Learn when, where, and how to take down the wild Pokémon that populate Remoat Stadium on Aeos Island.

By Rosemary Kelley, contributing writer

Pokémon UNITE isn’t just about taking your favorite Pokémon into battle. The arenas are also filled with wild Pokémon, which can lead to intricate tactics! Whether it’s using the buffs they provide to enhance your team’s game plan or defeating them for Aeos energy to score in the opposing team’s goal zones, wild Pokémon play an integral role in a team’s success. Defeating wild Pokémon is a critical part of your individual and overall team strategy in Pokémon UNITE. How you prioritize which wild Pokémon to defeat will make a huge difference in keeping your team ahead in a Unite Battle!

In this article, we will go over the wild Pokémon that populate Remoat Stadium, including the special wild Pokémon that grant unique effects when defeated, and how to develop a team strategy around them!

What Wild Pokémon Do

Many of the Pokémon around the stadium are considered wild Pokémon. When defeated, these Pokémon grant a player Exp. Points, as well as Aeos energy to score in the opposing team’s goal zone and to charge your Pokémon’s Unite Move. Some wild Pokémon also grant additional effects when defeated.

Securing Wild Pokémon in the Early Game

At the beginning of each Unite Battle, when players split up into their respective paths, there will be Aipom spread out along the top and bottom paths before players reach the middle of the map. Quickly defeating these wild Aipom will help get you closer to being able to defeat the wild Pokémon at the midpoint of each path in Remoat Stadium, which you and the opposing team both have easy access to. (We’ll get to these wild Pokémon later on.)

When you reach the middle of either the top or bottom path, there will be wild Pokémon near each team’s goal zones: Corphish on the top path and Audino on the bottom path. It’s important that players on those paths quickly secure the middle Corphish or Audino to prevent the opposing team from gaining an early Exp. Point advantage. It’s useful if you or a teammate uses a Pokémon like Snorlax or Lucario, which are great at dealing quick bursts of damage, to secure the final hit on these wild Pokémon.

If you’re able to score the initial attack on a contested wild Pokémon, that Pokémon will start advancing toward you. This is a great way to draw the wild Pokémon away from the opposing team and make it easier for your team to defeat it. If the opposing team has already started attacking the wild Pokémon at the midpoint, it’s best to either start attacking the opposing players on that path to force them to heal or retreat, or to deal the final attack against the wild Pokémon so that you can grab the Exp. Points and Aeos energy for yourself.

Some more aggressive teams can also try to contest the Pokémon closer to the opposing team’s forward goal zone. An aggressive team composition could include Pokémon like Alolan Ninetales—a Pokémon that excels at dealing fast damage as well as controlling the movements of the other team. Some players on each path prefer to split up so they can both secure the wild Pokémon at the midpoint and land the final attack on the wild Pokémon closer to the opposing team’s goal zone. This is a great way to deny the opposing team valuable Exp. Points, and it can put you at an advantage moving into the rest of the early game.

At the 8:45 mark, Corphish will start to spawn along the outer wall of the top and bottom paths. Secure those Corphish quickly to gain Exp. Points so you can tackle the real prizes together—the Combee and Vespiquen that will spawn at the midpoint of each path 10 seconds later. These wild Pokémon are important for you and your team to secure, especially if you’re starting to fall behind the levels of the opposing players in your path.

Early-Game Central Area Tactics

On a typical Unite Battle team, there will be two players who go to the top path, two players who go to the bottom path, and one player who heads to the central area. This area is where you can find Lillipup at the beginning of the game, as well as Corphish and wild Pokémon that grant temporary buffs upon defeat. When a player enters the central area, they can easily defeat the Lillipup there, then wait for the Ludicolo and Bouffalant that spawn at the 15-second mark.

The Pokémon that defeats Ludicolo or Bouffalant is granted a secondary effect in addition to lots of Exp. Points. Ludicolo provides the player with a temporary purple aura that makes the player deal increased damage to wild Pokémon at low HP. The orange aura that Bouffalant provides allows the player’s basic attacks to slow Pokémon. Bouffalant’s bonus is especially powerful because it works not only against wild Pokémon but against other players as well!

Ludicolo and Bouffalant will respawn one minute after they’re defeated, so it is easy to cycle through their bonuses and use them to gain the upper hand in battle. Defeating these Pokémon shortly after they respawn is a crucial for maintaining a level advantage against the opposing team. Plus, once the player in the central area has both auras, it will be easier for them to help their teammates on either the top or bottom path. These buffs can help secure a team fight, but even more importantly, they can help secure a key objective.

For the player in the central area, it may be difficult to choose which path to help during this portion of the battle. Typically, you want to head toward the path where the opposing player in the central area is helping their team, but you could also head toward the path where your teammates need help securing Exp. Points in order to catch up or get ahead. Many central area players also prefer to help on whichever path their teammates are stronger to increase the chance of an advantageous outcome.

Drednaw and Rotom

There are three key wild Pokémon in a Unite Battle that can swing the result of the match—Drednaw, Rotom, and Zapdos. These Pokémon are important to crafting a winning strategy. At the 7-minute mark, Drednaw and Rotom will appear on the bottom and top paths, respectively, and each provides a unique secondary effect in addition to the Exp. Points and Aeos energy that all wild Pokémon provide.

Drednaw

During the first three minutes of the game, teams should decide how to attack the first Drednaw. How many Exp. Points you’ve earned and what moves are available to the team are key to determining how to approach the first fight against Drednaw. Because Drednaw grants Exp. Points and shields to the whole team that defeats it, defeating it is often worth having your full team of five engage.

Drednaw is likely where the first full-fledged team fight will happen. Teams will prepare for this objective by returning to their base to fully restore HP, using Sitrus Berries, and sending a player back to the central area to regain the buffs from Ludicolo and Bouffalant. When preparations are finished, every player will head to the bottom path in order to fight for Drednaw.

With access to the Bouffalant buff, you and your team can strategically fight the opposing team before you start to attack Drednaw. By slowing down one member of the opposing team, you can more easily separate them from the rest of their team and knock them out. If this battle lasts long enough, some Pokémon may begin to learn their Unite Moves, which can really turn the tide of these battles.

Rotom

After Drednaw is defeated, some members of the team may head toward the top path to secure Rotom. When Rotom is defeated, it will move toward the opposing team’s closest goal zone. If the shields from Drednaw are still intact, securing Rotom will be a lot easier, because the opposing team will likely try to prevent Rotom from reaching their goal zone. Rotom can be defeated before it reaches its destination, but if it safely reaches the designated goal zone, Rotom will immediately score 20 points and make the goal zone defenseless for a short period of time. This is a fantastic time to score the Aeos energy you have banked and maybe even make a push on the next goal zone.

Drednaw and Rotom will reappear two minutes after they are defeated, so it’s possible to keep securing these objectives to maintain your advantage or to turn the tide of battle. The second Drednaw fight is critical if your team is behind, so use the time between Drednaw and Rotom respawns to defeat more wild Pokémon, get as many Exp. Points as possible, and unlock your Unite Moves. Unite Moves are powerful ways to secure an objective, but it’s important that you coordinate with your team over which Unite Moves you’ll use and when you’ll use them. The team that has more Unite Moves available to them will often win a fight over Drednaw. Keep rotating defeating Drednaw and Rotom, as well as scoring points throughout the mid-game, as you prepare for the biggest fight of the match.

Late-Game Wild Pokémon

Aipom, Corphish, Combee, Vespiquen, and Audino will all spawn at regular intervals after you defeat them. However, the locations of these wild Pokémon may change throughout the game depending on which goal zones are still standing. Once the forward goal zone is destroyed, Combee and Vespiquen will spawn closer to the middle goal zone, and more wild Pokémon will appear at regular intervals along the path to that goal zone. Even if your team loses their forward goal zone first, you can use the wild Pokémon that spawn to catch up in Exp. Points and Aeos energy. Conversely, if your team destroys the other team’s forward goal zone first, you can also press your advantage by defeating the wild Pokémon that appear to collect Aeos energy.

Zapdos, the Final Win Condition

At the 2-minute mark, Zapdos, the biggest game changer (or game finisher), appears! Zapdos can be found right in the center of the stadium. Upon defeat, Zapdos provides your team with a bunch of Aeos energy, and it makes all of the opposing team’s goal zones defenseless, allowing your team to score as soon as you reach them. Since this period is also the final stretch, goals scored will also be worth double the points, making Zapdos even more impactful! Before deciding how to approach the endgame, you’ll want to evaluate where your team stands in the match overall.

If your team is ahead in points by a large margin, then your goal is to keep the opposing team from capturing Zapdos. On the other hand, if your team is really behind in points, you’ll want to make sure you can nab Zapdos. If both teams are close in points, you can expect a heated team fight to break out around Zapdos in the final two minutes of the match.

Regardless your objective, you need plenty of healthy teammates and a slew of Unite Moves at the ready. The shields granted by the final Drednaw are a great way to mitigate damage going into the final big fight. Be careful, though, as it’s typically better to not use Unite Moves when only three minutes remain in the match. This will ensure that your Unite Moves are available when you move in on Zapdos. If you cannot secure Drednaw, then prepare by gathering as many Exp. Points and as much Aeos energy as you can to increase your level and charge up your Unite Moves. Returning to your base is not only a great way to make sure you are healthy for the Zapdos fight—it’s also a way to regroup and move in as a full team of five.

While Zapdos is the main objective in the late game, you can go off script to find other ways to score more points or solidify your lead. Wild Pokémon become harder to defeat during this time, but they do provide more Exp. Points and double their usual Aeos energy. If it is a close battle, defeating these wild Pokémon can make or break a game. Every point counts! Even the fight over Zapdos can be a close call. Having a teammate with a strong ranged attack positioned nearby could be what gets your team the last hit on Zapdos.

How your team deals with wild Pokémon is a fundamental part of any Unite Battle. With strong communication and coordination, you can get creative with how your team defeats wild Pokémon and uses them to your advantage. Stay flexible with your game plan, and keep in mind the strengths and weaknesses of the Pokémon that are on your team and how to use them effectively. But perhaps most importantly, have fun!

Keep checking Pokemon.co.uk for more Pokémon UNITE strategy and analysis.