Wild Zone 1 will be your introduction to Pokémon Legends: Z-A's abundance of closed-off areas: there are specifically designed to keep Pokémon and people safe, and allow you to catch some 'mons for your team.
There's a healthy selection of early companions for you to collect here, so we'll be covering every single Pokémon you can catch in Wild Zone 1, including guaranteed Alpha Pokémon spawns.
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Wild Zone 1 Location
Wild Zone 1 is very close to Hotel Z, and as you'd expect, it's the very first Wild Zone you'll be visiting.
It's just south of the Hotel, right by Vert Sector 8. When you leave the Hotel for the first time, it'll be just to your right on South Boulevard, west of Station Front, Café Introversion, and the Vert Pokémon Center.
Alternatively, you can reach it by going east from the Pokémon Research Lab south of Vernal Avenue. Easy!
How to unlock
Wild Zone 1 is available from the very start of the game. No effort needed! You actually have to visit it as part of the story.
All Wild Zone 1 Pokémon
There are 7 Pokémon to catch in Wild Zone 1. Most of these will be found on the ground, but once you get Rock Smash from Mable, you'll be able to climb up a ladder and reach the top of some buildings.
The recommended level for this WIld Zone is Level 5.
| Pokémon | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Fletchling | Normal/Flying | On the ground level, flying around the grass |
| Bunnelby | Normal | Hopping around the ground |
| Weedle | Bug/Poison | Wandering near the grass |
| Scatterbug | Bug | Wandering near the grass |
| Mareep | Electric | In the grass patch at the west exit of the area |
| Pidgey | Normal/Flying | On the rooftops, need Rock Smash to reach |
| Pichu | Electric | In a small courtyard on the opposite side. It only has one spawn here, so we've got specific tips on how to catch Pichu |
Alpha Pokémon Locations
Once you've met Emma and completed three Side Missions for her, you'll start meeting Alpha Pokémon in the wild, and many of these can be found in Wild Zones.
Every Pokémon has a chance to be an Alpha, but there are guaranteed Alpha Pokémon spawns in every single Wild Zone. In Wild Zone 1, there's just the 1 Alpha, but it's easy to catch, so worth grabbing.
| Pokémon | Type | Level | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pidgey | Normal/Flying | 26 | On the right rooftop within the Wild Zone |
Best Wild Zone 1 Pokémon to catch
You'll need to catch five different Pokémon anyway to progress the story, so that means you'll probably get most of these first time around.
Still, for a little type variety, you can't go wrong with a Fletchinder (perhaps Pidgey if you started with Tepig) and a Mareep. The latter in particular is good because its final evolution, Ampharos, can Mega Evolve, meaning it'll be viable for a good chunk of the game.
Bunnelby is also a decent early-game Pokémon, and you'll need it to use Rock Smash anyway. So why not?
That's one down, but there are 19 more to go! For more Wild Zone guides and other helpful tips for your time in Lumiose City, check out our Pokémon Legends: Z-A Walkthrough hub.