If there's Pokémon involved, you bet Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle will make an appearance eventually. Pokémon Legends: Z-A doesn't buck that trend, allowing you to pick one of the Kanto Starters fairly early on.
But don't fret! You can catch all three of them in Lumiose City too. In this guide, we'll be covering just how to get the Kanto Starters in the game.
Note that there are extremely mild spoilers below for the final Wild Zone of the game, as well as one of the Rogue Mega Evolution boss fights.
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How to get Bulbasaur, Charmander & Squirtle in Pokémon Legends: Z-A
The first way you'll likely get one of the starter trio is via Mable, the head of the Pokémon Research Lab.
Once you reach Research Rank 15, Mable will call you up with a request. She wants to see you at her Lab. Sounds urgent; you'll get the A Call from Mable Side Quest.
A Call from Mable Side Quest Guide
This quest is incredibly straightforward — you simply need to fast-travel to the Lab, head to the 3F, and talk to Mable.
The blue-haired researcher will show you three Pokémon, all very familiar faces to long-time fans: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. She'll ask you to pick one to take with you, while keeping the other two.
It doesn't matter who you pick, so just go with your favourite! We chose Bulbasaur, but if you plan on using them in your main team, perhaps pick one with a different type from your other starter.
And that's that!
Kanto Starter Locations - Where to Catch All Three
You'll have to stick with your initial choice for most of the game, from our experience. However, there is apparently a way to catch the other two starters much later.
Once you've rolled credits, however, a final Wild Zone will open up — Wild Zone 20! Here you can catch all three Kanto Starters in the wild at high levels, meaning they're ready to evolve immediately.
Where to get Mega Stones for Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle
Just like most Mega Stones, all four of these (there's four; Charizard has two, remember?) are relatively easy to get. Plus. you'll actually get one of them from the main story — the others you'll need to buy.
Charizard and Blastoise's Mega Stones can be bought at the Stone Emporium on Vernal Avenue for 100,000 Poké Dollars each. Expensive, but very worth it if you're using those 'mons. For Charizard, grab X first as it's the far-stronger of the two Megas.
Venusaur's, however, isn't available to buy initially. You'll have to progress through the story to find out...
That's a few more 'mons for the Pokédex then! Head over to our Pokémon Legends: Z-A Walkthrough hub for guides on battles, Mega Evolutions, and more.