web bridges + Roto-Glide: Use bridges to reach new vantage points, then glide to distant platforms
Scaffolding climbs + Roto-Glide: Climb high, then glide to locations that have no direct path
Fast travel + Roto-Glide: Fast travel near your target, then use Roto-Glide to reach the exact spot
Mastering these combinations turns you into a parkour expert capable of reaching virtually any location in the game.
Items and Pokémon Worth Using Roto-Glide For
High-value targets:
Evolution items: Many special evolution items are hidden in Roto-Glide-only areas. Check our special evolutions guide for what you might need.
TMs for powerful moves: Moves like Ice Beam and other TMs are often tucked away on construction sites.
Rare Pokémon: Some of the best early Pokémon have alternate spawn locations only reachable with Roto-Glide.
Colorful Screws: Essential crafting materials that you’ll need in bulk for late-game content.
Don’t sleep on these collectibles. Many of them significantly impact your team’s power level and give you options you wouldn’t have otherwise.
Additional Resources
For more help with Pokémon Legends: Z-A, check out:
- Official Pokémon Legends website: https://legends.pokemon.com/
- Nintendo Store page: https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/pokemon-legends-z-a-nintendo-switch-2-edition-switch-2/
Need help with other abilities and mechanics? Check out guides on Plus Moves, Protect strategy, and status conditions.
Final Thoughts
Roto-Glide completely changes how you explore Pokémon Legends: Z-A. What was once an inaccessible platform becomes reachable. What looked like an impossible gap becomes a fun parkour challenge. After unlocking this ability in Main Mission 16, take some time to revisit areas you’ve already been through—you’ll be amazed at how much you missed.
The beauty of Roto-Glide is its simplicity. Press A while falling, and boom—you’re soaring through the air toward your target. But mastering when and how to use it, combining it with other movement options, and finding all those hidden collectibles? That’s where the real fun begins.
So get out there, climb some scaffolding, and start gliding across Lumiose City like the parkour master you were meant to be!
