As you are journeying through Paldea, you’ll come across a wide range of Pokémon living in the various regions. If you want to be the very best, the best that ever was, you should aim to complete your Pokédex by meeting every one of these Pokémon. In each of the new regions that you can explore, Pokémon Scarlet & Violet have new and returning Pokémon ready to battle.
During your adventure, there are certain things to keep in mind that will help you along the way. These tips & tricks can benefit you from the start of your hometown all the way to the end of victory road and beyond.
10/10 Complete The Main Story
Play through the story of the game, collecting everything that comes across your path. The main story of Scarlet & Violet will have you trekking around the mountains, diving into caves, and wandering the vast plains. As you complete quests and tackle challenges, your journey will introduce you to a wide range of the Scarlet & Violet wildlife. If you catch every Pokémon you see without straying from the main path, you’ll be on your way to a full deck, as you will have completed a large portion of the Pokédex, heading.
9/10 Don’t Use Auto-Battle On New Pokémon
Exploring Paldea with your Pokémon by your side can be fun, but it can also set you back in completing your Pokédex. One of the new features in Scarlet & Violet is the ability to have your lead Pokémon auto-battle other wild Pokémon. By Pressing the R-button, you will unleash your lead Pokémon and have them walk by your side. In addition, they will also pick up items that are lying around and engage in auto-battles. While auto-battling is a great way to level up your roster, these battles do not allow you to catch new Pokémon.
8/10 Always Stock Up On Pokéballs
Check your Pokéball inventory every time you reach a Pokémon Center. Battling a Pokémon that you have not yet caught can be exhilarating; however, it can be devastating to find out that you are out of Pokéballs when you try to capture it.
In Scarlet & Violet, there are a variety of Pokéballs and each of those suits different situations. Throughout your adventure, make sure that you always have a stockpile of Pokéballs in your bag. As you progress through the game and reach higher-level areas, lean toward using the more expensive Pokéballs for a better success rate.
7/10 An Icon Appears On Previously Captured Pokémon
When you are in a battle, you can easily see if you have already captured that type of Pokémon. As you are engaged in combat, notice the Pokémon’s level and the icon indicating their gender. If there is a Pokéball symbol to the right of those icons, then you already have captured that Pokémon, and the entry in your Pokédex is complete. Unfortunately, you can’t see this Pokéball symbol before you have started a battle, but it can be very helpful when you are already in a fight.
6/10 The Map Shows Nearby Pokémon
Open up your map and also look at the mini-map for which Pokémon are expected to be in an area. It can sometimes be tricky to know where certain Pokémon are located, as Scarlet & Violet does not have a way to track specific types. The best tool in the game is to look at your map and check for an icon of a Pokémon. These icons don’t tell you exactly where to find the specific type, but they do tell you which Pokémon are likely to be found in your current area.
5/10 Beware Of Your Pokémon Levels And Attacks
Check the level of your Pokémon and of the wild Pokémon; otherwise, you may not be able to capture it. If your Pokémon is far more powerful than the wild Pokémon you are battling, you may accidentally eliminate it when only trying to weaken it.
Try swapping out your high-level Pokémon for some lower-level alternatives when battling Pokémon that you want to capture. This can lower the chance of accidentally eliminating a Pokémon. Additionally, using Effective and Super Effective attacks may be too powerful when only trying to weaken an opponent.
4/10 Explore Landmarks And Hotspots
While you’re exploring a region, search all noteworthy areas like ponds and trees or even the sky. Each region has open areas, roads, and several points of interest. These areas are usually where unique Pokémon like to wander. Ponds, rivers, and the ocean are the places to look for water Pokémon, trees are a good place to look for bug types, and caves should be searched for rock or ground-type Pokémon. Whether you’re looking for a specific Pokémon or just filling out your Pokédex, make sure to visit all noteworthy objects and areas in a region to find them all.
3/10 Tera Battles Have Catchable Pokémon
Tera Battles will allow you to catch the Pokémon you are battling if you succeed. Another feature new to Scarlet & Violet is the Tera Raid Battles that you can engage in all around Paldea. These battles put you and three other trainers against a Terastallized wild Pokémon. Tera Battles can be found all throughout every region of Paldea and are notated on your map. Once you approach a battle site, you can team up with friends, be paired up with other trainers online, or have your squad filled up with computer-controller trainers.
2/10 Head Off The Beaten Path
In addition to checking every landmark and hotspot, also make sure to search the edges and hard-to-reach locations in each region. Paldea is filled with many secrets. Pokémon are not only running around in the open, but they are also hiding in the shadows. As you are finishing your search through a region, make sure to continually check your map and look for hidden locations that you have yet to visit. These tucked-away areas may be home to the rarest and most sought out Pokémon of all.
1/10 Evolve Your Pokémon
Each evolution of a Pokémon has its own entry in the Pokédex, so make sure to capture or evolve one of each form. If you constantly switch out the Pokémon in your starting lineup, you may be able to evolve quite a few types throughout your playthrough. If a Pokémon reaches its final form and is unable to evolve any further, it can be wise to switch it out of your starting lineup for a Pokémon that you still need to evolve. This can maximize your leveling efforts and create many entries in your Pokédex as you play through the game.
