Main Walkthrough
It was bound to happen. Team Flare is making its move, and Lysandre has been revealed as the team's leader. (Was there ever any doubt?) He plans to deploy an "ultimate weapon" that will bring ruin down upon the world, and it's up to you to crush his plans. If you ever want to challenge the Pokémon League, you'll need to go through Team Flare.
When you leave the Anistar City Gym you'll get a message explaining the situation, and the two Team Flare Grunts standing outside will more or less tell you where to go next. Fly to Lumiose City and head to the Café Lysandre in Magenta Plaza, sitting on the outskirts of Prism Tower in the middle of the city. You'll know it by the dark red color of the facade... as well as the Team Flare Grunt out front. Make sure your team is healed up before you enter.
Talk to the waiters inside. They're not friendly.
Team Flare Grunt
- Scrafty, level 46
Team Flare Grunt
Beat them both, then check the shelf beside the female Grunt. You'll reveal a secret passage to a giant underground facility, and Lysandre himself is waiting.
- Liepard, level 46
Beat them both, then check the shelf beside the female Grunt. You'll reveal a secret passage to a giant underground facility, and Lysandre himself is waiting.
Team Flare Lysandre
- Mienfoo, level 45
- Murkrow, level 45
- Pyroar, level 47
- Gyarados, level 49
Yikes. Lysandre is a fair step up from his Grunts. Mienfoo and Murkrow are no big deal, but Pyroar can put a decent hurt on you if you don't quickly swamp it with a Ground- or Water-type move. Fighting also works, if needed. Gyarados can be a massive problem, as it has a horribly-strong Outrage move and a high Speed stat. Take it down quickly with an Electric-type move. Barring that, Rock-type moves aren't terrible for bringing Gyarados down.
Lysandre will retreat, leaving you in the depths of one of the more annoying areas in Pokémon X and Y.
Lysandre Labs
Time for a maze. If you step on the floor tiles past this point they'll shuttle you along until you hit a wall and stop or hit another floor tile and change directions. Always fun, these. Start by stepping on the tile up and to your left which points left. There's a Grunt waiting on the other side.
Team Flare Grunt
Step on the glowing, green teleportation pad near the Grunt. It'll shift you to a familiar scientist.
- Swalot, level 46
Step on the glowing, green teleportation pad near the Grunt. It'll shift you to a familiar scientist.
Team Flare Aliana
Mightyena is a nuisance at best, but Druddigon can be a threat. Beware Dragon-types move and a surprise Shadow Claw.
- Mightyena, level 46
- Druddigon, level 48
Mightyena is a nuisance at best, but Druddigon can be a threat. Beware Dragon-types move and a surprise Shadow Claw.
Beyond Aliana are two teleportation pads. Step on the green one, as the yellow pad takes you back to the start. You'll wind up near moving pads that will send you flying north. A Grunt is waiting.
Team Flare Grunt
- Swalot, level 45
- Liepard, level 43
Enter the room to the north. You'll receive a small bundle of Revives from, uh... yeah. Anyway. Head back to the main room. Take the pad pointing right, then the pad pointing down. West of the spot you stop you'll find a sleeping room where you can hop in the beds and rest your team. The Grunt near the door in this room will give you TM12 Taunt, and there's a Revive sitting between two of the beds.
Head back outside and go east to find a Grunt There's another Grunt to the north and on your right. Ignore all the directional pads between the two Grunts.
Team Flare Grunt
- Liepard, level 44
- Mightyena, level 44
Team Flare Grunt
- Houndoom, level 44
- Toxicroak, level 44
Step on the pad pointing right, next to the second Grunt. It'll send you whirling around the area, near another pad. Hop onto it to fly east and wind up near another Grunt.
Team Flare Grunt
Go through the door to the north of the last Grunt. There are two more familiar scientists waiting.
- Manectric, level 43
- Scrafty, level 45
Go through the door to the north of the last Grunt. There are two more familiar scientists waiting.
Team Flare Celosia
Manectric is standard fare by now, and is quickly wiped out with a Ground-type move. Drapion is probably a new one to you, though the Ground-type move you (hopefully) used on Manectric will wipe out this strange scorpion as well. Watch out for Night Slash bolstered by Acupressure.
- Manectric, level 46
- Drapion, level 48
Manectric is standard fare by now, and is quickly wiped out with a Ground-type move. Drapion is probably a new one to you, though the Ground-type move you (hopefully) used on Manectric will wipe out this strange scorpion as well. Watch out for Night Slash bolstered by Acupressure.
Team Flare Bryony
After so many fights, Liepard is old hat. Bisharp is new, but it's much easier to beat than Drapion. A Fighting-type move will flatten it for four times damage.
- Liepard, level 46
- Bisharp, level 48
After so many fights, Liepard is old hat. Bisharp is new, but it's much easier to beat than Drapion. A Fighting-type move will flatten it for four times damage.
An info dump on Team Flare's ambitions follows. Head back into the hall and take the first pad from the left that's pointing south. Follow the path here to the southwest without touching any pads until you reach a green teleporter. On the other side of the teleporter you'll find a pair of Black Glasses, along with another Grunt, to the north.
Team Flare Grunt
Team Flare Grunt
- Mightyena, level 43
- Toxicroak, level 45
There's a teleport pad beside this Grunt. It leads to a room with a Rare Candy. Return to the previous room with the last Grunt via the teleporter and use the westbound pad to get back to a Grunt you beat earlier. Hop onto the downwards panel to the right of the Grunt. Use the teleport pad when you stop moving to find a Hyper Potion.
Return to the previous area and hop on the right pad that's pointing south. Another Grunt is waiting for you.
Team Flare Grunt
Hop on the teleport pad behind this Grunt. Another Grunt is waiting on the other side.
- Golbat, level 46
Hop on the teleport pad behind this Grunt. Another Grunt is waiting on the other side.
Team Flare Grunt
Head right, into one last room. The final named scientist awaits.
- Toxicroak, level 44
- Liepard, level 44
Head right, into one last room. The final named scientist awaits.
Team Flare Mable
If you have a Fighting-type, you're golden. Both of Mable's Pokémon will lose quickly to Fighting-type moves, particularly Weavile. If not, Water- and Fire-type moves are good substitutes. Both of Mable's Pokémon hit hard but can't absorb much damage in return.
- Houndoom, level 46
- Weavile, level 48
If you have a Fighting-type, you're golden. Both of Mable's Pokémon will lose quickly to Fighting-type moves, particularly Weavile. If not, Water- and Fire-type moves are good substitutes. Both of Mable's Pokémon hit hard but can't absorb much damage in return.
Beat Mable and you'll earn the Elevator Key. Go back to the previous warp pad. It'll take you back to a spot that's very close to the beginning of the maze. Hop on the elevator once you're there and descend to B2. Watch the cut scene - it explains a lot about the backstory of Kalos - then hop back onto the elevator and descend to B3. There's one last battle waiting.
Team Flare Xerosic
A potentially painful battle, this. Crobat is frail, but it can hit very hard with Cross Poison, and Air Slash can potentially make your Pokémon flinch and waste a turn. Kill it quickly with a speedy Electric- or Psychic-type, or at least deploy something that's not much affected by Poison. Steel- or Rock-types work on this score. Malamar is a fair pain with Superpower, but it doesn't quite have the offensive bulk to make the most of the move. Bug-type moves are your best option, and Fairy is a good backup.
- Crobat, level 46
- Malamar, level 48
A potentially painful battle, this. Crobat is frail, but it can hit very hard with Cross Poison, and Air Slash can potentially make your Pokémon flinch and waste a turn. Kill it quickly with a speedy Electric- or Psychic-type, or at least deploy something that's not much affected by Poison. Steel- or Rock-types work on this score. Malamar is a fair pain with Superpower, but it doesn't quite have the offensive bulk to make the most of the move. Bug-type moves are your best option, and Fairy is a good backup.
Push one of the two buttons behind Xerosic after the battle to trigger a cut scene. Ah, so that's what those were. Doing this will finish up Lysandre Labs, putting you on the road to your final confrontation with Lysandre, way back in Geosenge Town.