Pokémon Legends: Z-A pulls from all over the series, so along with its own starter trio of Chikorita, Tepig, and Totodile, you can also snag the original Kanto starters. If you’re looking to add Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle to your team, here’s how that plays out.
How to get Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle in Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Much like in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Z-A is packed with side missions. Your first Kanto starter comes from one of these.
After you hit rank W, the following day you’ll be sent on an errand that ends in a battle against a fellow Team MZ member. Once that’s done, heal at a Pokémon Center. You’ll get a call on your Rotom Phone from Mable, which unlocks the side mission “A Call from Mable.” Head to the Pokémon Research Lab and go up to Mable’s office — you’ll find the Kanto trio waiting there.
The three are off to the side and you can pick one. Choose your favorite and it’ll join your party.
As for the other two, you’ll need to wait for the post-game in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Trading with a generous friend is an option, but with no breeding in Z-A, that’s a tall order.
Where to catch Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle in wild zones
Once you finish Main Mission 37, the story wraps and the post-game opens up, along with the final wild zone. In Wild Zone 20 — the circular area in the center of the map, around and beneath the remains of Prism Tower — you can encounter a wide mix of Pokémon, including the Kanto starters.
Because Wild Zone 20 has a big pool of spawns (you’ll even see Chikorita, Totodile, and Tepig in the mix), you may need to circle the area a few times, or exit and reenter, to get Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle to appear. Expect them to show up around level 53–55, same as the other regular Pokémon in this zone.
If you have the Mega Dimension expansion, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle can also appear in pockets of Hyperspace Lumiose. Hover over a Hyperspace wild zone on the map and you might see a Kanto starter listed (or a silhouette if you haven’t caught it yet). Since Hyperspace spawns are chance-based, running laps in Wild Zone 20 tends to be the more reliable route if you want one quickly.