Salamence is one of the better Dragon Pokemon to stand the test of time ever since the third generation. It’s extremely strong, rivaling the powers of the legendary Pokemon that came before and after it. You can never go wrong with one. So, here’s where you can get Salamence, or at least its pre-evolutions to eventually get one in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
How to Get Bagon, Shelgon, and Salamence in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
First, you should note that Bagon, Shelgon, and Salamence are all exclusive to Pokemon Violet. While that may disappoint many, not all hope is lost. You can trade Pokemon with people who own Violet so they can give you a Pokemon of that lineage. You can also alternatively play in a Violet player’s cooperative world as a Scarlet player. The wild Pokemon encountered in that multiplayer instance will allow you to encounter Violet exclusives.
So, if you are either a Violet player or a Scarlet player joining a Violet player’s world, these are the locations of Bagon. It can be found in Glaseado Mountain, East Province Area 3, West province Area 2, South Province Areas 1 and 3, and the Alfornada Cavern.
As for its evolution, Shelgon seems to only be found in the Alfornada Cavern and North Province Area 2. Salamence cannot be caught out in the wild.
There is one more way to catch Bagon and its evolutions, depending on how far you got into the game. This is applicable to players of either version of the 9th gen games. Bagon can appear as a Tera Raid battle boss at lower-level star tiers. Shelgon starts appearing at 4 stars and higher. Finally, Salamence appears in 5-star raids and higher.
If you have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, you can join a public raid group that may offer one of these as a Tera Raid battle. Make sure that your Pokemon are up to snuff to take on their Tera Form ability and withstand a possibly tough fight, especially against Salamence.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
