Pokemon Legends: Z-A spoilers ahead.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s final side mission is called the saddest among fans who completed it, highlighting a pattern with the main story as well. Although Pokemon games are often referred to as kids’ games or criticized for the lack of depth to their stories, which the absence of voice acting in Pokemon Legends: Z-A exacerbates, the latest entry in the series could be defined as a masterclass in storytelling. With an emotional story climaxing in Mission 37, and then a proper ending in Missions 38 through 42, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is quite deep for a Pokemon game.
Heartbreak in Pokemon games is all over, and sometimes it even takes other forms, like failing to catch a shiny Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, only for it to disappear, or discovering that some critters are not part of the Pokedex, and may not even return in the DLC. However, the story in the game is arguably the most heartbreaking part of it. This is not too dissimilar from the approach Game Freak took with Gen 9 titles, seeing how the story connects various characters and ultimately makes for a moving ending.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Goodbye, Gengar Mission is Officially the Saddest in The Game
The final Side Mission in the game is called “Goodbye, Gengar,” and it sees players talk to Ganger in the same old building visited during the campaign with the Rust Syndicate. Ganger is worried about the Gengar he decided to “adopt” despite it remaining a wild Pokemon, and enlists the player and Gwynn for help.
There are 119 Side Missions in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, though, technically, Side Mission 119 is more of a meme, and it can only be unlocked by claiming rewards from the Infinite Z-A Royale 20 times (by comparison, only 15 rewards are needed to truly beat the game). As such, Side Mission 118 is referred to as the final one in the game.
Ganger is sad because he can’t find Gengar anymore, and even after a thorough investigation, the critter remains unaccounted for. At that point, Ganger realizes his mistake was not asking Gengar to be his partner, stating that he misses it, and he even recognizes another Gengar’s cry as a different one, showing profound love for the Pokemon. Much like Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s ending is tragic and sad, the Goodbye, Gengar Side Mission ends with Ganger walking away and calling the search off, awarding players with 4,000 Pokedollars, two Exp Candy L, and one Exp Candy XL.
The ending got many fans upset, as the implication is that Ganger accepts that he missed his chance of being Gengar’s trainer and partner, and he thinks he will never see the Pokemon again. For a series founded on becoming friends with one’s creatures, this is the ultimate gut punch. It doesn’t help that Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Gengar is first catchable as a fixed encounter during Mission 20, exactly in the old house where Ganger met his Gengar.
Several Twitter users expressed their feelings about the quest on the platform, with users like @scottlennon0605 stating under a post about the bittersweet Side Mission 90 that “nothing hurts more than Goodbye, Gengar.” Still, for those who have a bad taste in their mouth or something in their eye after completing Goodbye, Gengar, there is a silver lining – going back to the old building where Ganger lives shows a cutscene, this time with a happier ending. Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Mega Dimension DLC is around the corner, and while this type of mission can be a bit gloomy, hopefully, there are more like it.
- Released
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October 16, 2025
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases
