Learn how to encounter, catch, and evolve the Paldea region’s most elusive Pokémon.
One of the most exciting parts about setting off on a Pokémon adventure is searching for new Pokémon, and this certainly hasn’t changed in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. Of course, with the hundreds of different Pokémon species inhabiting the Paldea region, filling out your Pokédex might seem like a daunting task. But don’t worry! Catching ’em all isn’t necessarily as difficult as it might seem, and with this guide, you’ll be on your way to completing your Paldea Pokédex in no time!
The satisfaction of catching all the Pokémon in a region isn’t the only worthwhile thing about completing your Pokédex—you’ll be rewarded with some useful items for your efforts, too. While browsing your Pokédex, press the X Button to view a rewards screen. For every 10 volumes you complete by adding data to the Pokédex—in other words, by obtaining new Pokémon through catching, trading, or Evolution—you’ll get useful items such as different types of Poké Balls, Evolution stones, and more.
Likewise, be sure to visit Jacq at the academy in Mesagoza. When you reach certain milestones of Pokémon registered to your Pokédex, he’ll give you items as thanks for helping with his research. For example, when you’ve registered 30 Pokémon, you’ll get TM057 False Swipe, which—thanks to its trait of always leaving the target with at least 1 HP—is very useful for catching wild Pokémon. At 400 Pokémon registered, Jacq will treat you with a Shiny Charm, which makes it more likely that you’ll encounter Shiny Pokémon in the wild.
Much of your Pokédex will likely be completed by encountering and catching wild Pokémon. Just keep in mind that there are hundreds of different species of Pokémon, and they don’t all act alike. You’ll need to adjust how you approach these Pokémon to get the drop on them. Try to sneak up on wild Pokémon from behind, then initiate battles with them by throwing your lead Pokémon’s Poké Ball. Pokémon that are caught off guard will be too stunned to move on their first turn, allowing you to get in an extra attack or throw a Poké Ball with increased odds of securing the catch.
Pokémon that fly up high or swim underwater may not come into catching range unless there’s a bit of distance between you and them, though you can always toss your lead Pokémon’s Poké Ball at airborne Pokémon to initiate a battle. Occasionally, you’ll see Pokémon hiding in a tree—just toss your lead Pokémon’s Poké Ball at them to initiate a battle. Or, if you’ve defeated the Stony Cliff Titan, you can have Koraidon or Miraidon dash into the tree to knock the wild Pokémon down to the ground.
Of course, some Pokémon aren’t as shy and will walk right up or even chase after you—you shouldn’t have much of a problem encountering them!
Use Meal Powers to Find Pokémon
Some Pokémon show up less frequently in the wild than others, so to find them you’ll have to travel across the land, searching far and wide. Pokémon such as Rotom, Charcadet, and Frigibax aren’t seen nearly as often as Pokémon like Lechonk, Pawmi, and Smoliv, but you can increase the likelihood of encountering uncommon species by using Meal Powers. Purchase a meal from a vendor or fix yourself a sandwich while you’re out enjoying picnics, keeping an eye on the Meal Powers you’ll receive. Before you chow down, check for an Encounter Power that matches the type of Pokémon you wish to find— stacking that benefit with a matching Catching Power certainly wouldn’t hurt, either!
Catching Terastallized Pokémon
While exploring Paldea, you’ll occasionally encounter wild Tera Pokémon wandering around. Thanks to the pillar of light they emit, they’re tough to miss. Wild Tera Pokémon tend to be relatively rare, and are often evolved Pokémon like Dragonite, Slaking, or Sylveon. When you battle these Tera Pokémon, you won’t be able to attempt to catch them until you’ve reduced their HP enough to shatter their Tera Jewel. And keep in mind that only an attack can take them out of their Terastallized state, so use caution when inflicting other forms of damage like poison or burns. If you do manage to catch a wild Tera Pokémon, though, you’ll have a powerful partner with a Tera Type that generally differs from its regular types. Just note that these wild Tera Pokémon are extra powerful, so come prepared for a fierce battle!
Rare Pokémon Appearances
There are also Pokémon that simply don’t make many appearances in the Paldea region. Spiritomb, for example, can only be found on Glaseado Mountain—if you know where to look. Always keep your eyes open for Pokémon you’ve yet to catch, particularly when traversing areas you haven’t explored much. And as you make progress through the Path of Legends story, it’s also worth revisiting sections of the map to discover treasures and Pokémon you couldn’t reach before.
Gimmighoul presents nearly the opposite problem: you’ll find these Pokémon in all corners of the map, but you’ll still have to keep looking for more. There are multiple Chest Form Gimmighoul hidden throughout the region, but the Coin Chest Pokemon usually haunts locations that are off the beaten path. You’ll also cross paths with Roaming Form Gimmighoul on occasion. Although there’s currently no known way to catch the Coin Hunter Pokémon, you will earn Gimmighoul Coins by interacting with them. Catch or defeat as many Chest Form Gimmighoul as you can, and say hello to Roaming Form Gimmighoul wherever you see them, to collect their precious Gimmighoul Coins. Once you’ve amassed 999 of these coins, your Gimmighoul will evolve the next time it levels up—more on that later!
Another common method of registering new Pokédex entries is through Evolution. Like Pokémon encounters, though, there are multiple ways to evolve the many Pokémon in the Paldea region—leveling up them up is just the beginning. Please note that some methods of Evolution involve interacting with your Pokémon throughout the day, during the evening, or late at night. The full day and night cycle lasts a little over an hour in real-world time, so plan accordingly!
The Lucky Egg and Leveling Up Your Pokémon
The most common way to evolve Pokémon is by leveling them up. Train hard with your Pokémon to earn Exp. Points, and you’ll find that many Pokémon will evolve naturally when they reach a certain level. When you battle, all Pokémon that are on your team will earn Exp. Points, but those that participate in the battle will earn more than those that were sitting on the sidelines.
After earning your fifth Gym Badge, Jacq will meet you inside the sixth Gym you challenge to give you a Lucky Egg. Have one of the Pokémon in your party hold this item, and it will earn extra Exp. Points as you play. It’s a handy way to speed up level-based Evolutions!
Evolving Pokémon with Evolution Stones
Some Pokémon will evolve only when they’re exposed to items called Evolution stones. There are multiple types of stones, so you’ll need to have the Pokémon in your party and select the correct one from your inventory to trigger the Pokémon’s Evolution. These stones can be randomly found as items scattered around the world, and some will become available for purchase at Delibird Presents as you earn more Gym Badges. Be aware that these stones are consumed when you use them, so you’ll need one for each Pokémon you wish to evolve.
Here are the Pokémon that require Evolution stones to evolve:
Evolving Pokémon with Special Items
Some Pokémon require other types of special items to evolve. These items can be a bit tricky to find, however, so use the chart below to determine what you need. Like Evolution stones, you use most of these items on the Pokémon while they’re in your party to begin the Evolution process (the lone exception to this rule is Weavile).
Evolving Pokémon with Friendship
The bond between a Pokémon and its Trainer has always been important, but in some cases the power of friendship can even trigger Evolution. Once these Pokémon have become especially friendly with you, they’ll evolve the next time they level up. You can increase your Pokémon’s affection towards you by interacting with them a lot. Walk with them in your party, send them into battle without letting them faint, play with them during picnics—these are just some of the ways to become closer to your Pokémon pals. You can further boost your friendship with a Pokémon by catching it with a Friend Ball or Luxury Ball, or by having it hold a Soothe Bell.
A few of these Pokémon have additional requirements to evolve, which are listed in the chart below.
Evolving Pokémon at Certain Times
The following Pokémon will evolve starting at a particular level, but only if they level up during a certain time of day. Remember, “time of day” in this context refers to the time within the Paldea region, not the real world. Don’t worry if the Pokémon reaches the required level during the wrong time of day. Just evolve them to the next level during the proper time, and their Evolution will begin.
Evolving Pokémon by Trading
Trading Pokémon is lots of fun, and there are a few Pokémon that can only evolve after they’ve been traded to another Trainer. Of course, if you want to register these Evolutions in your Pokédex, you should trade with a friend who’s willing to trade the Pokémon back to you after it’s evolved. Some of these Pokémon also need to be holding a specific item when they’re traded for the Evolution to happen. Just check out the chart below for all the details.
Annihilape, Farigiraf, and Dudunsparce
New Evolutions of Primeape, Girafarig, and Dunsparce have been discovered in Paldea! Evolving these Pokémon is a bit tricky compared to the standard Evolution process. Each of these Pokémon needs to know a specific move before leveling up. In order to evolve Primeape into Annihilape, the Pokémon’s anger must reach critical mass by learning Rage Fist and using it 20 times in battle. Girafarig evolves into Farigiraf by leveling up while knowing its signature move, Twin Beam, which it learns at Lv. 32. Lastly, Dunsparce evolves into Dudunsparce by leveling up while knowing its signature move, Hyper Drill, also learned at Lv. 32.
Pawmot, Brambleghast, and Rabsca
Tell your Pokémon “Let’s Go!” and take it for a stroll! Pressing the ZR Button to let your Pokémon out of its Poké Ball is a key mechanic for exploring Paldea and getting the most out of the open world—it’s also the only way to evolve some newly discovered Pokémon. Pawmo, Bramblin, and Rellor each need to spend time outside of their Poké Ball and walk alongside you for 1,000 steps before evolving on their next level up into Pawmot, Brambleghast, and Rabsca, respectively.
Kingambit
Kingambit will stop at nothing to get its way and lead groups of Bisharp into battle. That’s the first clue when evolving Bisharp into the battle-hungry Kingambit. To evolve into Kingambit, Bisharp must hold a Leader’s Crest and defeat three wild Bisharp that are also holding a Leader’s Crest. The Bisharp that appear in the center of a group of Pawniard are the only ones that carry Leader’s Crests, so you’ll want to catch one to acquire the item before defeating three more. These steps may seem intimidating at first, but just look out for Bisharp leading a group of Pawniard. Bisharp is a Dark- and Steel-type Pokémon, so teach your own Bisharp a Fighting-type move to dish out quadruple damage. Pawniard and Bisharp can easily be found together amid the bamboo forest in Area Two of the North Province.
Palafin
Evolving Finizen into Palafin can prove difficult, but bring along a friend and everything will go swimmingly. You can evolve Finizen into Palafin starting at Lv. 38 by leveling it up while using the Union Circle with another Trainer. You can access the Union Circle from any Pokémon Center, or by pressing the X Button to open your menu and selecting Poké Portal. From there, you can create or join a group via local or online communication.
Armarouge and Ceruledge
Armarouge and Ceruledge are some of Paldea’s hottest newly-discovered Pokémon, and both of them require a special item to evolve from Charcadet. Head over to Zapapico and speak to the person near the fountain. In Pokémon Scarlet, this collector of curiosities is a man who will give you Auspicious Armor in exchange for 10 Bronzor Fragments—materials found by catching or defeating wild Bronzor and Bronzong. In Pokémon Violet, the collector is a woman who will give you Malicious Armor in exchange for 10 Sinistea Chips—materials found by catching or defeating wild Sinistea and Polteageist.
The Auspicious Armor can be used to evolve Charcadet into Armarouge, and the Malicious Armor can be used to evolve Charcadet into Ceruledge. If you have Pokémon Scarlet and want to evolve your own Ceruledge, or vice-versa, you’ll need to link up with another Trainer to obtain their version-exclusive armor.
Gholdengo
Gholdengo is a manifestation of 1,000 Gimmighoul Coins stacked together, and that’s the key to evolving Gimmighoul into the swanky Coin Entity Pokémon. The Trainer needs to have 999 Gimmighoul Coins in their inventory before leveling up their Gimmighoul. It can take a bit of time to obtain that many, but both Chest Form Gimmighoul and Roaming Form Gimmighoul can be found scattered throughout Paldea. Roaming Form Gimmighoul usually hangs around signs, Pokémon Centers, and hard-to-reach areas, and it rewards Trainers who find it with a relatively small number of coins. Chest Form Gimmighoul can be found at the top of watchtowers and tucked away in secluded ruins, and catching or defeating it will reward the Trainer with a much larger horde. It may take a few days, but both forms of Gimmighoul will eventually reappear at the locations where you initially found them.
Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet Exclusives
Whether you’re playing Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet, there are a few Pokémon that you won’t be able to obtain without doing a bit of trading. Alternately, you can catch these Pokémon by joining Tera Raid Battles hosted by players with a different game version. Another option is to trade with players across the world via Surprise Trades—this is also a great way to obtain the first partner Pokémon you didn’t choose at the start of your game.
Apart from the standard version exclusives, there are also mysterious Paradox Pokémon inhabiting Area Zero. Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet each have seven exclusive Paradox Pokémon.
Where to find Roaring Moon and Iron Valiant
Most of the Paradox Pokémon are found relatively easily, but Roaring Moon and Iron Valiant can be difficult to encounter. Both Pokémon are secluded in a cave near Research Station No. 3 that you’ll need to explore thoroughly to find. Even once you get there, they appear less often than other Pokémon in the cave, so it’s best to load up a Dragon Encounter Power to find Roaring Moon or a Fairy Encounter Power to find Iron Valiant. Trainers can’t have picnics in Area Zero, but Meal Powers can be gained prior to entering through the Great Crater.
Have you encountered mysterious black stakes while exploring Paldea? If you pulled them out—great! That’s exactly how you find the four Legendary Pokémon known as the Treasures of Ruin. Each of these Ruinous Pokémon is sealed away in a shrine that can be unlocked by pulling out eight black stakes hidden throughout the surrounding area.
Locating these black stakes can be a bit challenging, and it’s probably best to start searching for them after unlocking Koraidon or Miraidon’s full suite of traversal powers. And remember that knowledge is its own kind of power—if you’ve completed your coursework at Naranja Academy or Uva Academy while earning your teachers’ trust, one of the school’s instructors will aid your search by adding the locations of the four shrines to your map app. Each of these Ruinous Pokémon is a Dark type, so consider their strengths and weaknesses carefully before unleashing them from their imprisonment and challenging them to battle!
Wo-Chien
The Grasswither Shrine containing the ruinous tablets can be found in Area One of the South Province.
Chien-Pao
The Icerend Shrine containing the ruinous sword can be found in Area One of the West Province.
Ting-Lu
The Groundblight Shrine containing the ruinous vessel can be found along Soccarat Trail.
Chi-Yu
The Firescourge Shrine containing the ruinous beads can be found in Area Two of the North Province.
Good luck in your search for new Pokémon, Trainers—and have fun completing your Pokédex!