Pokémon Legends: Arceus – Basculin Evolution Guide

Pokémon Legends: Arceus introduced several new evolution forms to the series, including Basculegion, the Water/Ghost-Type evolution of Hisuian Basculin. While the Red-Striped and Blue-Striped forms of Basculin from the Unova region of Gen 5 weren’t known to evolve, the White-Striped Hisuian Basculin has a unique evolution method that requires trainers to use specific moves in battle. Several of the new Hisuian evolutions can be evolved this way, like Wyrdeer and Overquill, but Basculin’s evolution can be a bit trickier to achieve than the others.

Basculegion is a fearsome fish that’s said to house the souls of other Basculin who perished during their journeys upstream, which is likely the reason for its being a secondary Ghost-type. As one of the Noble Pokémon featured in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Basculegion can be summoned as a mount to allow players to travel across the water after they’ve achieved Three Star Rank with the Galaxy Expedition Team. However, in order to add Basculegion to their team of party Pokémon, trainers will have to evolve one from a Basculin since Basculegion itself can’t be caught in the wilds of the Hisui region.

Basculin can be found in the waters near the Tranquility Cove and Islespy Shores in the Cobalt Coastlands area of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, but the piranha-like Pokémon can also be found in the Coronet Highlands as well as the Alabaster Icelands. Unfortunately, Basculin has a skittish temperament and will swim away if it sees a trainer approaching so players will have to use stealth to catch the Pokémon unaware to get the best chance of catching it. As a fish Pokémon, Basculin can be baited with Plump Beans and Bean Cakes, and players can throw a Smoke Bomb to give themselves some cover while surfing on the water.

How To Get Basculegion In Pokémon Legends: Arceus

Before Bacsulin can evolve into Basculegion in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, it has to take around 300 points of recoil damage in battle, so players will have to use specific moves while training to get it to evolve. Basculin can learn two moves that inflict recoil damage, including Wave Crave at level 34 and Double Edge at level 43, so players will have to train their Basculin until it learns at least one of these moves before it can evolve. However, if Basculin faints from the recoil damage it takes during a battle, that damage won’t count toward its evolution, but players can quickly train their Basculin to evolve by battling Pokémon in lower-level areas like the Obsidian Fieldlands or Cobalt Coastlands.

Basculegion’s appearance differs depending on its gender, and male Basculegions sport the red coloration of Iscan’s Noble Pokémon while female Basculegions have light blue spots and stripes instead. Their stats are nearly identical, though male Basculegions have a higher Attack while female Basculegions have a higher Special Attack. Either one can be a powerful offensive force for the trainer’s team as they make their way through the Hisui region on their quest to find every Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is available on Nintendo Switch.

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