Unlocking every starter Pokémon from generations past in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Indigo Disk DLC isn’t just a walk in the park-it’s a thrilling quest that will test your dedication and strategy. Dive into the mysterious Terarium, grind through Blueberry Academy’s challenging quests, and boost biodiversity to reveal all 24 starters roaming the wild. Ready to catch them all and build the ultimate team? Here’s your essential guide to mastering the hunt for every starter in this epic postgame adventure.
For those not hip to Pokémon lingo, starter Pokémon, or “starters,” refers to the three Pokémon you able to choose from at the start of each game. This includes original Pokémon like Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander from Kanto to relative newcomers like Grookey, Sobble, and Scorbunny from Galar. Note, however, that the Paldean starters (Sprigatito, Quaxley, and Fuecoco) are not available to find in the wild.
To unlock the wild starter Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet, you’ll need to grind out quite a few Blueberry quests (BBQs) and once you do, it can be hard to find them around the map. Below, we list out the requirements for unlocking the wild starters in The Indigo Disk and where to find them.
How to unlock starters in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk
To unlock the starter Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk, you first need to progress in the DLC’s story until you gain access to the BB League Room and unlock the Support Board. This allows you to donate Blueberry Points (BP) to boost the biodiversity of the Terarium’s four biomes. Each biome requires a donation of 3,000 BP (a total of 12,000 BP for all starters) to unlock the ability to find and catch six specific starter Pokémon native to that biome. You earn BP by completing BBQ quests, which become easier and more rewarding as you progress. Once a biome is upgraded, the corresponding starter Pokémon will appear in the wild, ready for you to catch and add to your team.
You won’t be able to catch the starters in the wild right off the bat. You’ll need to at least make it to the BB League club room in The Indigo Disk’s story before you can. Once you do, Drayton will talk to you about using the computer to donate BP to other clubs. He’ll force you to donate to the baseball club to learn some new throwing styles, but after this tutorial bit, you’ll be free to donate to whatever clubs you want.
For 3,000 BP each, you can opt to add Pokémon to each of the four Terarium biomes. The Pokémon in question are the starters. They correlate to biomes as follows:
- Savanna Biome: Charmander, Totodile, Snivy, Fennekin, Rowlet, Sobble
- Coastal Biome: Bulbasaur, Chikorita, Mudkip, Froakie, Popplio, Grookie
- Polar Biome: Cyndaquil, Torchic, Chimchar, Piplup, Oshawott, Chespin, Scorbunny
- Canyon Biome: Squirtle, Treecko, Turtwig, Tepig, Chespin, Litten
(Yes, Chespin is found in both biomes, since it actually inhabits a cave that connects the two areas.)
You’ll need to do BBQs in order to get BP. You can amass tons by using the Union Circle mode with other players. We managed to get enough BP for all four upgrades from a little under two hours of rigorous multiplayer grinding with three others. While you amass BP from doing BBQs, you’ll also get access to the Snackworth Legendaries (though you’ll need to beat the DLC before you can actually claim them).
Where to find wild starters in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Indigo Disk DLC, wild starter Pokémon from previous generations can be found across four distinct biomes in the Terarium, but they only appear after you unlock them by spending Blueberry Points (BP) to boost each biome’s biodiversity. Each biome hosts specific starters: the Savanna Biome features Charmander, Totodile, Snivy, Fennekin, Rowlet, and Sobble; the Canyon Biome includes Squirtle, Treecko, Turtwig, Tepig, Chespin, and Litten; the Coastal Biome is home to Bulbasaur, Chikorita, Mudkip, Froakie, Popplio, and Grookey; and the Polar Biome contains Cyndaquil, Torchic, Chimchar, Piplup, Oshawott, and Scorbunny. To unlock all starters, you need to accumulate a total of 12,000 BP and spend 3,000 BP per biome. Once unlocked, these starters can be found roaming their respective biomes in the wild, allowing players to catch and add them to their teams.
If you’re having a hard time finding the Pokémon in their respective areas, consider using a sandwich that boosts encounter rate by type. We used the following:
- Fire encounters: Pickle sandwich (1 pickle and 1 olive oil)
- Grass encounters: Klawf claw sandwich (1 Klawf stick, 1 tomato, 1 lettuce, 1 salt, and 1 olive oil)
- Water encounters: Zesty sandwich (1 jalapeño, 1 onion, 1 herbed sausage, and 1 chili sauce)
Note that using a water-boosting sandwich in the water or a grass-boosting sandwich in areas filled with grass-type Pokémon may not yield the best results. We recommend heading to land for the water-types (when you can) and trying to go to more isolated areas for grass-types. Be patient, you will find them!
Below we list the in-game locations of all the starter Pokémon you can catch at Blueberry Academy, organized by Pokédex number.
Bulbasaur location
You can find Bulbasaur roaming around the grassy parts of the mountain in the southern part of the Coastal Biome.
Charmander location
Charmander is running around the southern and central part of the Savanna Biome.
Squirtle location
Squirtle can be found in and out of the water in the southern area of the Canyon Biome.
Chikorita location
Chikorita can be found around many different areas of the Coastal Biome.
Cyndaquil location
Cyndaquil is found in a specific cave in the Polar Biome. You can find the specific entrance to this cave here:
You know you’ll be in the right spot, since there’ll be a Tera Duraludon inside.
Totodile location
Totodile can be found in some of the swampy pools in the Savannah Biome.
Treecko location
Treecko is wandering around the grassy mountain tops in the Canyon Biome.
Torchic location
Torchic is found in a specific cave, which you can find by going south from the Polar Plaza and up the mountain. You can see the entrance to the cave below:
You’ll know you’re in the right cave because a Tera Metang will be inside.
Mudkip location
Mudkip is in the Torchlit Labyrinth in the Coastal Biome. You can find one of the many entrances to said cave here:
Turtwig location
Turtwig can be found all over the place in the Canyon Biome.
Chimchar location
Chimchar is found on top of the snowy cliffs in the Polar Biome.
Piplup location
Piplup is roaming around the waters in the Polar Biome.
Snivy location
Snivy wanders around the northeastern part of the Savanna Biome.
Tepig location
Tepig is in the southern parts of the Canyon Biome, but can also be found along the edges.
Oshawott location
Oshawott is in the northern part of the Polar Biome.
Chespin location
Chespin is in the Chargestone Cavern that connects the Polar and Canyon Biomes. You can find one of many entrances at the location below:
Fennekin location
Fennekin is wandering around the eastern part of the Savanna Biome.
Froakie location
Froakie is around the waters in the northern parts of the Coastal Biome.
Rowlet location
Rowlet is all around the Savanna Biome. You’ll have a hard time not running into them.
Litten location
Litten is found all along the northern half of the Canyon Biome.
Popplio location
Popplio is found along the waters in the Coastal Biome.
Grookey location
Grookey is running around the southeast part of the Coastal Biome.
Scorbunny location
Want to discover the secret locations of all 24 starters in Indigo Disk
To discover the secret locations of all 24 starters in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Indigo Disk, you first need to unlock them by boosting biodiversity in the Terarium’s four biomes using Blueberry Points (BP). Each biome upgrade costs 3000 BP, totaling 12,000 BP, which you earn by completing Blueberry Academy quests, story progression, and defeating the Blueberry League Elite Four.
Once unlocked, the starters are found in specific biomes:
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Savanna Biome: Charmander, Totodile, Snivy, Fennekin, Rowlet, Sobble
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Canyon Biome: Squirtle, Treecko, Turtwig, Tepig, Chespin, Litten
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Coastal Biome: Bulbasaur, Chikorita, Mudkip, Froakie, Popplio, Grookey
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Polar Biome: Cyndaquil, Torchic, Chimchar, Piplup, Oshawott, Scorbunny
Using sandwiches to influence spawn types can help target specific starters or shiny variants. For faster BP farming, teaming up with others in Union Circle to complete BBQ quests is highly effective. This methodical approach will let you track down and catch every starter Pokémon roaming the wild in the Indigo Disk DLC.
Which biome is the easiest to farm all 24 starters quickly
The easiest biome to farm all 24 starters quickly in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Indigo Disk is generally considered the Savanna Biome. It has a relatively large area with six starter spawns-Charmander, Totodile, Snivy, Fennekin, Rowlet, and Sobble-that are easier to find due to their spread-out locations and accessible terrain. Additionally, the Savanna Biome offers multiple spawn points and fewer rare spawn restrictions compared to more confined or cave-heavy biomes like the Polar or Canyon biomes, which contain some of the rarer and harder-to-find starters such as Torchic and Chimchar.
For efficient farming, the Savanna Biome’s open layout and diverse starter spawns make it the best choice to quickly encounter and catch multiple starters without excessive travel or searching in tight spaces.
