How to Catch and Evolve Bagon in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

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 fierce Dragon-type Pokémon, evolves into the powerful Salamence, and you can catch this dynamic duo in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. However, if you're playing Pokémon Scarlet, you'll notice that Bagon and its evolutions are missing. This is because they are exclusive to Pokémon Violet. If your aim is to complete the Paldea Pokédex, you'll need to secure Bagon, Shelgon, and Salamence.

Updated on January 13, 2025 by Renri Seong: Bagon, a Dragon-type Pokémon, evolves into the formidable Salamence, and you can add it to your team in Pokémon Violet. There are multiple ways to catch Bagon and even its evolved form, Shelgon. However, to complete the Pokédex in Pokémon Scarlet, you'll need to transfer one from Violet. Salamence, like Dragonite, is a Dragon/Flying-type pseudo-legendary with a base stat total of 600. But how does Salamence compare to the first pseudo-legendary of the Pokémon world? Is it worth catching? This guide has been updated to include detailed information on Salamence's stats, type effectiveness, and recommended moves.

Where to Find Bagon

Bagon Location in Pokemon Violet

In Pokémon Violet, you can find Bagon in various locations, with East Province (Area Three) being a prime spot due to its expansive caves. If you're still exploring the starting area, you can catch a fixed spawn Bagon on a mountain in South Province (Area Five). Climb the mountain southwest of the bridge between the grassy and rocky regions of South Province (Area Five).

Another great location is Dalizapa Passage, north of The Great Crater of Paldea and south of Glaseado Mountain. Here, you'll find a deep hole with a Pokémon Center. You can ride Koraidon or Miraidon to jump down the hole or enter through one of the many cavern entrances. Although less open than East Province, this cave is home to several rare Pokémon, including Bagon and Frigibax.

For those who enjoy Tera Raids, you can catch Bagon from 3-star Tera Raids, which become available after earning three gym badges. Note that Bagon's Tera Type may differ from its regular type when caught from a raid, but these raids can yield Pokémon with Hidden Abilities, which might be beneficial when seeking Bagon.

How to Get Bagon in Pokemon Scarlet

How to Trade and Transfer Pokemon

Since Bagon and its evolutions are not available in Pokémon Scarlet, you'll need to trade with a Pokémon Violet player or use Pokémon HOME to transfer Bagon. To trade, either create or join a Group via the Union Circle. Remember, you'll need a Nintendo Switch Online Membership for online features, making transferring from another game via Pokémon HOME a more straightforward option.

If Pokémon HOME is installed on your Switch, you can transfer Bagon from other games like Pokémon Sword/Shield (Expansion Pass), Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, or directly from Pokémon HOME.

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

Upon reopening Pokémon Scarlet, Bagon should be in the designated PC Box, and you'll have its Dex Entry completed.

How to Evolve Bagon into Shelgon and Salamence

What Level Does Bagon Evolve

To evolve Bagon, you need to raise its level to 30, at which point it will evolve into Shelgon. Continue leveling Shelgon to 50 to evolve it into Salamence. The fastest way to level up is by using auto-battle against Pokémon of similar levels.

If you're not EV training, have Bagon or Shelgon auto-battle Pokémon like Chansey, which offer more experience than most. Chanseys can be found in East Province (Area Two), North Province (Areas One-Three), Casseroya Lake, and West Province (Areas Two-Three).

Alternatively, you can use Exp. Candy to accelerate the process. One piece of Exp. Candy L or Exp. Candy XL will boost their level significantly. Exp. Candy M works too, but you might need more to evolve Shelgon into Salamence.

You can also obtain Shelgon and Salamence from 4-star and 5/6-star Tera Raids, respectively.

Is Salamence Good?

Salamence Strengths & Weaknesses

Salamence, alongside Metagross, was introduced as a pseudo-legendary in Generation 3. These non-legendary Pokémon boast a base stat total of 600, making them highly sought after by trainers and ideal for PVP battles when properly trained.

A recommended Nature for Salamence is Adamant (+Attk, -Sp.Attk) or Lonely (+Attk, -Def).

As a Dragon/Flying-type Pokémon, Salamence learns both Dragon and Flying-type moves, making it super effective against a wide range of opponents. However, its dual-typing also comes with a significant weakness.

Recommended Moves

Salamence's move set leans heavily toward physical attacks, which aligns with its higher Attack stat compared to its Special Attack. You can opt for moves like Dragon Claw over Dragon Breath. To counter its Fairy and Rock weaknesses, consider teaching it Iron Head via TM099.

Despite having a higher Attack stat, Salamence's Special Attack is still quite respectable, allowing it to be used as a special attacker. If you choose this route, a Timid (+Spd, -Attk) Nature might be more beneficial than Adamant or Lonely. A specially trained Salamence can make good use of moves like Draco Meteor and Flamethrower.