Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: How to Catch Bagon and Evolve It

Quick Links

• Where to Find Bagon

  • Bagon Location in Pokemon Violet

• How to Get Bagon in Pokemon Scarlet

  • How to Trade and Transfer Pokemon

• How to Evolve Bagon into Shelgon and Salamence

  • What Level Does Bagon Evolve

• Is Salamence Good?

  • Salamence Strengths & Weaknesses
  • Recommended Moves

Bagon, a Dragon-type Pokémon that evolves into the powerful Salamence, is a key addition to any trainer's team in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. However, if you're playing Pokémon Scarlet, you won't find Bagon or its evolutions in the wild, as they are exclusive to Pokémon Violet. For those aiming to complete the Paldea Pokédex, securing Bagon, Shelgon, and Salamence is essential.

Updated on January 13, 2025, by Renri Seong: Bagon's evolution into Salamence offers a formidable Dragon/Flying-type pseudo-legendary, known for its impressive base stat total of 600. This guide has been enhanced to provide in-depth insights into Salamence's stats, type effectiveness, and optimal moves.

Where to Find Bagon

Bagon Location in Pokemon Violet

In Pokémon Violet, Bagon can be found in several key locations. For starters, head to East Province (Area Three), a vast region with numerous caves ripe for exploration. If you're still in the early stages of your journey, you can also catch a fixed spawn Bagon on a mountain in South Province (Area Five). To find it, climb the mountain southwest of the bridge connecting the grassy and rocky parts of South Province (Area Five).

Another prime spot is Dalizapa Passage, situated north of The Great Crater of Paldea and south of Glaseado Mountain. Here, you'll find a deep hole near a Pokémon Center. You can ride Koraidon or Miraidon to jump down or enter through one of the many cavern entrances. While not as expansive as East Province, this cave is home to several rare Pokémon, including Bagon and Frigibax.

For those who enjoy Tera Raids, Bagon can be captured from 3-star Tera Raids, which unlock after obtaining three gym badges. Keep in mind that Bagon's Tera Type might differ from its regular type in raids, but these encounters offer the chance to obtain Pokémon with Hidden Abilities, which can be a significant advantage.

How to Get Bagon in Pokemon Scarlet

How to Trade and Transfer Pokemon

Since Bagon and its evolutions are absent in Pokémon Scarlet, you'll need to trade with a Pokémon Violet player or transfer Bagon using Pokémon HOME. To trade, you can create or join a Group via the Union Circle, though you'll need a Nintendo Switch Online Membership for online features. A simpler option might be transferring Bagon from another game using Pokémon HOME.

Here's how to transfer Bagon using Pokémon HOME:

1. Open Pokémon HOME and select the game from which you're transferring Bagon.
2. Move Bagon to the Basic Box on the left side of the screen, then save and exit.
3. Open your Pokémon Scarlet file and move Bagon from the Basic Box to one of your Scarlet PC Boxes.
4. Save and exit.

Once you reopen Pokémon Scarlet, Bagon should be in the PC Box you selected, and its Pokédex entry will be complete.

How to Evolve Bagon into Shelgon and Salamence

What Level Does Bagon Evolve

To evolve Bagon into Shelgon, you need to level it up to 30. To further evolve Shelgon into Salamence, reach level 50. The fastest way to level up is by having your Bagon or Shelgon auto-battle Pokémon around its level. If you're not focused on EV training, consider battling Chansey, found in East Province (Area Two), North Province (Areas One-Three), Casseroya Lake, and West Province (Areas Two-Three), as they provide substantial experience.

Alternatively, you can use Exp. Candy to boost your Pokémon's level. One piece of Exp. Candy L or Exp. Candy XL can increase their level significantly, while Exp. Candy M works too, albeit requiring more pieces for evolving Shelgon into Salamence.

You can also encounter Shelgon in 4-star Tera Raids and Salamence in 5/6-star Tera Raids.

Is Salamence Good?

Salamence Strengths & Weaknesses

Salamence, alongside Metagross, is a Gen 3 pseudo-legendary Pokémon with a base stat total of 600, making it a highly sought-after Pokémon for competitive play. Here's a breakdown of its stats:

For optimal performance, consider using an Adamant (+Attk, -Sp.Attk) or Lonely (+Attk, -Def) Nature for Salamence.

As a Dragon/Flying-type Pokémon, Salamence is super effective against Dragon-type Pokémon but has a significant weakness to Ice-type moves, which deal quadruple damage. Here's its type effectiveness:

Recommended Moves

Salamence's move set leans heavily towards physical attacks, aligning with its higher Attack stat. For instance, opting for Dragon Claw over Dragon Breath is advisable. To counter its weaknesses to Fairy and Rock types, consider teaching it Iron Head using TM099.

While Salamence's Attack stat is higher, its Special Attack is still respectable. If you prefer using Salamence as a special attacker, consider a Timid (+Spd, -Attk) Nature. This approach will maximize the effectiveness of moves like Draco Meteor and Flamethrower.