Among the many challenges players face in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is completing the Pokedex. As with Generation 8 games, many Pokemon have been cut from the initial launch, to the chagrin of many long-time fans. That being said, there are still four hundred Pokemon in the region of Paldea.
Despite the initial small size of the Pokedex, catching every single Pokemon is still a big challenge. In the latest games, a few new features have been added to make catching smoother, and a few challenges have been introduced to up the stakes of completing the Dex. Players need look no further than this guide for the best tips on how to complete the Pokemon Scarlet and VioletPokedex.
8 Stay Off The Beaten Path
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While this isn't always the case, Pokemon tend to hide out in the wild grass areas as opposed to staying on the in-game paths. While this makes them more difficult to see, there's also a higher variety of Pokemon in these wild grasses, especially ones that shy away from players.
Luckily, traversing the grass in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet does nothing to impact the speed the player goes, so there's plenty of exploring to be done with no irritating slowness. Keeping an eye on the grass is a surefire way to catch a variety of Pokemon.
7 Keep An Eye Out
Pokemon in Paldea seem tiny. Because they appear in the open world, Game Freak seems to have placed particular emphasis on the size of Pokemon relative to the player. This means that one-inch Pokemon are almost impossible to see in the wild, which might lead to players missing out on catching them.
Keeping a vigilant eye for these tiny Pokemon can be worthwhile for completing the Dex. Looking out for movement on paths or in the wild grass can help when finding smaller Pokemon, as well as the '?' or '!' symbols that pop up when a Pokemon notices the player.
6 Read Up On Evolutions
In Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, as in other games, many stages of evolved Pokemon roam around in wild areas to be caught. But some Pokemon require special tricks to evolve, or simply don't appear on the map in their evolved form. For example, the starter Pokemon can't be found in the wild areas, so they will have to be evolved in order to register in the Dex.
Some Pokemon evolve at certain levels or after meeting certain criteria, while some require specific held items. With all this to keep in mind, it's worth reading up on Pokemon evolutions to ensure they get registered to the Pokedex
5 Use The Map
When searching in a specific area, it can be easy to miss or underestimate the amount of Pokemon that are present. The new UI, however, has a solution for this. On the mini-map, Pokemon in the area are displayed with individual icons, alerting the player to their presence.
This feature is similar to the one in Pokemon Go, where silhouettes of nearby Pokemon appear in a pop-up menu. If a player thinks they've caught every Pokemon in the area, it might be worth checking the map for any potential misses.
4 Lock On
Players paying attention to the dialogue from Nurse Joy will quickly discover this trick for completing the Pokedex. By locking onto a visible Pokemon with ZL, and pressing ZR, players can throw a ball at their targeted Pokemon from afar, without needing to worry about bumping into other wild Pokemon on the way.
This trick is also especially effective for Pokemon that are up in trees, on the water, or ones that run away when approached. Pokemon like Wiglett will duck under the ground if the player gets too close, so this is an easy way to ensure hard-to-catch Pokemon don't escape the Dex.
3 Manage Money
While the player can find the odd Pokeball here and there in the wild, the most reliable method for getting Pokeballs is to purchase them from the Pokemon Center. At the beginning of the game, 200 Pokecoins or League Points for one Pokeball can seem like a lot of money, even if there are two methods of payment available.
Players looking to complete the Pokedex will want to be conscious of how much money they spend to ensure they always have funds for additional Pokeballs. Battling trainers, completing gyms, investigating raid dens, and catching Tera Pokemon are all great methods of gathering Pokecoins and LP.
2 Trade With Friends
Because of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Pokedex exclusives, players can't actually complete the Pokedex without online play. Pokemon like Drifloon and Hydreigon are only available in Scarlet, while Pokemon like Misdreavus and Dragapult are only available in Violet.
This is also the case for the remaining two starters that players will not get the opportunity to catch after they've chosen theirs, as well as the version-exclusive legendaries. Registering to the Pokedex through trading is easy enough, though, as the Pokemon doesn't have to stay with the player for it to be registered. Just trade it right back once it's registered, and it'll count towards the Dex.
1 Stick To Old Tricks
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When it comes to the basics, everything is still the same in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Players will want to lower the health of a Pokemon to the orange or red zone before catching, as this increases the likelihood that the Pokemon will stay in the ball.
For this, players will want to be wary of type match-ups, as a super-effective move from a high-level Pokemon can easily one-shot the creature they're trying to catch. Using status effect moves can also boost the chance of a successful catch. If a Pokemon is asleep, paralyzed, confused, or frozen, it'll be easier to catch.