Deino Evolution Guide: Catching and Evolving in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

Quick Links

• Where to Catch Deino in Pokemon Scarlet

  • Deino and Zweilous Locations

• How to Get Deino in Pokemon Violet

  • How to Trade and Transfer

• How to Evolve Deino into Zweilous and Hydreigon

  • What Level Does Deino Evolve?

• Is Hydreigon a Good Pokemon?

  • Hydreigon Stats & Weaknesses

Dark/Dragon-type Hydreigon is one of the most powerful Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, and trainers eager to enhance their Pokedex will definitely want to include it. To do this, you'll first need to capture Hydreigon's pre-evolved forms: Deino and Zweilous. Once you have Deino, you can evolve it into the formidable Hydreigon. However, it's important to note that Deino and its evolutions are exclusive to Pokemon Scarlet. To bring them into Pokemon Violet, you'll need to employ other strategies.

Updated January 13, 2025 by Renri Seong: Dark/Dragon-type Deino evolves into the powerful pseudo-legendary Hydreigon. The Deino-line debuted in Gen 5 in Pokemon Black/White and has been a consistent presence in mainline titles, including Pokemon Scarlet/Violet. As with every new generation game, Deino and its evolutions are version-exclusive. You can catch them in the wild in Pokemon Scarlet, but trading is necessary to obtain them in Pokemon Violet. With various pseudo-legendaries available in Scarlet/Violet, you might wonder if Hydreigon remains a worthwhile choice. This updated guide includes new details about Hydreigon, such as stats and type effectiveness.

Where to Catch Deino in Pokemon Scarlet

Deino and Zweilous Locations

In Pokemon Scarlet, Deino can be caught in several locations: Alfornada Cavern, Dalizapa Passage, Glaseado Mountain, Area Zero, and North Province (Area Two). Glaseado Mountain, Area Zero, and North Province (Area Two) are easy to spot and reach, while Alfornada Cavern and Dalizapa Passage are more hidden. The Deinos found in Dalizapa Passage and Alfornada Cavern are between levels 35-40.

• Alfornada Cavern: Located in the southwest corner of the Paldea map, you'll need Koraidon's high jump ability to navigate the cave.
• Dalizapa Passage: Accessible by heading east from Medali or west from Zapapico. It's the area between these two locations on the map.

Additionally, Deino can be obtained from 3-star Tera Raids, which become available after earning 3 gym badges. Deinos in these raids have different Tera Types than those in the wild and may have their Hidden Ability.

Zweilous, Deino's evolved form, can also be found in the wild at Dalizapa Passage, Area Zero, and Alfornada Cavern. Like Deino, Zweilous can be encountered in Tera Raids, specifically in 4-star Tera Raids.

Hydreigon can be caught in 5/6-star Tera Raids.

How to Get Deino in Pokemon Violet

How to Trade and Transfer

Since the Deino-line is exclusive to Pokemon Scarlet, you'll need to trade or transfer Deino to obtain one in Pokemon Violet. For trading, a Nintendo Switch Online Membership is required to access the Union Circle. If you prefer not to pay for the membership, consider using Pokemon HOME to transfer from another game to Pokemon Violet.

To transfer using HOME, you'll need the HOME app on your Switch. Deino and its evolutions can be transferred from Pokemon Sword/Shield, Pokemon GO, and Pokemon Scarlet.

1. Open Pokemon HOME, select the game with Deino, and move it to your Basic Box. Then, save and exit.
2. While still in HOME, open Pokemon Violet and move Deino from the Basic Box to a PC Box. Save and exit.

How to Evolve Deino into Zweilous and Hydreigon

What Level Does Deino Evolve?

Deino evolves into Zweilous at level 50, and Zweilous evolves into Hydreigon at level 64. To speed up the leveling process, you can have Deino/Zweilous auto-battle large groups of Pokemon. Alternatively, you can use Exp. Candies or Rare Candies. Exp. Candy L and Exp. Candy XL are recommended due to Deino's high evolution level.

Is Hydreigon a Good Pokemon?

Hydreigon Stats & Weaknesses

As a pseudo-legendary, Hydreigon is one of the strongest Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. Its base stat total is 600, with high Special Attack and Attack, and good Speed. This makes it suitable for a Timid (+Spd, -Attk) or Jolly (+Spd, -Sp.Attk) Nature.

As a Dark/Dragon-type, Hydreigon has the following type effectiveness:

Thanks to Terastallizing, Hydreigon can overcome its double weakness to Fairy-type moves. Offensively, changing its Tera Type can provide STAB on powerful moves like Flash Cannon. Hydreigon's learnset includes both physical and special moves, allowing it to function as either a physical or special attacker.

However, due to its significant weakness to Fairy-type moves, it's advisable to equip Hydreigon with a Steel-type move. Flash Cannon is the only Steel-type move it can learn via TM. Unfortunately, it lacks physical Steel-type moves, so you may lean towards a special attacker Hydreigon. Other recommended moves include Nasty Plot (to sharply raise Special Attack), Dragon Pulse (or Draco Meteor), and Dark Pulse.