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Bagon, a Dragon-type Pokémon, evolves into the formidable Salamence, and you can add one to your 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. To complete your Paldea Pokédex, you'll need to catch Bagon, Shelgon, and Salamence.
Updated on January 13, 2025 by Renri Seong: Bagon, a Dragon-type Pokémon, evolves into the powerful Salamence, and you can include one in your team in Pokémon Violet. There are several ways to catch Bagon and even its evolved form, Shelgon. However, if you're aiming to complete the Pokédex in Pokémon Scarlet, you'll need to transfer one from Violet. Like Dragonite, Salamence 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 provide 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, but starting your search in East Province (Area Three) is recommended due to its expansive size and numerous caves to explore.
If you're still in the starting area, you can catch a fixed spawn Bagon on a mountain in South Province (Area Five). Climb the mountain located southwest of the bridge that connects the grassy and rocky regions of South Province (Area Five).
Another prime location is Dalizapa Passage, situated north of The Great Crater of Paldea and south of Glaseado Mountain. Upon arrival, you'll find a deep hole in the ground with a Pokémon Center nearby. You can ride Koraidon or Miraidon to jump down the hole or enter it through one of the many cavern entrances. This location, though less open than East Province, is a cave where you can encounter several rare Pokémon, including Bagon and Frigibax.
For those interested in 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. Additionally, Pokémon from 3-star Raids may have their Hidden Ability, which is worth considering when hunting for Bagon.
How to Get Bagon in Pokemon Scarlet
How to Trade and Transfer Pokemon
Since you can't catch Bagon or its evolutions in Pokémon Scarlet, you'll need to trade with a Pokémon Violet player or transfer Bagon using Pokémon HOME. To trade, you can either create or join a Group via the Union Circle. Remember, you'll need a Nintendo Switch Online Membership to use online features. Transferring Bagon from another game might be a more straightforward option.
If Pokémon HOME is on your Switch, you can use it to move Bagon from other games like Pokémon Sword/Shield (Expansion Pass), Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, or directly from Pokémon HOME.
- Open HOME, then select the game from which you'll be transferring Bagon.
- Move Bagon to your Basic Box (the box on the left side of the screen), and save and exit.
- Open your Pokémon Scarlet file and move Bagon from the Basic Box to one of your Scarlet PC Boxes.
- Save and exit.
When you open Pokémon Scarlet, Bagon should be in the PC Box you placed it in, 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. From there, level Shelgon up to 50 to evolve it into Salamence. The fastest way to do this is by having your Bagon/Shelgon auto-battle Pokémon around its level.
If you're not EV training, have your Bagon auto-battle Pokémon like Chansey, which provide more experience than most. Chanseys can be found in East Province (Area Two), North Province (Area One-Three), Casseroya Lake, and West Province (Area Two-Three).
Alternatively, you can use Exp. Candy to level up your Bagon or Shelgon quickly. One piece of Exp. Candy L or Exp. Candy XL will boost their level significantly. Exp. Candy M works too, but you may need more of them 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 Pokémon in Generation 3. Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon are non-legendary with a base stat total of 600, making them highly sought after by trainers and ideal for PVP when properly trained.
| HP: | 95 | | Attack: | 135 | | Special Attack:| 110 | | Defense: | 80 | | Special Defense:| 80 | | Speed: | 100 | | Total: | 600 |
A recommended Nature for Salamence is Adamant (+Attk, -Sp.Attk) or Lonely (+Attk, -Def).
Salamence is a Dragon/Flying-type Pokémon, which means it can learn both Dragon and Flying-type moves, making it super effective against a wide range of Pokémon. However, its Dragon/Flying dual-typing leaves it vulnerable to one significant weakness.
| Super-effective against: | Dragon, | | Weaknesses: | Ice (x4), Fairy, Dragon, Rock, | | Resistances: | Grass (x1/4), Water, Fire, Fighting, Bug | | Immunities: | Ground |
Recommended Moves
Salamence's move set leans heavily towards physical attacks, which aligns well with its higher Attack stat compared to its Special Attack. You can opt for moves like Dragon Claw, a physical move, over Dragon Breath, which is a special move. To counter its Fairy and Rock weaknesses, you can teach it Iron Head via TM099.
Despite its higher Attack, Salamence's base Special Attack is still respectable, and you can train it as a special attacker if you prefer. In this case, a Timid (+Spd, -Attk) Nature might be more suitable than Adamant or Lonely. A Salamence trained as a special attacker will benefit more from moves like Draco Meteor and Flamethrower.
