Way back during the second generation ofPokémon, a secondary method was introduced to spice up trade evolutions. Originally it was as simple as two friends getting together and swapping Pokémon and watching their favorite, like Haunter and Graveler, become Gengar and Golem. Starting with Gold and Silver, there were caveats, such as Onix needing a Metal Coat for a trade to evolve it into a Steelix. Karrablast from generation 5 was a trade evolution with a twist, but this time it wasn’t just a simple item.
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Karrablast will only evolve when in a trade with a Shelmet, and its appearances inSword & Shieldmake this easier than ever with the Nintendo Switch.
Finding Karrablast
Players won’t exactly find themselves tripping over Karrablast through the Galar region, it’s a bit rare. There are a handful of locations, and even owning both DLCs doesn’t add many chances to find one. What can also hinder a trainer is that in some of these locations, Karrablast will only spawn during certain weather conditions. Just like previous entries, once you’ve come across a Karrablast, yourPokédexwill conveniently have a list of these known habitats, and this includes a list of the weather conditions needed.
Players with a long history of Pokédex completion may be pleasantly surprised to know that Karrablast is not an exclusive version; the locations are the same between Sword and Shield.
Even with a full list of Karrablast’s locations, it is not as simple as going to Route 7 and seeing one walking around.
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Shaking Grass
Befitting for a Pokémon introduced in Generation 5’s Black and White, Karrablast is a random encounter. Random encounters are only found by stepping into a patch of grass, then when you see and hear a red exclamation mark pop out of the grass, rush over to the patch of shaking grass to trigger a Pokémon battle. The game will pick from a list of options based on the area, meaning there is no guarantee you will get a Karrablast, so be prepared to run into the grass and trigger an encounter until you get what you’re looking for.
Karrablast is a pure bug-type Pokémon. Bug types are not known for being particularly difficult to capture, so if there is a decent level gap in your favor or you have high-level Pokéballs such as an Ultra ball, you can try your luck and throw a ball from the start. If you do wish to weaken it first, Karrablast will be weak to flying, rock, and fire-type attacks. Karrablast is also resistant to grass, fighting, and ground-type attacks. Once you have caught Karrablast, you are possibly ready to evolve it.
There’s something to keep in mind, though. If you are the one who wants an evolved Karrablast, then the Pokémon you need to catch may not be Karrablast after all.
Shelmet is the other half of the equation, the Pokémon that, if traded with a Karrablast, will cause both Pokémon to evolve. If you want an evolved Karrablast, what you actually need to catch is a Shelmet, and then trade it away for someone’s Karrablast. Or, of course, catch both if you’re in reality trading with yourself. Shelmet is also not a version exclusive, also found from random encounters and shares a few habitats in common with Karrablast.
If you are trading with yourself, locations such as Route 7 are recommended, so you can easily catch both Pokémon from the random encounters.
Open Your Y-Comm
Press the Y button on your Nintendo Switch to open the Y-Comm. The next step is to then press the Plus button, and you need to tell the game to connect to the internet. If you attempt to trade without connecting first, you will confuse the Switch, and it will look for trading partners without actually using the internet. This will require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. Get your friend or your second Switch and connect, or risk your chances with a stranger! Considering the specific Pokémon needed, it’s not impossible to communicate what you are trying to do. Once you send the Shelmet away or send back the evolved Shelmet, you will now have an Escavalier.
Escavalier is a dual bug-steel type. It is now weaker to fire than Karrablast was and receives neutral damage from fighting and ground-type moves instead of being resistant. But Escavalier also loses its weakness to flying and rock-type attacks to receive neutral damage, gains resistance to nearly every remaining attack type, and immunity from poison outside special abilities. Escavalier is a serious upgrade from the little beetle it used to be.
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