Where the Safari Zone puts you, what it lets you meet, and what the hints are actually telling you.
7 biomes. Which one you are in decides what can appear, and a biome with a base rule ignores everything that does not fit it.
| Biome | Types it draws | Extra rule |
|---|---|---|
| Plains | Normal, Flying, Ground | |
| Meadow | Normal, Bug, Grass, Fairy | |
| Forest | Bug, Grass, Poison, Psychic | |
| Wetland | Water, Poison, Ground | Water or Flying only |
| Rocky Beach | Water, Rock, Ice, Steel | |
| Peak | Rock, Ground, Flying, Fighting, Ice | |
| Cavern | Rock, Ground, Dark, Ghost, Steel |
Depth is the only thing that lifts the ceiling on what can turn up. The first stretch keeps to smaller Pokemon, and far enough in there is no ceiling left at all. Turning back is always an option, and the exit hint is the one that tells you where it is.
Before you pick a direction you get a line about it. It is weighted, never a guarantee, which is what makes choosing a read rather than a menu.
| What you hear | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Rustling, close to the ground. | Encounter 80%, Item 10%, Event 10% |
| Fresh tracks, still filling in. | Encounter 70%, Event 20%, Item 10% |
| Something glints back at you. | Item 70%, Event 20%, Encounter 10% |
| A cold draft from further in. | Event 70%, Encounter 20%, Item 10% |
| Deep quiet. Nothing moves at all. | Event 40%, Item 30%, Encounter 30% |
| Heavy sounds, further than they should be. | Encounter 60%, Event 30%, Item 10% |
| Find | Gives |
|---|---|
| A ranger cache, long abandoned. Three Safari Balls inside. | +3 Safari Ball |
| A bait tin, sealed and dry. Two Safari Bait. | +2 Safari Bait |
| A full satchel, half buried. Five Safari Balls. | +5 Safari Ball |
| Event | Effect |
|---|---|
| A snare closes on your bag. A Safari Ball rolls away into the brush. | -1 Safari Ball |
| A berry thicket, heavy with fruit. You pack two more Safari Bait. | +2 Safari Bait |
| An old trail cuts back on itself. You make up a step. | +1 Step |
| The ground gives way. You climb out further along, and a step poorer. | -1 Step |
| A cache someone else lost track of. Coins wedged between the roots. | +75 Gold |