Exclusive to Pokemon Sapphire upon its debut, Lotad and its evolutions can now be caught in both Pokemon Scarlet & Violet thanks to the release of The Teal Mask DLC. Lotad isn't the only Pokemon from Hoenn to make a return, as plenty of other Gen 3 Pokemon can be found walking around Kitakami. However, it is a Pokemon that trainers are going to want to catch and evolve to complete the Kitakami Pokedex.
Lotad's Water/Grass-typing means it can shrug off type weaknesses that regular Grass and Water-type Pokemon may have, such as Fire and Electric-type moves. This alone may make it appear more valuable to some Scarlet/Violet trainers, but before reorganizing the party, it's best to know the pros and cons of the Lotad-line.
Where to Find Lotad & Lombre
Lotad and Lombre can be found in Wisteria Pond and by the river in Mossfell Confluence respectively. Wisteria Pond can be reached by heading west from the Bus Station, while Mossfell Confluence can be reached by going south from Reveler's Road.
While it's not a requirement, it's advised to have unlocked Koraidon/Miraidon's swim ability. This is partially because the Lotad tend to gather in Wisteria Pond, and without Koraidon/Miraidon's swim ability, the player character won't be able to stray too far from the shore. Thankfully, the Lotad tend to gather close to the shoreline.
Lombre won't swim in the river by Mossfell Confluence, and instead can be found walking the riverbank. This is a Fixed Lombre spawn, meaning there will be only one at a time. Fortunately, Lombre also tends to spawn at Wistful Fields, which is right next to Wisteria Pond.
When catching these two Pokemon, Net Balls and Dive Balls are generally recommended. However, a Dive Ball will only work if the Lotad/Lombre is physically in the water. Thus, the Dive Balls may be better for Lotad, but not so much the Lombre. Like any other Pokemon found in Kitakami, the levels of these Pokemon can be from 10-20 or 60+ depending on where players are at in Scarlet/Violet's main storyline.
Lombre and Lotad also appear as Tera Raid Pokemon. Ludicolo also appears in Tera Raids, but only in 5-star Tera Raids.
How to Evolve Lombre
Evolving Lotad into Lombre is easy: Players just need to raise its level to 14 or, if its already over level 14, give it an Exp Candy or Rare Candy. Once it becomes Lombre, or if players caught a Lombre instead of Lotad, it will evolve into Ludicolo when exposed to a Water Stone. This evolutionary stone can be picked up practically anywhere where there is water. So, search small ponds, rivers, lakes, and more.
If RNG is giving players a hard time, then it may be better to get the Water Stone elsewhere. Here are two other ways to get a Water Stone:
- Given as a Dex Reward for catching 80 Pokemon in the Paldean Pokedex.
- Can be bought from Delibird Presents for 3000 after obtaining three Gym Badges.
Once its become Ludicolo, players will want to have it Remember Moves to give it a better moveset for battle. Since Ludicolo evolves via evolution stone, it won't learn any new moves as it levels up. Instead, it will have access to its learnpool when it was a Lombre in the Remember Moves screen.
More Information About Ludicolo (Is It Worth Using?)
While a certain Cipher Admin from Pokemon Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness may argue that Ludicolo is the best Pokemon, the Carefree Pokemon isn't for everyone. The Water/Grass-typing negates soem Grass and Water Type Weaknesses, but this shouldn't be the deal breaker for whether Ludicolo gets a spot on the team.
|
HP: |
80 |
|---|---|
|
Attack: |
70 |
|
Special Attack: |
90 |
|
Defense: |
70 |
|
Special Defense: |
100 |
|
Speed: |
70 |
|
Total: |
480 |
Looking at its base stat spread, Ludicolo seems to be an all-around Pokemon with its best stat being its Special Defense. This means special moves like Flamethrower and Thunderbolt won't deal as much damage as Flame Punch or Thunder Fang. Ludicolo also isn't the best physical attacker, but it's ideal for a team that sets up Rain Dance. It can learn moves like Hydro Pump and Ice Beam, and, even though it's a physical move, Thunder Punch, which gives it coverage against two of its type weaknesses: Bug and Flying.
On the downside, Ludicolo's strengths are heavily reliant on rain. Two out of three of its Abilities, Rain Dish and Swift Swim, only trigger in rain, making them very situational. Ludicolo's slow Speed means it will almost always be attacking last in battle, and the poor Defense means if it gets hit by a physical move that targets its weakness, it can very well be 1HKO'd.
As such, players may find Ludicolo to be a better supporter than a battler. If using it primarily for battles, then trainers are going to need to set up the battlefield with their first Pokemon before sending out Ludicolo.
Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet are available for Nintendo Switch.