One of the new features in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet is Paradox Pokemon, different versions of already known ‘mons that come from the past or future. Here’s everything you need to know about this phenomenon in the Paldea region, including a list of every Paradox form you can find in both games.
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet introduced loads of new creatures to battle with across the Paldea region, including the starter trio, the box art Legendaries, and a few Paldean forms.
There’s also a brand new category of creatures that players are referring to as Paradox Pokemon. These strange species might look familiar, but there’s plenty more to them than just another regional variant or evolution.
Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about these mysterious creatures including a complete list of Paradox Pokemon you can encounter in Scarlet & Violet.
Alternatively, check out our Terastallizing guide, every new Shiny form in Scarlet & Violet, and how to change a Pokemon’s Tera Type in Scarlet & Violet.
Contents
- What are paradox Pokemon in Scarlet & Violet?
- All Ancient Paradox Pokemon in Scarlet
- All Future Paradox Pokemon in Violet
- Where to find Paradox Pokemon in Scarlet & Violet
- New Paradox Pokemon in DLC
What are Paradox Pokemon in Scarlet & Violet?
Paradox Pokemon are brand new Pokemon that bear a heavy resemblance to existing ones. They are divided into two groups: ‘Ancient’ creatures for Pokemon Scarlet and ‘Future’ creatures for Pokemon Violet.
These mysterious Pokemon were first written about in the Scarlet Book and Violet Books, two in-game documents that feature records of an expedition to an “uncharted area” of Paldea from long ago.
The most important thing to point out is that these Pokemon are an entirely new group of Pokemon with their own Pokedex entry and number. They’re not considered variants, regional forms, or evolutions.
You’ll find details of all the new Ancient and Future Pokemon in the tables below. We’ve also included links to guides on finding these creatures where possible.
All Ancient Paradox Pokemon in Scarlet
Here are all of the Paradox Pokemon you can encounter in Scarlet:
| Pokemon | Sprite | Type | Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Tusk | Ground/Fighting | Protosynthesis | |
| Brute Bonnet | Grass/Dark | Protosynthesis | |
| Sandy Shocks | Electric/Ground | Protosynthesis | |
| Scream Tail | Fairy/Psychic | Protosynthesis | |
| Flutter Mane | Ghost/Fairy | Protosynthesis | |
| Slither Wing | Bug/Fighting | Protosynthesis | |
| Roaring Moon | Dragon/Dark | Protosynthesis | |
| Walking Wake | Water/Dragon | Protosynthesis | |
| Raging Bolt | Electric/Dragon | Protosynthesis | |
| Gouging Fire | Fire/Dragon | Protosynthesis |
All Future Paradox Pokemon in Violet
Here are all of the Paradox Pokemon you can encounter in Violet:
| Pokemon | Sprite | Type | Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Treads | Ground/Steel | Quark Drive | |
| Iron Moth | Fire/Poison | Quark Drive | |
| Iron Hands | Fighting/Electric | Quark Drive | |
| Iron Jugulis | Dark/Flying | Quark Drive | |
| Iron Thorns | Rock/Electric | Quark Drive | |
| Iron Bundle | Ice/Water | Quark Drive | |
| Iron Valiant | Fairy/Fighting | Quark Drive | |
| Iron Leaves | Grass/Psychic | Quark Drive | |
| Iron Crown | Steel/Psychic | Quark Drive | |
| Iron Boulder | Rock/Psychic | Quark Drive |
Where to find Paradox Pokemon in Scarlet & Violet
Most Paradox Pokemon can be found by searching around various sections of The Great Crater of Paldea (Area Zero) at the center of the map, but only after you’ve completed the main game and the credits have rolled.
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Things work a little differently for Walking Wake and Iron Leaves. These two Pokemon were added to the game post-launch and could only be caught by defeating them in limited-time Tera Raid events. It’s currently unknown when they’ll return.
The good news is that, unlike Legendary Pokemon, you can catch Paradox Pokemon more than once. This means you don’t need to worry about accidentally defeating them when trying to catch them.
All of these are considered to be very powerful, with many of them being on par with pseudo-legendaries from previous games, so it’s always worth adding them to your collection.
It’s also worth pointing out that none of these Paradox Pokemon can evolve, even if the creature they’re based on can do so.
Newest Paradox Pokemon in Scarlet & Violet DLC
More Paradox Pokemon recently made their debut in Scarlet & Violet’s expansion The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero. The DLC is split into two parts, The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk, with four new of these forms being added in the second half.
Raging Bolt is a Electric/Dragon Paradox Pokemon, and happens to be Raikou’s ancient version. Meanwhile, Gouging Fire is a Fire/Dragon ancient form of Entei. Because they are past forms, both will be available only for players who own a copy of Pokemon Scarlet.
Iron Crown is a Steel/Psychic-type creature that’s a Future version of Cobalion, and Iron Boulder is a Rock/Psychic future form of Terrakion. Both can only be found in the Pokemon Violet edition.
Players looking forward to getting their hands on these Paradox Pokemon don’t have to wait, as The Indigo Disk releases released on December 14, 2023.
That’s everything you need to know about Paradox Pokemon! While you’re here, check out some more Scarlet & Violet guides below:
How to get Marks in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet | Are Pokemon Scarlet & Violet compatible with Pokemon Home? | Unlocking 5 & 6-star Tera Raids in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet | How to unlock Rotom Phone cases in Scarlet & Violet | How to get Sprigatito, Floragato & Meowscarada | How to get Fuecoco, Crocalor & Skeledirge | How to get Quaxly, Quaxwell & Quaquaval | How to change clothes in Scarlet & Violet | How to co-op with friends in Scarlet & Violet | Sandwich recipes in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet | Pokemon Scarlet & Violet egg breeding guide | How to get Rare Candy in Scarlet & Violet