Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Unrivaled Charizard Tera Raids will be arriving again next week from December 15 to 18, and fresh players who haven’t encountered the special event are eager to get their hands on the limited-time Charizard.
Although this special Charizard isn’t an extremely difficult boss in Pokémon history, it is still a force to be reckoned with and it can easily catch unprepared/underleveled players by surprise and end the fight before they could even blink.
With that being the case, here’s a look at what Charizard brings to the table, what to expect in the battle and what Pokémon you should bring to the raids.
How to get and find Charizard’s Tera Crystal in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
First, you need to finish the game and have met certain post-game conditions. However, only those who have finished the game and seen the credits roll will be able to see and take part in these exclusive seven-star Raid Battles!
Once that’s done, Charizard’s Tera Crystal will spawn in the overworld.
Its Crystal exudes an ominous glowing black crystal, like the example image below:
To find it in your map, simply press Y and look for the glowing Tera Crystal icon with the Dragon Type mark.
Charizard’s Tera Type and Abilities
The Charizard that appears in this special Tera Raid is a Dragon-type Tera that has a wide array of Dragon, Flying, and Fire Type moves.
To be more specific, here are the moves Charizard will use during the raid:
Overheat – Fire (Charizard attacks with this move at the start of the raid)
Fire Blast – Fire
Hurricane – Flying
Tera Blast – Dragon
Dragon Pulse – Dragon
Sunny Day – (Harsh Sunlight)
Inferno – Fire (It is used after the shield is broken)
Once you’ve caught Charizard, it will have the following moves:
- Fire Blast
- Focus Blast
- Dragon Pulse
- Hurricane
Combine these abilities with the fact that Charizard is Level 100, they undoubtedly pack a serious punch. That is also true of his fire-type attacks.
Although his fire-type moves are powerful, his overpowered attack would be hurricane. Furthermore, to make matters worse, it has a chance of confusing your Pokémon.
The best way to deal with this is to have a bulky Pokémon that can tank Charizard’s attacks (we’ll cover this later) such as Blissey. More importantly, you can also have one or two teammates stand guard on healing duty as you’ll need to stay in top shape if you want to be victorious.
Your team will have to look out for its shield too (it activates when he drops to 25% health) and be ready to recover from Inferno. Most of this fight consists of you and your team recovering from those unavoidable attacks and getting your damage in when you can.
Once you’ve lowered his shields, he will activate Sunny Day which can double Charizard’s fire type attacks. Although you can counter that by using Rain Dance, that would make matters worse as it will make its Hurricane attack even more accurate.
If you and your team are confident with your attacks and healing abilities, you have a chance of withstanding the Sunny Day storm without Rain Dance.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Best Pokémon Teams for the Tera Charizard Raid
Since Charizard’s Tera Type is a Dragon-Type, the ideal Pokémon to bring in these raids are Fairy Type Pokémon. Specifically, you’ll want either Azumarill, Daschbun or Sylveon.
Why is Azumarill, Daschbun and Sylveon, the top picks, you ask? Well, we’ll explain the details!
Azumarill
First, let’s start with Azumarill. The reason Azumarill is the top pick for this raid is because of its dual Water/Fairy type matchup. It’s practically the perfect counter against Charizard for its Tera Type, as Dragon types are weak to Fairy types. It can also resist its Fire Type moves due to its Water Type, especially if it has the Thick Fat ability.
The Azumarill you’ll want, however, would be the one that has the Huge Power ability as it can increase your attack power, especially when you use Belly Drum.
How can Azumarill get Belly Drum? Simple. You just need to place Azumarill holding a Mirror Herb (and with three moves) and a Hariyama that knows Belly Drum, in a picnic. It will only take a few seconds, so don’t worry about having to wait that long!
Recommended Abilities and Movesets:
- Thick Fat (Recommended if you want to tank Fire Type moves)
- Huge Power (Recommended if you prefer powerful attacks)
- Play Rough
- Belly Drum
- Helping Hand
- Hydro Pump (Last Resort in case Play Rough is used up)
As for the items, you can either equip Azumarill with a Sitrus Berry or Shell Bell (recommended). Sitrus Berry can help your Azumarill recover half of its health after using Belly Drum.
Alternatively, you can use Shell Bell to regain your lost health for every attack you deal.
Your Azumarill should have the Fairy Tera Type too, so once you can Terastallize, you can triple the damage you’ll deal against Charizard with Play Rough. Be careful though, as once the shield is up, Charizard will nullify your stat changes. In that case, you’ll have to use either Belly Drum or keep attacking with Play Rough.
Helping Hand is a great support move especially if one of your teammates has an even stronger Azumarill. If you prefer to remain supporting your teammates rather than attacking, then use Helping Hand for as long as you can!
Sylveon
Sylveon is a great alternative as its Fairy Type moves are among the strongest in the game, which is a significant advantage against Dragon-Type Pokémon. Its hidden ability, Pixilate, can turn its Normal-Type moves into Fairy-Type moves.
Recommended Abilities and Movesets:
- Pixilate (Hidden Ability that turns Normal Type moves into Fairy Type moves)
- Hyper Beam
- Hyper Voice
- Moonblast
- Light Screen (Charizard’s moves are all Sp.Atk)
As for items, you can either equip Sylveon with a Shell Bell or Throat Spray (Recommended). Throat Spray is highly recommended as using Hyper Voice will activate the item, which in turn will increase your Sp.Atk stats, giving you a better edge in dealing damage.
Once you Terastallize Sylveon at the right time and use a buffed Hyper Beam, you can effectively take down Charizard in one shot alongside its conversion into a Fairy Type move.
Alternatively, you could use Light Screen to help buy your team some time and resistance against Charizard’s relentless attacks.
Dachsbun
Another amazing choice for this Tera Raid Battle is Dachsbun, the bread Pokémon. A new Fairy-Type Pokémon that can also use Play Rough, and it has a unique ability that can render Charizard’s Fire-Type moves effectively useless.
Its unique ability, Well-Baked Body, negates fire-type moves and on top of that, it boosts its own Defense stats by two stages! Since Charizard has a few Fire-Type moves, Dachsbun is most likely to stay alive longer and can continue to remain in the offensive by using Play Rough against Charizard.
Combining the fact that it’s a Fairy-Type Pokémon, it can’t take any damage from its Dragon-Type attacks, so it’s not joking around!
Recommended Abilities and Movesets:
- Well-Baked Body
- Play Rough
- Draining Kiss
- Dazzling Gleam
- Charm
Blissey
Blissey isn’t a fairy-type Pokémon, but it is a fantastic addition for a team of four who are looking to challenge the mighty Charizard. Not only can Blissey tank Charizard’s attacks like it was nothing, but Blissey can also provide medical healing to your team as well with Life Dew!
It can also serve as a great support for those who are looking to play the role of a medic in Charizard raids. Combined with Helping Hand and Light Screen, Blissey is an asset to the team!
Recommended Abilities and Movesets:
- Healer (Hidden Ability)
- Life Dew
- Light Screen
- Helping Hand
- Sing
Florges
Last on this list is Florges, the Garden Pokémon. Despite its appearance, Florges is not a Grass-Type Pokémon. It’s a pure Fairy-Type Pokémon, making it completely immune to Dragon-Type attacks.
It can also learn Moonblast, a move that’s even more powerful and accurate than Play Rough. Along with the moves Synthesis and Wish, it can keep itself alive longer if it’s caught in a pinch.
Recommended Abilities and Movesets:
- Symbiosis (Hidden Ability)
- Misty Terrain
- Moonblast
- Synthesis
- Dazzling Gleam
Can I catch Charizard more than once?
No, you cannot. After you’ve caught Charizard once, and only once, the game will not let you catch it a second time. You will receive a prompt telling you that you can only participate in Charizard raids, but catching it is now off-limits.
What kinds of loot does Charizard drop?
The loot drops depend on the raid and the percentage of RNG every time you participate in one, but often, these are the kinds of loot that you’ll get after you finish a raid:
- EXP Candy L
- EXP Candy XL
- Rare Candy
- x10 Dragon Tera Shards
- Calcium
- Ability Patch (Rare Drops)
- Ability Capsules
- TM157
- Various Mints
Speaking of parties, it is much easier to get Charizard if you fight him alongside other coordinated, real-life players. It can be your friends or random people online! A party of Azumarills, Sylveons, and Chansey can get the job done quickly, or at least, make your life easier in resisting its attacks.
Be sure to prepare your strongest Pokémon for a fight, as there is no other way to catch Charizard in Scarlet & Violet – and it may not return after the event!
Stay tuned to Final Weapon for more guides and updates!
