Quick Links

• Where to Find Bagon

  • Bagon Location in Pokemon Violet

• How to Get Bagon in Pokemon Scarlet

  • How to Trade and Transfer Pokemon

• How to Evolve Bagon into Shelgon and Salamence

  • What Level Does Bagon Evolve

• Is Salamence Good?

  • Salamence Strengths & Weaknesses
  • Recommended Moves

Bagon, the Dragon-type Pokemon, evolves into the formidable Salamence and can be found in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. If you're playing Pokemon Scarlet, you'll notice that Bagon and its evolutions are exclusive to Pokemon Violet. To complete the Paldea Pokedex, you'll need to catch Bagon, Shelgon, and Salamence.

Updated on January 13, 2025 by Renri Seong: Bagon, the Dragon-type Pokemon, evolves into the powerful Salamence, making it a valuable addition to your team in Pokemon Violet. There are multiple ways to catch Bagon and its evolved forms, but if you're playing Pokemon Scarlet, you'll need to transfer one from Violet. Like Dragonite, Salamence is a Dragon/Flying-type pseudo-legendary Pokemon with a base stat total of 600. This guide has been updated to provide detailed insights into Salamence's stats, type effectiveness, and recommended moves.

Where to Find Bagon

Bagon Location in Pokemon Violet

In Pokemon Violet, Bagon can be found in several locations, with East Province (Area Three) being a prime spot due to its expansive terrain and numerous caves to explore.

If you're still in the early stages of the game, you can find a fixed spawn Bagon on a mountain in South Province (Area Five). Head southwest of the bridge that connects the grassy and rocky areas to locate it.

Another excellent location is Dalizapa Passage, situated north of The Great Crater of Paldea and south of Glaseado Mountain. You can access this area by jumping down a deep hole near the Pokemon Center or entering through one of the many cavern entrances. This cave is home to various rare Pokemon, including Bagon and Frigibax.

For those interested in Tera Raids, Bagon can be encountered in 3-star Tera Raids, which become available after earning three gym badges. Keep in mind that Bagon's Tera Type in raids might differ from its standard type, but it could have a Hidden Ability, which is worth considering.

How to Get Bagon in Pokemon Scarlet

How to Trade and Transfer Pokemon

Since Bagon and its evolutions are not available in Pokemon Scarlet, you'll need to trade with a Pokemon Violet player or transfer Bagon using Pokemon HOME. To trade, you can either create or join a Group via the Union Circle, but remember that you'll need a Nintendo Switch Online Membership for online features. Transferring Bagon from another game might be the more straightforward option.

If you have Pokemon HOME on your Switch, you can transfer Bagon from games like Pokemon Sword/Shield (with the Expansion Pass), Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, or directly from Pokemon HOME.

1. Open HOME and select the game from which you're transferring Bagon.
2. Move Bagon to your Basic Box on the left side of the screen, then save and exit.
3. Open your Pokemon Scarlet file and transfer Bagon from the Basic Box to one of your Scarlet PC Boxes.
4. Save and exit.

Upon reopening Pokemon Scarlet, Bagon will be in the designated PC Box, and its Dex Entry will be completed.

How to Evolve Bagon into Shelgon and Salamence

What Level Does Bagon Evolve

To evolve Bagon into Shelgon, you must raise its level to 30. Further evolution into Salamence requires reaching level 50 with Shelgon. The most efficient method is to have your Bagon or Shelgon auto-battle Pokemon of similar levels.

If you're not focused on EV training, have your Bagon battle high-experience Pokemon like Chansey, found in East Province (Area Two), North Province (Areas One-Three), Casseroya Lake, and West Province (Areas Two-Three).

Alternatively, you can use Exp. Candy to level up your Pokemon quickly. A single piece of Exp. Candy L or Exp. Candy XL can increase their level significantly, while Exp. Candy M requires more pieces but is effective for evolving Shelgon into Salamence.

You can also encounter Shelgon and Salamence in 4-star and 5/6-star Tera Raids, respectively.

Is Salamence Good?

Salamence Strengths & Weaknesses

Salamence, alongside Metagross, is a pseudo-legendary Pokemon from Generation 3. These non-legendary Pokemon boast a base stat total of 600, making them highly desirable for competitive play when properly trained.

A recommended Nature for Salamence is Adamant (+Attk, -Sp.Attk) or Lonely (+Attk, -Def).

Salamence's Dragon/Flying dual-typing allows it to use both Dragon and Flying-type moves effectively, making it super effective against a broad range of opponents. However, this combination also leaves it vulnerable to certain types.

Recommended Moves

Salamence's move set leans heavily towards physical attacks, which complements its high Attack stat. Moves like Dragon Claw are preferable over special moves like Dragon Breath. To counter its weaknesses to Fairy and Rock types, you can teach it Iron Head using TM099.

Despite its higher Attack, Salamence's Special Attack is still respectable, allowing for a special attacker build if preferred. For such a build, consider a Timid Nature (+Spd, -Attk) to make the most of moves like Draco Meteor and Flamethrower.