How to find Slakoth in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Slakoth and its evolution line have been fan favorites in the Pokémon franchise since their introduction in Generation 3. With their infamous Truant ability balanced out by Slaking’s monstrous stats, there’s a certain allure to having such a unique Pokémon on your team. To help you catch one we’ve put together this guide on how to find Slakoth in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Note: For more information about the game, check out our Pokemon Scarlet and Violet guides and features hub.

Where to find Slakoth in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Unlike most Pokémon, Slakoth is not found walking around the overworld. Instead, Slakoth is a rare spawn that only appears in specific trees in Paldea. These trees can be found in the southeast corner of the map in South Province (Area One) and Souther Province (Area Five)

Once you have found one of the required trees, simply ram into it while using Koraidon or Miraidon’s Dash ability. The cover legendaries learn how to Dash after you defeat Klawf, the Stony Cliff Titan. Be aware that Slakoth’s encounter rate in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is low and therefore it can take many attempts before one appears. The use of a sandwich that grants the Encounter: Normal buff can help speed up this process.

Ram trees that look like this to encounter Slakoth. Screenshot by PC Invasion

An alternative for those who don’t want to spend their time headbutting trees is to catch Vigoroth. Vigoroth is Slakoth’s second evolution and can be found just south of the swamp in South Province (Area Five). Vigoroth is a fairly common spawn in this area, so it shouldn’t take too long to find.

Once you’ve found and caught a Vigoroth you can then breed them through the Picnic mechanic. By breeding Vigoroth, you can get a baby Slakoth in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet to raise yourself. This is useful for obtaining the Pokédex entry for Slakoth or for breeding the perfect Slakoth for competitive use. Those looking to obtain a Slaking for a casual playthrough are better off simply evolving a captured Vigoroth at level 36.

Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet can be purchased on the Nintendo Store.