Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: How to Find Tera Pokemon

Tera forms in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet give Pokemon a power boost or even a new type, This guide covers how to find Tera Pokemon in the wild.

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet experiment with all sorts of new gameplay features for the Pokemon universe. For example, evolution is no longer the only way to change Pokemon forms or increase their power. While we’ve seen Mega Evolution and Dynamaxing, the latest way to transform Pokemon is with Terastallizing. Terastallizing a Pokemon gives it a crystallized gem-like appearance and boosts its power. In addition, it will sometimes change a Pokemon’s type, and its Terastal form will have a headpiece representing its Tera type.

Tera types include any of the 18 standard types in Pokemon. Tera Pokemon are Paldea-exclusive phenomena and can result in exciting type combinations. One example is a Pikachu can have a Flying Tera type making it powerful against foes that it would usually be weak to. To have the ability to Terastallize Pokemon, players will need a Tera Orb, which is given to them early on in the storyline. All Pokemon can Terastallize, but there are higher level Tera Pokemon and unique Tera typings that players can get. Here’s how to find and catch strong Tera Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.

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Tera Raid Battles

Tera Raid battles resemble Max Raid battles from Pokemon Sword & Shield. Tera Raid battles occur inside giant crystals that seem to sprout from the ground in the lands of Paldea. From a distance, they look like tall glowing, sparkling cylinders. They are marked on the map with a stamp signifying what Tera-type the Pokemon inside is. To start a Tera Raid battle, approach the crystal and interact with it.

The Pokemon inside the crystals are high-level and can not be easily defeated in a 1v1 battle. Tera Raids can be completed with 4 NPCs or with others using online co-op play. Before the battle starts, players can choose how they want to fight, and there will be an outline of the Pokemon inside. Trainers can use any of their Pokemon rather than their first in the queue to improve their chances. During the battle, Pokemon can use moves, or the trainer can cheer for them, which affects the field’s stats or heals all ally Pokemon. Whenever the Tera Pokemon’s health bar is empty, players will get the chance to catch the Pokemon and will be rewarded with some valuable items.

Wild Tera Pokemon

Tera Pokemon can also be identified outside Tera Raids randomly in the wild. While exploring, players will randomly encounter Pokemon surrounded by a sparkling gold aura. These Pokemon can be battled just like regular ones in the wild, but they are harder to beat and cannot be captured from the get-go. They also usually have Tera types that are different from their standard typing.

Players need to knock their health bar down to a certain point to catch them. This can be identified whenever the “Throw a Pokeball” option reappears and their health bar is bright red. Be careful not to hit them with too much force and make them faint. Whenever ready to try and catch, click X to choose which ball to use. The Pokeball will wiggle once and then click and shoot stars to show that the catch was successful.

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are available now for the Nintendo Switch.

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