Where to Catch Iron Thorns in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Iron Thorns is one of the new Paradox Pokemon to be introduced in the ninth generation of the series. They are either the prehistoric or extremely futuristic variations of previous ones we have seen from previous generations. To those unfamiliar with this one, in particular, it’s a mechanical variant of Tyranitar, a Gen 2 Pokemon. It’s definitely one of the cooler ones out there, so here’s how you can catch Iron Thorns in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Where to Catch Iron Thorns in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

To the disappointment of many, Iron Thorns is a Violet-exclusive Pokemon. If you’re a Scarlet player, you have to either obtain this via trading or joining a player who is hosting on Pokemon Violet. The closest you can get to having an Iron Thorns in Pokemon Scarlet is that you can catch a Tyranitar in that game, but not its Paradox form.

With that out of the way, you won’t be able to even see this Pokemon until you have completed all three mainline story paths in the game. Those include the Victory Road, Path of Legends, and Starfall Street routes. Once you complete all of them, you will be granted access to an endgame location called Area Zero. This is located in The Great Crater of Paldea, which is at the center of the map. 

You’ll have to follow this post-game route down into the crater, facing off many other stronger and even Paradox Pokemon down the way. You will also have to activate all four Research Stations as you make your descent. They act as checkpoints for when you want to revisit certain parts of this area.

On the Pokedex, the entry says “Habitat unknown” which isn’t true. It’s located in Area Zero, but it’s just rare. They are more commonly found in the cavernous areas just before the Tera Crystal caves by Research Station 3. Prepare for a tough catch, since this is a very strong Pokemon with high offensive capabilities.

You do not have to worry about finding it with certain abilities since it only can come with the Quark Drive ability. This boosts the Pokemon’s strongest stat on electric terrain or while holding the Booster Energy item. 

If you want to find the right nature for it, you preferably want to catch an Iron Thorns that has an Adamant or Jolly nature. With the right build, it can absolutely devastate any Pokemon even with the highest defenses. Not to mention, it can learn the elemental bite attacks, giving it type advantage diversity.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.