How to Evolve Finizen in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Finizen is a dolphin-esque Pokemon found in both the Scarlet and Violet games. If you want to know how to evolve Finizen, it’s a little different than the usual methods. You’ll need to be in multiplayer to do so, a technique that’s completely exclusive to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and only applicable to Finizen. The instructions are simple and we’ll cover exactly what to do.

How to Evolve Finizen into Palafin

Here are the steps on how to evolve Finizen. Note, the steps are the same in both Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. 

1. Find and level up your Finizen

Finding Finizen is easy, just search any of the seas in the vicinity of Paldea and they should be simple to spot. From there, you’ll want to get your Finizen to level 37, as the evolution happens at level 38. You can do this by winning battles or using items.

2. Form a group with a friend/friends in Union Circle

Union Circle lets up to four players connect locally or online, allowing them to battle, trade, picnic, and travel together. You’ll need to have at least one other person in your group to level up your Finizen. You can join their game or vice versa. 

3. Level up your Finizen to 38, while in multiplayer

There are a few ways to level up in the game, including Rare Candy, experience boosting items, or winning battles. Just be sure you’re with another player when this happens or your Finizen will not evolve. When the evolution does happen, both players will be able to see it in their gameplay.

What if you don’t have friends who play Pokemon? 

While the forced multiplayer aspect of leveling up Finizen is unique, it is a double edged sword. If you don’t have someone to play the game with, you won’t be able to evolve your Finizen. Frustrating, to say the least.

You may be able to pair up with someone online through forums or Pokemon Discord channels, but if you want to do it on your own you can find already evolved Palafins in 5 star raids. Unfortunately, they only appear rarely and it can be challenging to battle, but you will definitely have earned your Palafin when you’re through.  

How to Get Hero Form Palafin

Your Palafin can be in Zero form or Hero form. Zero form just looks like a basic Finizen but with a heart on its chest. In Hero form, it turns a darker blue, the heart on its chest gets bigger and looks more like a shield, and it can stand on its tail fins. It’s much more imposing, with increased speed and strength. 

To access the Hero form, you’ll need to put your regular Zero form Palafin into a battle and then switch it out mid-battle so that it can transform within its Poke ball. Then you can send it back out, returning to the same battle. The best way to do this is through the use of Flip Turn, a move that causes Palafin to attack and then immediately swap with a different Pokemon, sending it back to its Poke Ball. You can, of course, also do this by manually swapping if you don’t know the Flip Turn move.

Once your Palafin is re-sent into the battle, you’ll see that it has temporarily changed to its Heroic form, increasing its stats for the duration of the fight, unless it faints. After the battle is over, Palafin will go back to its Zero form and you can repeat the whole process again the next time you battle. Now you know how to evolve Finizen and access Palafin’s Hero form. Happy battling!