Summary
While it has been de-emphasized in recent years,Pokemonis still well known for the“Gotta catch ‘em all”slogan. Each of the main series games still tasks trainers with completing their respective Pokedexes, even though they no longer contain the entire Pokemon roster.
The real challenge of this task is created by the existence of very rare Pokemon. While most of the dex is fairly easy to obtain, certain members can prove very hard to track down. Some trainers even go afterrare Pokemon forms, which can be even harder to obtain. ForPokemon Scarlet and Violet, these arethe hardest Pokemon to track down.
Updated July 26, 2025, by Ben Painter: While fans wait for the next entry in the Pokemon franchise, Pokemon Legends Z-A, they may want to head back intoPokemon Scarlet & Violetand attempt to complete the Pokedex. But, this is no easy task. Some Pokemon are easy to spot in Paldea and beyond, but others are trickier, requiring some hidden methods to add them to the roster. Especially considering that even more Pokemon were added to the game with the two DLCs The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk, whichfeature in this update. This update adds five new Pokemon that are rare to find in S&V — and how and where to catch them.
1Basculegion
Location: Tera Raid Battles (5★, 6★) (Hidden Treasures Of Area Zero), Evolve White-Striped Basculin
First introduced inPokemon Legends: Arceus, Basculegion made the leap over to Paldea, introduced in theTeal Mask DLC. Basculegion can be found in the evolved form via Tera Raid Battles, but these are rare and difficult to complete.
Gamers will have a better chance to evolve it from White-Striped Basculin that can be caught in Timeless Woods. Players will then need to do over 294 HP worth of recoil damage (without fainting) to itself. Then, with a simple level up, Basculegion will be added to the Pokedex.A very unusual evolution method.
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2Palafin
Location: Tera Raid Battles (5★), Evolve Finizen
Following the trend of an unusual evolution method is Palafin, who makes use of the new multiplayer feature in the game, the Union Circle. Players must level up their Finizen in the Union Circle when playing with another player to gain the heroic dolphin.
This extra effort will be worth tenfold, as Palafin is an awesome Pokemon in the game with a 650 base stat total when it is in its Hero Form. It is activated when the Pokemon has been switched out in battle, handy with the signature move Flip Turn, which deals a bit of damage before returning to its Pokeball. Although not the rarest of Pokemon in the game, it is still difficult to acquire if players aren’t able to go online.
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3The Treasures Of Ruin
Location: South Province (Area One) (Wo-Chien), West Province (Area One) (Chien-Pao), Socarrat Trail (Ting-Lu), North Province (Area Two) (Chi-Yu)
Every game hassome form of Legendary Pokemon trioor quartet, starting with Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. In this game, this candle falls to the Treasures of Ruin. Each of these Pokemon can be found in a specific area across Paldea, but gamers will need to locate each of their eight stakes hidden around their area.
As Legendary Pokemon, they are strong and each specializes in a different aspect of battling. All four are Dark type, but each has a different secondary typing: Wo-Chien (Grass), Chien-Pao (Ice), Ting-Lu (Ground) and Chi-Yu (Fire). Not rare necessarily, as there is one of each guaranteed in the games, but considering that this is the only way to get this Pokemon in the entire franchise, they can be considered exclusive.
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4Terapagos
Location: Area Zero Underdepths
The star of the Indigo Disk DLC, Terapagos is only found once the DLC has been completed and the player takes it on in an epic battle that features its huge Stellar Form. It is the only Pokemon that has this special typing, which it gains when Terastallizing in battle.
Again, not really rare, but as of now, this is the only way to acquire this Pokemon. Gamers will need to purchase the DLC and complete the majority of it before being able to add Terapagos to the party. It will take some time.
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5Pecharunt
Location: Loyalty Plaza
Once both DLCs have been completed, gamers can head to the Mystery Gift section ofScarlet & Violetand pick up an exclusive item, the Mythical Pecha Berry. This will allow the player to play the epilogue,Mochi Mayhem, where players are introduced to Pecharunt.
This Mythical Pokemonis the leader of the Loyal Three and comes in as one of the highest defensive Pokemon in the entire franchise with a staggering 160. Gamers will need to put in a lot of hours in order to use this Pokemon, completing both DLCs and the epilogue to gain their Poison/Ghost prize at the end of it.
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6Ursaluna (Bloodmoon)
Location: Timeless Woods
The Peat Pokemon was originally introduced inPokemon Legends: Arceusas a new evolution for Ursaring. It made a return inPokemon Scarlet & Violetwitha brand-new form, which can be found in the Timeless Woods of Kitakami in theTeal MaskDLC.
To acquire this unique Pokemon, gamers must first speak to Perrin in Mossui Town when they have obtained 151 different species in the Kitakami Pokedex. This will trigger a quest that will eventually lead to a battle with the Bloodmoon Beast, Ursaluna, and allow the player to capture it. Although this Pokemon isn’t rare, as everyone who owns the game can get it easily enough, it is the only one of its type in the whole franchise, which makes it a hard find.
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7Paradox Pokemon
Location: Area Zero
Paradox Pokemon are a new type of Pokemonintroduced inScarlet & Violet. InScarlet, they come in the form of Ancient Pokemon, and inViolet, they are from the Future. They are alternate versions of the creatures but are considered separate species in the Pokedex, unlike regional forms.
In the base game, there are six standard Paradox Pokemon in each version, they aren’t exactly rare to find in Paldea, but they are only found in Area Zero, which requires a significant chunk of the story to be completed before it can be accessed. There are newer Paradox’s, introduced in DLCs, which are significantly harder to capture.
8Dreepy
Location: South Province: Area One, Area Four, Area Five, Area Six, East Province: Area Two, Area Three, West Province: Area Two, Area Three, North Province: Glaseado Mountain, Area Zero, Tera Raid Battles (3★) (Violet only)
The pseudo-legendary of the previous generation,Pokemon Sword & Shield, made the journey across Paldea for gamers to use in their new journeys. However, it is only available to be caught inPokemon Violetand must be traded toScarletfor Pokedex completion.
Dreepy itself isn’t too rare. It can be found in a few locations across Paldea, but it is a rare spawn, so it may take a while for it to show up. It is also very tiny in the overworld, so it could be easily overlooked by the trainer. Dreepy is important for adding Dragapult to a team, as its final evolution cannot be found in the wild.
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9Charcadet
Location: South Province: Area Three, Area Four, Area Five, East Province: Area One, Area Two, Area Three, Tagtree Thicket, West Province: Area One, Area Two, Area Three, Asado Desert, Tera Raid Battles (1★, 3★)
Charcadet is another Pokemon, which isn’t too rare as it can be found in a few locations of Paldea. It is a rare spawn, so players may need to look extra hard to claim it as their own.
This Pokemonhas a branched evolution, which cannot be caught in the game. InPokemon Scarlet, it evolves into Armarouge with the Auspicious Armor, and inViolet, it will become Ceruledge with the Malicious Armor. Both Pokemon have different types, stats, and appearances, but gamers will need both copies of the game to have both of these Pokemon in the roster.
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10Slakoth
Location: South Province: Area One, Area Three, Area Five, Coastal Biome, Torchlit Labyrinth
The Normal-type ‘mon Slakoth has been present since the start of the game, but for whatever reason, it was a rare spawn in the South Province of Paldea.Its evolved form, Slaking, was easier to capture as it can be found as a fixed spawn in the game, meaning it always shows up.
Slakoth was found more commonly in the Coastal Biome, spawning along the beach, but some trainers have still found it difficult to locate the Slacker Pokemon. It is worth it as Slaking is a very strong Pokemon in the game, despite its annoying ability.
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