Finding a Shiny Pokemon is always exciting—they’re rare, beautiful, and most players would never dream of giving one away. But one Pokemon Legends Z-A trainer learned the hard way why you should be very careful about which Pokemon you hand over to NPCs.
Reddit user CassowaryCrow shared their story of regret after giving a Shiny Feebas to an NPC named Soucian, only to discover that their prized Pokemon met an unexpected fate.
The Plan That Went Horribly Wrong
CassowaryCrow had what seemed like a clever idea. In Pokemon Legends Z-A, an NPC named Soucian asks for a regular Feebas as part of a side quest. Most players would hand over a standard Feebas and call it a day.
But CassowaryCrow had something special in mind: give the NPC a Shiny Feebas so they could see it in the overworld whenever they visited that area.
The logic made sense—trade away the Shiny, but get to enjoy seeing it hanging out with its new trainer whenever you passed by. Soucian even acknowledged the Feebas was Shiny when accepting it.
Here’s what actually happened:
When the player returned to check on their Shiny Feebas, it was gone. Speaking with Soucian revealed the devastating truth: she had released the Pokemon back into the wild so it could “make friends with the local Magikarp.”
The Shiny Feebas was gone forever.
The Community Reacts to the Shiny Feebas Disaster
The Pokemon Legends Z-A community had strong reactions to this story.
Popular responses included:
- Jokes about calling Officer Jenny to report the incident
- Comments about how releasing non-native species into ecosystems is ecologically terrible (even in a video game)
- Horror stories from other players who made similar mistakes
One commenter revealed they gave away a Shiny Alpha Feebas with a Prism Scale equipped—an even more valuable Pokemon that also got released into the water, never to be seen again.
Why Does Soucian Release the Feebas?
This is where things get frustrating. Soucian’s dialogue isn’t entirely clear about her intentions.
What she says:
- She wonders why there aren’t any Feebas in the water (implied hint)
- She asks for “a Feebas to have as my own”
- She gets upset if denied
The problem: She never explicitly states she plans to release the Feebas until after you’ve already given it to her. Most players reasonably assume “to have as my own” means she’s keeping it as a companion Pokemon, not releasing it into the wild.
Some players noted that regular Feebas do eventually spawn in the area after completing the quest, but unfortunately, Shiny Pokemon given to NPCs are lost permanently.
What’s the Point of the Feebas Quest?
Despite the risk, there are legitimate reasons to complete Soucian’s side quest “Feebas’s New Friends” in Wild Zone 2.
Quest rewards:
- ₽1,600 (decent money)
- Prism Scale (key evolution item)
- More Feebas spawns in the water
The Prism Scale is particularly valuable because it’s needed to evolve Feebas into Milotic. When you trade a Feebas holding a Prism Scale to another player, it triggers the evolution into the beautiful and powerful Milotic.
Pro tip: Just give her a regular Feebas. Save your Shinies for yourself.
The Happy Ending (Sort Of)
CassowaryCrow’s story does have a silver lining. After realizing what happened, they loaded a backup save file and recovered their Shiny Feebas.
Not every Pokemon trainer is so lucky, though. The player who gave away their Shiny Alpha Feebas with a Prism Scale? That Pokemon is gone forever.
How to Avoid This Mistake in Pokemon Legends Z-A
If you’re playing Pokemon Legends Z-A and encounter Soucian’s quest, here’s how to avoid heartbreak:
Do:
- Give her a regular, non-Shiny Feebas
- Complete the quest for the Prism Scale reward
- Keep backup saves if you’re attached to specific Pokemon
Don’t:
- Give away Shiny Pokemon to NPCs (they can’t appear in the overworld anyway)
- Hand over rare variants like Alpha Pokemon
- Trust NPCs with your most valuable Pokemon
The Broader Lesson About NPC Trades
This incident highlights an important reality about Pokemon games: not all NPC trades are created equal.
Some NPC trades are beneficial (you get rare Pokemon or items in return), while others are purely one-way gifts that result in losing your Pokemon forever. Unlike player-to-player trades, you can’t get these Pokemon back through normal means.
Before giving Pokemon to NPCs:
- Read dialogue carefully for hints about what happens next
- Check online guides if unsure about quest outcomes
- Never give away irreplaceable Pokemon unless you’re certain
The Bottom Line
The story of the lost Shiny Feebas serves as a cautionary tale for Pokemon Legends Z-A players. While Soucian’s quest is worth completing for the Prism Scale reward, there’s absolutely no reason to give her anything more than a standard Feebas.
Shiny Pokemon are meant to be treasured by trainers, not released into the wild by well-meaning NPCs with questionable ecological practices. Learn from CassowaryCrow’s mistake and keep your Shinies safely in your party where they belong.
And if you do accidentally give away something valuable? Well, that’s what backup saves are for.
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