How to get Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venusaur in Pokemon Legends Z-A

There is a twist to get Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venusaur in Pokemon Legends Z-A. These classic Kanto starters have made their return in the game, but the path to adding them to your team starts through a special side mission called A Call from Mable.

That said, here is how you can get them in Pokemon Legends Z-A.

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How to unlock Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, and Venusaur in Pokemon Legends Z-A

First, to get your hands on Bulbasaur in Pokemon Legends Z-A, you must unlock Side Mission 22: A Call from Mable. It’s the only way to obtain it before gaining access to its wild habitat later in the game.

Guide to help get Squirtle in-game (Image via The Pokemon Company)

This mission also decides which Kanto starter you’ll get and you can only choose one between Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle.

Here's how you go about it:

• You’ll receive this side mission by speaking to Nurse Joy at the Pokemon Center. The exact trigger for the mission isn’t completely defined, but it usually becomes available once you’ve reached Rank W in the Z-A Royale or after completing enough of Mable’s earlier requests.
• Once you’ve spoken to Nurse Joy, she’ll tell you that Director Mable wants to see you. That officially starts the side mission. From there, fast travel or walk over to the Pokemon Research Lab, a place you’ve already visited earlier in the story.
• When you arrive, head straight to the third floor, where Mable can usually be found. Off to the side, you’ll notice the three Kanto starters waiting together.

Pick Bulbasaur (Image via The Pokemon Company)

You can pick Bulbasaur in this case. Once you make your choice, the mission wraps up, and that’s the effective way to get it early in Pokemon Legends Z-A.

Note: After defeating the final boss of the game, Bulbasaur starts appearing naturally in Wild Zone 20 as part of the post-game encounters.

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Evolving Bulbasaur into Ivysaur and Venusaur

At the time of writing, there’s no alternate catch location for Ivysaur and Venusaur except for evolution. Bulbasaur can be evolved to Ivysaur at Level 16, and Ivysaur can evolve into Venusaur at Level 32.

It’s a simple line, but raising Bulbasaur is worth the effort. Venusaur’s Mega Evolution makes it one of the most reliable tanky Grass-types in the game, pairing solid defense with powerful special attacks.

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You can check out more guides on the game:

• All Pokemon Legends ZA new Mega Evolutions: Stats, type, and abilities
• Complete Pokemon Legends Z-A Pokedex
• Pokemon Legends ZA walkthrough: How to complete Escape from the Battle Zone