For years, many new regions in the Pokémon series have introduced unique battling mechanics that shake up the core gameplay in unexpected ways. Mega Evolution reigned supreme in Kalos, Z-Crystals provided incredible power in Alola, and the Dynamax phenomenon blew things up in Galar. When it comes to Pokémon battles in Paldea, the Terastal phenomenon is the name of the game. Terastallization brings an exciting new twist for casual and competitive players by changing the type of one of your Pokémon during battle. Covered in a brilliant crystalline exterior and adorned with a shining type-based Tera Jewel, Terastallized Pokémon can turn the tides of battle and look good doing it. You’ll be able to Terastallize your own Pokémon after your classmate Nemona gives you a Tera Orb, a special item that allows you to gather Terastal energy and channel it into your Pokémon. Each time you Terastallize a Pokémon, you’ll then need to recharge your Tera Orb by visiting a Pokémon Center, resting in a bed, or interacting with a Tera Raid crystal.
Terastallizing changes a Pokémon’s type to its Tera Type for the remainder of the battle and increases the damage dealt by moves matching that type. This extra damage is known as a same-type attack bonus and has always factored into Pokémon battles. For example, Salamence is a Dragon- and Flying-type Pokémon, so its Dragon- and Flying-type moves are more powerful than moves of other types.
Once you factor in Tera Types, that’s when things really start to get interesting. A Salamence with the Electric Tera Type will Terastallize into an Electric-type Pokémon, so its Electric-type moves become more powerful in addition to the original same-type attack bonuses for its Dragon- and Flying-type moves. If that Salamence then changed its Tera Type to Dragon, it would subsequently Terastallize into a full Dragon type, effectively losing its Flying type for defensive purposes. But here’s the fun part: a Terastallized Salamence with the Dragon Tera Type would keep its same-type attack bonus for Flying-type moves while also making its Dragon-type moves even more powerful than ever before. You heard that right—Tera Type bonuses stack with the Pokémon’s original bonuses, allowing you to diversify your offensive coverage or go all in on a single type for maximum power.
The simplest way to encounter wild Tera Pokémon is by locating Tera Raid crystals in your map app and approaching them to take on Tera Raid Battles. The Terastallized Pokémon you’ll find there are more powerful than the average wild Pokémon, making Tera Raid Battles a great way to beef up your team for the main story or multiplayer battles. And if you want a Tsareena with the Flying Tera Type or a Salamence with the Electric Tera Type, there’s no better place to encounter Pokémon with rare Tera Types. You can take on Tera Raid Battles with up to three other players locally or online, but you can also go solo—if you don’t have a full team of four players, friendly non-player Trainers will be ready to jump in and help out.
Apart from catching Pokémon, there are a few key incentives to participating in as many Tera Raid Battles as you can. Rewards for a successful Tera Raid Battle can include Exp. Candy, sellable items, Pokémon materials, LP, and Tera Shards. The quantity and quality of the rewards you’ll earn scales with the difficulty of the raid, with 5-star Tera Raid Battles granting stronger items and featuring stronger Pokémon than 2-star Tera Raid Battles.
For example, a successful 2-star Tera Raid Battle might grant Exp. Candy S and an Old Bone, while a 4-star or 5-star Tera Raid Battle is more likely to reward you with Exp. Candy L and maybe even a Nugget. The further along you are in the game’s storylines, the more important it becomes to prioritize high-level Tera Raid Battles, as the wild Tera Pokémon you’ll encounter there are likely to have better stats than Pokémon from lower levels.
Terastallized Pokémon are not only found at Tera Raid crystals, but also roaming throughout the open world of Paldea. If you’re jaunting around in search of your next challenge, look no further than a wild Pokémon emanating a beam of light toward the sky. Battling one of these sparkling Pokémon will reveal its Tera Type and give you the opportunity to catch it once you’ve dealt enough damage to shatter its Tera Jewel. Catching or defeating these wild Tera Pokémon will grant you LP—and of course, those you catch will retain the Tera Type revealed in battle.
There are plenty of Terastallized Pokémon to go around in Paldea, but you may ask yourself: How do I change the Tera Type of one of my current Pokémon, either for the main story or for multiplayer battles? The answer lies in Tera Shards, a special item received from raids and occasionally found throughout your adventures. Once you gather 50 Tera Shards of a specific type, you can exchange them at the Treasure Eatery in Medali to change the Tera Type of one of your Pokémon to match—but only after you’ve proven yourself to the chef by completing certain tasks in the game’s storylines.
So, if you want to change the Tera Type of one of your Pokémon to Ice, be prepared to challenge Tera Raid Battles featuring Pokémon with the Ice Tera Type until you’ve collected 50 Ice Tera Shards. Collecting so many items might seem daunting at first, but you can make your life easier by using a Meal Power called Raid Power to earn more Tera Shards of a particular type from successful Tera Raid Battles. When you combine different Pokémon types with a variety of Tera Types, the strategic possibilities in battle are endless!