Pokemon Scarlet & Violet serves as the 9th mainline installment of the beloved and long-running Pokemon series. Part of what makes these games engaging is having players pursue Pokemon that are hard to both find and capture. Sometimes these Pokemon simply require a bit of luck or patience, while other times a specific set of tasks or obstacles must be overcome in order to unlock the chance for an encounter.

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Sure, every Pokemon isn't going to be designed to satisfy every member of the fandom, but more often than not, the most desirable pocket monsters tend to be the hardest ones to track down. It's important to have an understanding of challenges before they are presented, so knowing which Pokemon are the hardest to find in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet can place players in a more realistic and even-keeled state of mind.

Updated on December 28, 2023 by Renri Seong: With both part 1 and part 2 of Pokemon Scarlet/Violet's expansion pass released worldwide, various Pokemon from previous generations can now be caught or transferred to the Gen 9 mainline game. Indigo Disk takes place at Blueberry Academy in the Unova Region, and there are various references to Pokemon Black/White from characters to even the battle music. More importantly, there are Pokemon to be caught to fill up the pages of the Blueberry Pokedex. Just as with part 1, the Teal Mask, some Pokemon are more challenging to find than others. The following list has been updated to include more Pokemon as well as their base stat spread/total.

18 Charcadet

Where to Find: South Province (Area Three), East Province (Area Two)

Pokemon is a series where its creators understand the value of some of its creatures. Charcadet happens to be a fan-favorite among Pokemon introduced within the Paldea region of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. This little armored Fire-type evolves into one of two forms depending on which version of the game is being played. Not only does it have a spawn rate of one percent, making it difficult to even find, but players must also then acquire either ten Sinistea Chips or Bronzor Fragments, depending on the version of the game.

These Pokemon drops then have to be traded to a woman in Zapapico, and in return, she provides the player with armor that acts as a held item, which in turn allows Charcadet to evolve.

17 Gholdengo

Where to Find: Evolve Gimmighoul

The thing that's frustrating with Gholdengo is that obtaining it really comes down to a bit of luck and plenty of persistence. Early in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, players will come across the Ghost-type Pokemon Gimmighoul. Sure, catching the Chest Form is neat and all, but in order to obtain its Steel and Ghost dual-type final form, players will need to acquire 999 Gimmighoul coins.

The only way to do so is to battle and defeat Gimmighoul and receive a random amount of coins as a prize, and also find its Roaming Form hiding away around Paldea. There are people who get lucky and obtain those 999 coins before finishing any of the main stories, but also a number of people who have rolled credits and still haven't been able to evolve their Gimmighoul into a Gholdengo.

16 Palafin

Where to Find: 5-star Tera Raids (Paldea), Evolve Finizen

Whether one is looking at achievements on Xbox or trophies on PlayStation, players tend to agree that rewards or accomplishments attached to multiplayer modes in single-player games are often lame and unnecessary. For Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, they've committed this gamer sin and implemented an evolution that requires the use of the game's multiplayer functionality.

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Anyone looking to evolve their adorable dolphin Pokemon Finizen will need to not only level it up to level 38 but also have it with them during a multiplayer session. The worst part is that Palafin, the final form, looks identical to Finizen, and its real difference is only displayed when it enters its Hero Form. Anyone who isn't subscribed to Nintendo's Switch Online service will need to do so in order to evolve this Pokemon, which is a bold and unnecessary choice, it seems.

15 Tauros' Blaze & Aqua Breeds

Where to Find: Asado Desert, East Province Area Two/Three)

Not only did Pokemon Scarlet & Violet introduce a charcoal-colored regional variant of the Kanto region's Tauros, but it also brought in a trio with unique detailed accent coloring. The Combat Breed, which is entirely black-furred with grey accents, can be found in both games. An Aqua Breed sporting flashes of dazzling blue on its chest is the regional form exclusive to Pokemon Violet, whereas those looking for the Blaze Breed that features red accents will need to get their hands on a copy of Pokemon Scarlet.

Since the introduction of regional forms to existing Pokemon was introduced in Pokemon Sun & Moon, the series has done some fun experiments when it comes to how exactly these refreshes of known Pokemon are handled and what they bring to the ever-expanding roster of pocket monsters.

14 The Treasures Of Ruin

Where to Find: Grasswither Shrine (Wo-Chien), Icerend Shrine (Chien-Pao), Groundblight Shrine (Ting-Lu), Firescourge Shrine (Chi-Yu)

Every Pokemon mainline entry comes with a brand new roster of Pokemon to capture and befriend, but it usually also has a group of legendary and mythical creatures that are part of the post-game content. In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, there is a group of four mystic Pokemon referred to as The Treasures of Ruin, waiting to be challenged by whoever comes across them.

In order to do so, players will need to unlock their unique encounters by finding all 32 colored stakes found around Paldea. Each Pokemon requires the removal of eight of its unique stakes, so in order to battle and capture all four, players will need to search out each and every stake and pull it out from the ground in which it resides.

13 Paradox Forms

Where to Find: Area Zero

New mainline Pokemon games, upon release, tend to always break sales records as millions of people pick them up to hop into a brand new adventure in a video game series that they love. The truth is that though millions of people bought Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, the majority of them likely will never see it through to completion. That's what makes the acquisition of the Paradox Forms so difficult to accomplish.

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Not only do players need to reach the end of the game in order to learn about time travel and how past and future forms of modern Pokemon have slipped through into the Paldea region, but there are certain Paradox Pokemon that are version exclusive and will need to be acquired via trade. All of this fails to even confront the fact that these creatures are high-level and won't be the easiest things to catch.

12 Ditto/Zorua

Where to Find: West Province (Area Three) (Ditto), Tagtree Thicket (Zorua)

It's one thing to find a rare Pokemon in the wild; it's another to run into it and engage it in battle, only to fail to catch it regardless of how many pokeballs are thrown in its direction. That can be both frustrating and time-consuming for those looking to complete their Pokedex. Ditto and Zorua take that annoyance to a whole new level in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.

These creatures won't actually appear in the overworld as themselves. Instead, they disguise themselves as other Pokemon, and it isn't until the player engages in a battle that it reveals what it actually is. Now, canonically this is neat and fits into the personality behaviors that these Pokemon would have, but it doesn't mean that the process of finding and catching them is higher in difficulty by at least a measure of two.

11 Trevenant

Where to Find: 5-star Tera Raids (Kitakami), Evolve Phantump

Trevenant is a Ghost/Grass-type Pokemon that made its debut in the series with its pre-evolved form, Phantump, in Pokemon X/Y. While they weren't available in the base game of Scarlet/Violet, they're officially compatible with the Gen 9 mainline game thanks to the Teal Mask. Those that bought the Teal Mask can catch their own Phantump and evolve it into Trevenant. The catch is that Phantump only evolves when it's traded, similar to Ghost-type Haunter and Fighting-type Gurdurr. Those that do not have an online subscription will be unable to obtain Trevenant via evolution.

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Fortunately, trainers can find a Normal-type Terastallized Trevenant in the Timeless Woods in Kitakami. Unfortunately, Trevenant has a smaller level scale than the other Pokemon found around Kitakami. If trainers have not completed "The Way Home," Trevenant will be level 54; if they have, it will be level 75. Those that aren't able to trade-evolve Phantump will need to catch this Trevenant if they want to get its dex entry. Of course, another way to get Trevenant is to transfer one using Pokemon HOME from Sword/Shield or Pokemon GO. If players don't have Sword/Shield/GO, then obtaining Trevenant can be a chore.

10 Basculegion

Where to Find: 5-star Tera Raids (Kitakami), Evolve White-Striped Basculin

Basculin appeared in Gen 5, but it didn't receive an evolution until Gen 8, and even then, the evolution went to a new species of Basculin rather than the pre-existing ones. White-Striped Basculin debuted in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, in ancient Sinnoh: Hisui. It also has a unique evolution method: It needs to take 294HP damage from recoil attacks before it can evolve. If it faints when using a recoil-move, then the "points" won't count for that move.

Once Basculin has met the requirements, it will evolve into Water/Ghost-type Basculegion. This Pokemon has two different appearances based on its gender, much like Hippopotas and Hippowdon. What makes Basculegion hard to obtain in Scarlet/Violet (without transferring) is that Basculegion does not appear in the wild, and White-Striped Basculin only spawns in one area in Kitakami. Trainers can catch White-Striped Basculin in the Timeless Woods, but they'll need to be quick, as these species of Basculin are quick to flee unlike their Red/Blue-Striped counterparts. Trainers that don't want to go through the process of evolving White-Striped Basculin will need to look for 5-star Raids in Kitakami. Basculegion only appears in 5/6-star Raids, meaning players will need to have completed Scarlet/Violet's main story before the Big Fish Pokemon can start spawning in Raids.

9 Dusknoir

Where to Find: 5/6-star Tera Raids (Kitakami), Evolve Dusclops

Trainers can find Duskull and even its evolution, Dusclops, haunting the lands of Kitakami at night. Good places to search for the Ghost-type Pokemon are the Infernal Pass (Oni Mountain) and Timeless Woods. However, longtime fans of the series will know that the Duskull-line gained a third evolution in Gen 4: Dusknoir.

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Dusclops will evolve into Dusknoir when traded while holding a Reaper Cloth. This is an item like King's Rock or a Prism Scale. If Dusclops is traded without holding the cloth, it will not evolve. Just as with Phantump, players will need an online subscription to be able to trade with others. For those that have Pokemon Legends: Arceus, they can just transfer their Dusclops to LA and evolve it with the Reaper Cloth from the Merit Shop. Once evolved, transfer it back to Scarlet/Violet. Of course, Legends: Arceus players can also catch a wild Dusknoir if they'd prefer. Otherwise, trainers aren't going to see Dusknoir wandering about Kitakami like its pre-evolved forms, making the methods of registering it to the Pokedex quite limited.

8 Politoed

Where to Find: 5/6-star Tera Raids, Evolve Poliwhirl

Politoed is one of the Pokemon that Poliwhirl can evolve into with the other being Poliwrath. Unlike Poliwrath, Politoed is not a dual-type Pokemon, but it's going to need to be registered in the Kitakami Dex regardless. Like Dusknoir, Politoed is a trade-evolution Pokemon. This time, players will need to trade their Poliwhirl while it's holding a King's Rock. This item can be bought from Delibird Presents in Paldea, but trainers can also get a free King's Rock from Geeta during the postgame.

Politoed has the drawback of not being available in Legends: Arceus, meaning trainers can't transfer Poliwhirl and evolve it in Hisui. The only other way to get Politoed is to catch and evolve Poliwhirl in Pokemon GO. Of course, more methods could be added if Politoed appears in a future generation, but for now, the easiest method of getting the Frog Pokemon is through GO and Pokemon HOME.

7 Conkeldurr

Where to Find: 5/6-star Tera Raids, Evolve Gurdurr

Timburr and Gurdurr can be found in the mountainous areas of Kitakami, but their final evolution, Conkeldurr, can not. Evolving Timburr into Gurdurr is easy, but getting Gurdurr to evolve into Conkeldurr requires, once again, trading. No online membership means Gurdurr won't be evolving any time soon, and Legends: Arceus is out of the question as well.

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Fortunately, there's a Fixed Spawn Conkeldurr in Pokemon Sword/Shield near the Motostoke Bridge in the Wild Area. The downside is that this Conkeldurr is rare, and it won't spawn during a sandstorm or blizzard. This means trainers may have to go through a lot of trial and error of adjusting their Nintendo Switch clock before they can get the Conkeldurr to appear. Once they catch the Sword/Shield Conkeldurr, they just need to move it to Pokemon HOME, and then to Scarlet/Violet. Otherwise, the only way to get Conkeldurr (for free) is to battle it in 5-star Raids in Kitakami.

6 Milotic

Where to Find: 5/6-star Tera Raids, Evolve Feebas

It's almost cruel that Teal Mask's story mode has a story-based encounter with a wild Milotic... but trainers are unable to catch it. As most players know, Milotic evolves from the shabby-looking Feebas via two methods: maxing out its Beauty condition, or trading it while it's holding a Prism Scale. Since conditions do not exist in Scarlet/Violet, trainers are stuck having to trade their Feebas to evolve it. Of course, Milotic can appear in 5-star Raids just as any other trade-evolved Pokemon, but those that want to catch Milotic before the postgame are not so fortunate.

One way around this "trade evolve" is to transfer the Feebas to Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl. The Sinnoh Remakes bring back Pokemon Contests, which means the conditions mechanic makes a return as well. All trainers need to do is feed Feebas some Dry Poffins in BDSP until its Beauty condition is complete maxed out. Then, level it up once to trigger the evolution. All that's left from there is to send back the Milotic to Scarlet/Violet.

5 Gligar & Aipom

Where to Find: Reveler's Road, Kitakami Hall (Aipom), Paradise Barrens (Gligar)

Gligar and Aipom are two Pokemon from Gen 2 that received evolutions in Gen 4. So it shouldn't be too surprising that these Pokemon are version-exclusives. Pokemon Scarlet trainers will find Gligar and Gliscor, whereas Pokemon Violet gets Aipom and Ambipom. This, of course, means trading to get these Pokemon to the opposite versions.

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With Pokemon HOME and Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl (or Legends: Arceus), players can get both Pokemon without having to purchase an online subscription. Both Gligar and Aipom can be found in the Grand Underground, although Gligar is a Brilliant Diamond-exclusive. In Legends: Arceus, trainers can catch both of them in the Alabaster Icelands. Aipom also spawns in the Cobalt Coastlands; Gligar appears in the Coronet Highlands. Both of these areas unlock before the Icelands. Scarlet/Violet trainers should know the drill by now: Catch these Pokemon in other console games, then use HOME to move them to Paldea/Kitakami.

4 Cramorant & Morpeko

Where to Find: Fellhorn Gorge (Cramorant), Oni Mountain (Morpeko)

Cramorant and Morpeko are two Gen 8 Pokemon, and unfortunately, version-exclusives in Scarlet/Violet. They can be caught in both Sword/Shield, but this isn't the case for Gen 9. Pokemon Scarlet players will find Cramorant in Kitakami, while Morpeko spawns in Pokemon Violet.

These Pokemon are rather common in their respective games, and they may even appear in Tera Raids. However, Cramorant's spawn points (i.e, Fellhorn Gorge) are selective, and it can be trickier to catch than Morpeko, who appears along Oni Mountain and in Paradise Barrens. The best way to catch both of these Pokemon is to throw a Quick Ball. If the Cramorant is in the water, trainers can use a Dive Ball, too.

3 Cranidos & Shieldon

Where to Find: Canyon Biome

Pokemon Scarlet/Violet didn't have any new Fossil Pokemon unlike its preceding generations, but with the Indigo Disk DLC, you can catch the Fossil Pokemon from Gen 4: Cranidos and Shieldon. Unfortunately, just as they were in Diamond/Pearl, they're both version-exclusive Pokemon. They can be found in the same spot, but if you're playing Pokemon Scarlet, you'll find Cranidos. Likewise, if you have Pokemon Violet, you'll find Shieldon instead.

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Cranidos and Shieldon spawn in one particular spot in all of Terarium. You'll want to climb to the summit of the mountain in the middle of Canyon Biome. Look closely at the map of the Canyon Biome, and it's the land surrounded by water. The easiest way to reach this point is to head east from the Canyon Plaza, or northeast from the Canyon Rest Area.

2 Beldum

Where to Find: Chargestone Cavern, Polar Biome

Beldum is known for being a relatively weak Pokemon that evolves into pseudo-legendary Metagross, a Steel/Psychic-type. The Beldum-line is also known for its 3% catch rate, which puts it in the same catch rate-pool as most Legendary and Mythical Pokemon. Chances are if you're going to catch Beldum or Metang in the wild, you'll be there for a while. Despite this, Beldum is a worthy Pokemon to catch if you're looking for a powerful Steel or Psychic-type Pokemon with amazing base Defense and Attack.

If you have the Indigo Disk DLC, you can find Beldum and Metang in Terarium of Blueberry Academy. Naturally, they're not as common as most other Pokemon, like Hisuian Qwilfish or Elekid. Beldum and Metang spawn in colder climates and caves, so you'll want to search the mountain tops of the Polar Biome, or the tunnels of Chargestone Cavern (Canyon Biome). If you're really lucky, you may chance upon a fully-evolved Metagross in a 5/6-star Raid. This is the easiest way to catch Metagross, as any Pokemon caught in Raids has a 100% catch rate.

1 Meloetta

Where to Find: Coastal Biome (near Coastal Rest Area)

Mythical Normal/Psychic-type Meloetta can be caught in the Indigo Disk DLC somewhere in the Coastal Biome of Terarium. However, it won't be found roaming the wild. Instead, the player character needs to spin in the middle of a "wind tunnel" for 10 seconds, then take out the Camera app and change it to the Sepia filter. The credit for finding Meloetta in Terarium/Indigo Disk goes to Twitter user Hsinhsung9487 cites a "code cracking server founded by soulsilverart and palkiaorigin", but the discovery itself was made by an anonymous 4chan user.

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When Meloetta uses its signature move, Relic Song, it damages and can potentially put its opponent to sleep. It will also transform from its Normal/Psychic Aria Forme to Normal/Fighting Pirouette Forme. Depending on which forme you want to use, Meloetta can be a powerful special attacker, or a swift physical attacker in battle.

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are available on the Nintendo Switch.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Franchise

Pokemon

Platform(s)

Switch

Released

November 18, 2022

Developer(s)

Game Freak

Publisher(s)

Nintendo , The Pokemon Company