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Once Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet players have completed all three mainline quests, they'll be contacted by Arven about Area Zero. Since the beginning, players have been cautioned of Area Zero, and for good reason, too. The Pokemon that live there are dangerous, and unprepared trainers will struggle to complete the storyline: "The Way Home." As the last quest of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet's main story, players will be guided by Professor Sada or Turo. Here's everything there is to know about "The Way Home" and how to complete it.
Players should bring a team of Pokemon that are level 65 and higher to make "The Way Home" a little easier. Anything below level 60 can easily be one-shot by the Pokemon living in Area Zero.
Major spoilers for Pokemon Scarlet/Violet.
Quickest Way To Area Zero
Once Scarlet/Violet players get the call from Arven, they'll need to head to Area Zero. The quickest way to get there is by taking a flying taxi to Medali. From there, climb the mountainside to reach the Zero Gate. After players meet up with Arven, "The Way Home" will officially commence, and players will have to sit through a series of cutscenes. For this mission, the main character will be accompanied by Nemona, Arven, and Penny.
Unfortunately, Koraidon/Miraidon is frightened by Area Zero. This means players won't be able to ride on its back, climb, or glide. Professor Sada/Turo will reach out and ask players to meet with them in the Zero Lab, which is at the very bottom of Area Zero. To get there, they first need to undo four locks at four Research Stations.
- The good news is: The pathway to these Research Stations is extremely straightforward. The only way players can miss them is if they wander off.
- The bad news is: Without Koraidon/Miraidon, players are going to have to walk and take the scenic route.
Research Station 1 Battle: Glimmora
Upon reaching the First Research Station, players will be ambushed by a wild Glimmora. Even though there's only one, the main character will team up with Nemona to take it down. Since Scarlet/Violet players have already become champion at this point, knowing Glimmora's Type weaknesses should be fairly easy. However, trainers should not let this Pokemon fool them. The remaining battles in Area Zero won't be as easy.
Pokemon | Type | Level | Best Counters |
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Glimmora | Rock/Poison | 62 |
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Once Glimmora is defeated, head inside the Research Station and undo the first lock. The nearby bed can be used to fully heal a Pokemon. There are also open books lying around, but reading them isn't required for unlocking the Zero Lab. However, they provide information regarding Professor Sada/Turo for those that are interested.
Research Station 2 Battle: Scream Tail or Iron Bundle
Upon arriving at the Second Research Station, another cutscene will play out. This time, the team will be approached by a primordial-looking Jigglypuff (Scarlet) or a robotic Delibird (Violet). This is the first spotting of a Paradox Pokemon in Area Zero, and players will start seeing more Paradox Pokemon for the remainder of "The Way Home."
Penny will team-up with the player character this time. She'll use her Umbreon, which is a great wall in battle, but two against one shouldn't be much of a challenge. If players are at the recommended level and know how to counter Scream Tail/Iron Bundle, this fight will be in the bag.
Version | Pokemon | Level | Type | Ability & Held Items | Moves | Counters |
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Scarlet | Scream Tail | 62 | Fairy/Psychic | * Protosynthesis |
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Violet | Iron Bundle | 62 | Ice/Water | * Quark Drive |
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* Every Paradox Pokemon will have the Ability Protosynthesis (Scarlet) or Quark Drive (Violet).
- Protosynthesis: Boosts the Pokemon's most proficient stat in harsh sunlight (by 30%) or if the Pokemon is holding Booster Energy.
- Quark Drive: Boosts the Pokemon's most proficient stat on Electric Terrain (by 30%) or if the Pokémon is holding Booster Energy.
For Pokemon: Scarlet players, Scream Tail is a fast Pokemon with high HP and good Special Defense and Defense. It isn't much of a fighter (Attack and Special Attack being its lowest stats), but unsuspecting players can lose if they're not careful. A good counter against Scream Tail are Poison-type moves, or Poison-type Pokemon such as Grafaia. Be warned that this Scream Tail knows Psychic Fangs, which is super-effective against Poison-type Pokemon.
For Pokemon: Violet players, Iron Bundle has great Speed, Special Attack, and Defense. The best way to counter it is by using Pokemon that target its Type weakness, preferably with Special moves, such as Thunderbolt. In addition to this, Grass-type Pokemon like Meowscarada should be quick enough to move before Iron Bundle in battle. However, most Grass-type will have to be careful of Iron Bundle's Ice Beam attack.
Research Station 3 Battle: Great Tusk or Iron Treads
Upon reaching the Third Research Station, players will be pitted against a Great Tusk (Scarlet) or an Iron Treads (Violet). Players should recognize this Pokemon from Arven's storyline, so at this point, they should know how to counter it. They'll also be fighting alongside Arven and his Mabosstiff.
Version | Pokemon | Level | Type | Ability | Moves | Counters |
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Scarlet | Great Tusk | 63 | Ground/Fighting | Protosynthesis |
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Violet | Iron Treads | 63 | Ground/Steel | Quark Drive |
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Fortunately, both Great Tusk and Iron Treads have about the same Stat Spread: They've got solid Attack, Defense, and Speed, but have poor Special Attack and Special Defense. Like Iron Bundle, players will want to use Special Moves to attack Great Tusk/Iron Treads weak Special Defense. While they're not as speedy as the last Paradox Pokemon, players will still want to bring along a fast-Pokemon, preferably one that targets these Pokemon's Type weaknesses.
Research Station 4 Battle: Paradox Pokemon
Once Scarlet/Violet players have finally reached the last lock, they'll be pitted against three Paradox Pokemon one after another.
- For the first Paradox Pokemon, players will be up against Great Tusk or Iron Treads depending on their version. They'll also team up with Nemona.
- For the second Paradox Pokemon, players will fight Brute Bonnet or Iron Hands. They'll team up with Penny for this battle.
- For the third/final Paradox Pokemon, they'll battle Flutter Mane or Iron Jugulis with Arven.
Below is all the information players will need for countering them:
Great Tusk or Iron Treads
Version | Pokemon | Level | Type | Ability | Moves | Counters |
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Scarlet | Great Tusk | 64 | Ground/Fighting | Protosynthesis |
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Violet | Iron Treads | 64 | Ground/Steel | Quark Drive |
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By now, players should be familiar with Great Tusk/Iron Treads. Use the same strategy when fighting the Great Tusk/Iron Treads at the Third Research Station.
Brute Bonnet or Iron Hands
Version | Pokemon | Level | Type | Ability | Moves | Counters |
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Scarlet | Brute Bonnet | 64 | Grass/Dark | Protosynthesis |
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Violet | Iron Hands | 64 | Fighting/Electric | Quark Drive |
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For Pokemon: Scarlet players, the best counter for Brute Bonnet are Bug-type moves. While Brute Bonnet looks like Amoonguss, it swaps Amoonguss' Poison-typing for Dark-typing, making it invulnerable to Psychic-type moves. It has poor Speed, meaning it won't take much to move first before it in battle. However, it's got decent Defense/Special Defense and good HP to boot. Meaning players will not only want a Pokemon that targets its weaknesses but one that can hit hard and fast, too.
For Pokemon: Violet players, Iron Hands has great Attack and Defense, but weak Special Defense and Speed. Thanks to its Electric-typing, Iron Hands will not take super-effective damage from Flying-type moves, despite being part Fighting-type. Instead, use a fast Pokemon that excels in Special moves. A recommended counter for Iron Hands is Espeon, a Psychic-type pokemon that has amazing Speed and Special Attack.
Flutter Mane or Iron Jugulis
Version | Pokemon | Level | Type | Ability | Moves | Counters |
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Scarlet | Flutter Mane | 64 | Ghost/Fairy | Protosynthesis |
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Violet | Iron Jugulis | 64 | Dark/Flying | Quark Drive |
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For Pokemon: Scarlet players, players will want to avoid using Dragon-type moves on Flutter Mane. This Pokemon's Fairy-typing makes it immune to Dragon-type moves, and gets rid of what-would-be it's weakness to Dark-type moves. Flutter Mane is also a fast Pokemon with high Special Attack and Special Defense, so players will want to be careful of this one. However, its regular Defense is very poor. Use Pokemon with Physical moves (such as Poison Jab). While Steel-type is one of Flutter Mane's weaknesses, Flutter Mane has the move Mystical Fire, which, as its name entails, is a Fire-type move that is super effective against Steel-type.
For Pokemon: Violet players, Iron Jugulis may look like Hydreigon, but it lacks the regular Hydreigon's Dragon-typing. It's a Pokemon with high Speed and Special Attack, but poor Defense and Special Defense. As a Flying-type, it is completely immune to Ground-type attacks, and its Dark-typing means it can counter Ghost and Psychic-types with ease. Bring a fast and powerful Ice or Electric-type to blast it out of the skies. Alternatively, a Pokemon with high Defense that targets Iron Jugulis' Rock-type weakness (such as Garganacl) is also a great counter.
Once players have pushed through this wave, head on into the Zero Lab for two more battles.
How to Beat AI Sada/Turo
It turns out the Professor Sada/Turo that's been contacting the players since the start of the game is an AI. After a few scenes, players will have the option to save their game before placing the Scarlet/Violet book in the machine. It is highly recommended to use this time to heal up and make a save file. Once players are ready, approach the mechanism to start the next boss fight of "The Way Home."
AI Sada
Pokemon | Level | Type | Ability & Held Items | Moves | Counters |
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Slither Wing | Bug/Fight | 66 | Protosynthesis |
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Scream Tail | Fairy/Psychic | 66 | Protosynthesis |
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Brute Bonnet | Grass/Dark | 66 | Protosynthesis |
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Flutter Mane | Ghost/Fairy | 66 | Protosynthesis |
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Sandy Shocks | Electric/Ground | 66 | Protosynthesis |
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Roaring Moon | Dragon/Dark | 67 |
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Fortunately, half of Sada's team are Pokemon that Scarlet players have fought so far. This means they should know by now what works as a counter, and what Pokemon to avoid bringing out. The difference here are the levels and some of their Moves. For example, Sada's Scream Tail has a Fighting-type move to counter one of its weaknesses: Steel-type. The other new Paradox Pokemon (Slither Wing and Sandy Shocks) can be defeated rather easily if players remember their type match-ups.
The Pokemon that players will want to look out for is Roaring Moon. This Pokemon, while having a x4 weakness to Fairy-type moves, has amazing Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. Fortunately, Roaring Moon doesn't have moves that can counter its Fairy-type weakness. But those using Ice-type will want to be careful of its Stone Edge move. Roaring Moon is also holding a Booster Energy. This activates Roaring Moon's Ability, thus enhancing its Attack by 30%, so avoid bringing Pokemon with poor Defense.
AI Turo
Pokemon | Level | Type | Ability & Held Items | Moves | Counters |
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Iron Moth | Fire/Poison | 66 | Quark Drive |
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Iron Bundle | Ice/Water | 66 | Quark Drive |
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Iron Hands | Fighting/Electric | 66 | Quark Drive |
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Iron Jugulis | Dark/Flying | 66 | Quark Drive |
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Iron Thorns | Rock/Electric | 66 | Quark Drive |
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Iron Valiant | Fairy/Fighting | 67 |
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Much like AI Sada, AI Turo has some familiar Paradox Pokemon on his team. In fact, two of his Pokemon are weak against Ground-type moves: Iron Thorns and Iron Hands. Despite Iron Thorns not being Turo's "last" Pokemon, it's still one that players should not take lightly if they don't have the right counters. While Iron Thorns has a glaring x4 weakness to Ground-type moves, its high Defense and Attack can cause some trouble for Pokemon that only have Physical moves... which is unfortunately a lot of Ground-type moves. To counter Iron Thorns, players may want to target this Pokemon's other Type weaknesses instead, such as its Grass-type weakness. Also, while Water-type is effective against Iron Thorns, it's Thunder Punch move can take care of any Water-type with poor Defense.
Iron Valiant is a cross between Gardevoir and Gallade, and it has incredible Speed, Attack, and Special Attack. If players aren't careful, this Pokemon can easily sweep their team. Their Booster Energy item will also greatly enhance their highest stat, which happens to be Attack. Deal with Iron Valiant by having a fast or bulky Pokemon that can withstand its moves. If players are going in with a Steel-type such as Orthworm, be careful of Iron Valiant's Brick Break move.
How to Beat Koraidon/Miraidon
The very last fight in "The Way Home" is against Sada/Turo's Koraidon (Scarlet) or Miraidon (Violet). This time, the AI Sada/Turo has activated a defense mechanism that locks the player character's Poke Balls, making them unable to fight back with their team. Trying to switch out Pokemon, hitting the Attack/Battle command, or using an Item won't work. However, if players go to switch out Pokemon, they will notice that Koraidon/Miraidon's icon is glowing. Finally, players will be able to battle with the Legendary Pokemon that's accompanied them this entire journey.
First, here's what to expect from Sada/Turo's Koraidon/Miraidon:
Version | Pokemon | Level | Type | Ability & Held Items | Moves |
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Scarlet | Koraidon | 72 | Fighting/Dragon |
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Violet | Miraidon | 72 | Electric/Dragon |
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The player's Koraidon/Miradon is level 68 and has the same Abilities as Sada/Turo's Koraidon/Miraidon. They will have the following moves:
- Koraidon
- Flamethrower (Fire-type, 15/15 PP)
- Collision Course (Fighting-type, 5/5 PP)
- Endure (Normal-type, 10/10 PP)
- Tera Blast ("Normal"-type or Terastallized-Type, 10/10 PP)
- Miraidon
- Power Gem (Rock-type, 20/20 PP)
- Electro Drift (Electric-type, 5/5 PP)
- Endure (Normal-type, 10/10 PP)
- Tera Blast ("Normal"-type or Terastallized-Type, 10/10 PP)
Obviously, the player's Koraidon/Miraidon is two levels lower, but that doesn't mean it will lose... as long as players battle smart. The goal here is to Endure the enemy Koraidon/Miraidon's attacks while chipping away at its health with moves that won't have not very effective results. This means to avoid using Flamethrower (Koraidon) or Electro Drift (Miraidon), as this won't deal much damage to the enemy Pokemon.
As the player character's friends cheer them on, Koraidon/Miradon will eventually gain enough energy to Terastallize. In addition, it will also have its Attack/Special Attack sharply raised. Terastallize Koraidon/Miradon as soon as possible. This will turn Koraidon/Miraidon into a Dragon-type Pokemon. Thanks to the move Tera Blast, Koraidon/Miradon now have a move that is super-effective against Sada/Toru's Koraidon/Miraidon. Use it, and the opponent should go down in one hit.
After all of this, Scarlet/Violet's main story will come to an end, and players can then start on any postgame content. Additionally, Koraidon/Miraidon can now be used in-battle by selecting it from the pause menu (X-button). As a little bonus, Koraidon/Miraidon will have maxed out Friendship, something that doesn't happen when catching Legendary Pokemon in previous mainline Pokemon games.
Pokemon Scarlet & Pokemon Violet are available for Nintendo Switch.