“You were chosen to be a movie star, correct? Isn't it your duty to be ever beautiful? Everything beautiful should stay that way forever. I would end the world in an instant so that beauty never fades. I can't stand the thought of the world becoming uglier.”
Lysandre makes his first appearance in this game. The player first encounters him in Lumiose City, where he is first introduced as the head of Lysandre Labs. He discusses with Diantha about her acting career and eternal beauty. Much later, after the player beats the 5th Gym Leader, Clemont. He tells them about Xerneas (X) or Yveltal (Y), and the ultimate weapon.
After the player beat the 7th Gym, it's revealed that Lysandre is the leader of Team Flare, and the player goes to Lysandre Labs in Lumiose City to attempt to stop him. While there, they battle him once and he retreats underground.
Later, at the Team Flare Secret HQ under Geosenge Town, the player battle him once more, to stall time. Later, after catching the game's legendary Pokémon, the player fight him for a third time. In this battle, he uses a Mega Gyarados. After battling him one final time, he fires a severely weakened version of the Ultimate Weapon. Him and the rest of Team Flare are trapped in the rubble of the HQ.
Though he was thought to be dead after X and Y, Lysandre reappears in Legend: Z-A, where it is revealed he survived the destruction of Team Flare's HQ after Zygarde saved him. He has become amnesiac, remembering little of his past, and has a similar affliction to AZ, living 3,000 years. His hair is pale, and he appears to have lost an eye. He goes by the pseudonym "L". Throughout the game, he encounters the player (Paxton or Harmony) several times, telling them they must become worthy of Zygarde's trust. He assists by gathering Zygarde's cells throughout Lumiose City.
After the player starts the Infinite Z-A Royale, L speaks to the player about AZ and the weapon Ange he created. He requests the player find and catch Xerneas and Yveltal. After they do so, L meets the player outside Hotel Z, where he expresses regret about his previous actions and says why he thinks Zygarde rescued him, because it seeks to restore balance to the world. He challenges the player to a battle him. After they beat him, L brings them to the newly reopened Prism Tower, where he asks them to catch Zygarde. After they do so, L gives them the Zygarde Cube and sets off, seeking a better way to recognize his dreams.
An alternate version of Lysandre appears as a member of Team Rainbow Rocket, from a universe where the Ultimate Weapon successfully fired. When the player fights him, he uses a Xerneas (Ultra Sun) or Yveltal (Ultra Moon), in addition to his previous Pokémon. After being defeated, he wonders what would've happened if a person like the main character in USUM existed in his world.
Lysandre has 3 cards in the TCG. The first one, entitled Lysandre, was first released in the XY: Flashfire expansion, and was later reprinted in XY: Ancient Origins. It lets the user force one of their opponent's benched Pokémon into play. Almost every deck used this card when it was in rotation. The second, entitled Lysandre's Trump Card was released in the XY: Phantom Forces expansion. It let the user cycle all the cards in their discard pile back into your deck. This card was banned from play. The most recent card is Lysandre Prism Star, from SM: Forbidden Light. It lets the user, for each of their Fire Type Pokémon in play, put the same number of cards from your opponent’s discard pile into their Lost Zone.
