Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: How To Evolve Charcadet

Charcadet is one of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s best new Pokemon. What it evolves into depends which game you’re playing: Scarlet players will get Armarouge, while Violet players get the significantly cooler looking Ceruledge. It’s worth going out of your way to get either as early as you can, as they’re among the most powerful new Pokemon introduced in the new games.

Learn from my mistakes, though. I trained my Charcadet up to level 60 before realizing that’s now how to evolve it.

First, catching your Charcadet. Charcadet can be found in most of Paldea, as the Pokedex shows below. Unfortunately, it’s appear rate is quite low. So while it can be found in most places, you may go long stretches of time without seeing one. If you encounter one, make sure to seize the moment. 

To evolve Charcadet, you need to make a trade in Zapapico. Go to the center of the city to the area with the small water fountain. You’ll see a Zapapico citizen emitting an orange speech bubble, indicating they mean business. What the person wants depends on what game you’re playing: In Scarlet, it’s 10 Bronzor Fragments. Pokemon Violet players will need to collect 10 Sinistea Chips.

So how to get the goods? It’s simple: You just need to beat 10 Sinistea or 10 Bronzor. Each time you defeat one in battle, they’ll drop one of the items you’re looking for. It’s just a matter of finding where in Paldea they thrive and farming those items.

Pokemon Violet can evolve Charcadet as soon as they get to Cascarrafa, the city that holds the Water-themed gym. West of Cascarrafa is Asado Desert. If you head to the northern tip of Asado Desert, as shown on the map below, you’ll find an area ridden with ruins. Bronzor are everywhere here.

To farm Bronzor Fragments quickly, go to the area and press ZR. Your lead Pokemon will come out of its ball and do battle with all the creatures around it as you stand and look on, a much lazier and quicker way for you to defeat 10 Bronzor.

Read more: How To Find the False Dragon Titan in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

For Pokemon Violet players, there are two places to farm Sinistea Chips. For those earlier in the game, fly to the Pokemon Center on Zapapico’s east. There you’ll find a desert area, one of two locations Sinistea spawns in the game.

If you’ve progressed far into Pokemon Violet, the best way to farm Sinistea Chips is in Alfornada, where the Psychic-type gym is. This is an area you’ll only access later in the game — the wild Pokemon here spawn at around level 50 — but the Sinistea are more plentiful. Fly to the city and head west. You’ll see the cave entrance that probably brought you to Alfornada. It’s in this area that Sinistea are plentiful.

Once you’ve got all your goods, head back to the fountain in Zapapico. In Scarlet, the cityslicker will trade the Bronzor Fragments for Auspicious Armor. In Pokemon Violet, the lady by the fountain will take your Sinistea Chips and give you Malicious Armor.

These items are to Charcadet what a Thunder Stone is to a Pikachu. Use the item on the critter and it’ll instantly evolve. Congratulations, you just collected one of the best Pokemon in the game.