One of the many new aspects of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet that has fans excited is the open-world region of Paldea. With the new games kicking off the franchise's ninth generation, no more are the days of random encounters and linear paths. Players are free to explore the Paldea region all they want, with every catchable Pokemon available in the overworld.
As with any Pokemon title, there is no shortage of Flying-types for players to catch. The typing is incredibly useful, as it counters common types like Fighting and Grass while being immune to Ground-type attacks. For players who may not know which Flying-type they want on their team, these areas across Paldea are the best places to encounter some of the best the region has to offer for this common but powerful type.
6 Los Platos
Fortunately for players, there are many strong Flying-type Pokemon available to catch within the first hour of the game. In the early routes, players will encounter the Normal/Flying type Fletchling, which evolves into the powerful Fire/Flying-type Talonflame. They will also find Hoppip, a Grass/Flying-type; and Wingull, a Water/Flying-type. These essentially act as second starter Pokemon with the Flying type tacked on.
Along the way to the town of Los Platos, more Flying-types reside in the area, such as Rookidee and Oricorio. Some Bug-type Pokemon that can be found here evolve into Bug/Flying-types, like Surskit and Scatterbug. Once players get upgrades on their Koraidon or Miraidon, they'll also be able to find a Hawlucha that spawns on a nearby mountain near Poco Path.
5 South Province (Area Five)
It's not very long until players can add some pretty powerful Flying-types to their team. When exploring the South Province after tackling a few story moments, players can explore the consecutive Areas One and Five for Pokemon like the Flying/Fighting Flamigo; Altaria's pre-evolution Swablu; and Bagon (a Violet exclusive). The latter evolves into the Dragon/Flying-type pseudo-legendary Salamence at level 50.
However, exploring the coastal area near the Pokemon Center will also attract some Flying-types. Gyarados, the powerful evolution of Magikarp, can often be found near the water. Wattrel, an Electric/Flying-type, evolves into the super fast Kilowattrel, which may be a perfect capture before tackling the Water-type Gym Leader.
4 Alfornada
Players may not do much exploring of the regions surrounding Alfornada until late in the story. The city is home to the Psychic-type Gym, with wild Pokemon levels nearing the early to mid-40s. Nevertheless, there are some powerful Flying-types that reside in this area, like Altaria and Drifblim, as well as the Dark/Flying type Murkrow, who has been a surprising competitive threat.
However, some clever exploration will reveal a truly threatening Flying-type. In the caves below Alfornada, players can find a special Hawlucha with the Bug Tera Type, allowing it to take advantage of the move X-Scissor. This Hawlucha can be caught incredibly early on, giving players a strong Tera Pokemon right off the bat.
3 North Province (Area Two)
Once the natural progression of the game takes players to the North Province, the Fighting/Flying type Hawlucha becomes a much more frequent capture. In Area Two, there are plenty of other Flying-types that players may find useful in the later stages of the game. A fully-evolved Dragonite can be found lurking in the area, as can a Noivern among a pack of Noibats. Both of these Dragon/Flying types are powerful in battle.
Additionally, some strong Bug/Flying-types sprout up in a nearby mountain range, including Venomoth and Scyther. Even wandering to the nearby Tagtree Thicket will allow players to encounter more Murkrow and Flamigo, both viable Pokemon in the competitive meta.
2 North Province (Area One)
Area One of the North Province of Paldea has its own selection of Flying-types as well. Again, Hawlucha makes frequent appearances in this area, as do Altaria and Flamigo. Players can also find Dratini, which they can quickly evolve into Dragonite within a few levels thanks to the high level of wild Pokemon in this area.
Vivillon and Honchkrow also make appearances in Area One. Additionaly, players can find Rufflet in this area, which evolves into the Normal/Flying-type Braviary, who first appeared in Pokemon Black & White. Beware, though: Flying-types start to thin out near the icy mountains, where Ice-types pose a big threat to the Flying-types on the player's team.
1 Casseroya Lake
This late-game area houses a lot of Pokemon of various different types. The surrounding cliffsides and mountains contain Hawlucha and Staraptor, as well as Pokemon like Kilowattrel, Skiploom, and Honchkrow. However, some of the rarest Flying-types in the game can be found on a set of islands west of Casseroya Lake.
While common Flying-types like Altaria and Flamigo can also be found in this area, players should look closely to find Tropius, a Grass/Flying-type, and a fully-evolved Dragonite, one of the few pseudo-legendaries who can be caught fully-evolved. Additionally, a Gyarados can be found in this area with the Dragon Tera Type, which is very useful.