How to Get a Hidden Ability in ‘Pokémon Scarlet’ and ‘Violet’

Most trainers have likely already worked their way through the main storyline in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, moving on to the title’s extensive post-game content. Dedicated trainers are now putting together their teams of powerful Pokémon to compete with in future trainer battles — and for many, a Pokémon’s Hidden Ability is the key to securing a win in battle. But how do you get a Hidden Ability for your Pokémon?

Abilities are handy features your Pokémon can use in battle, sometimes lowering or raising a Pokémon’s stats or allowing you to negate the effects of an opponent’s moves.

A Hidden Ability is a secondary Ability that a Pokémon has, and if you have the right materials, you can unlock it, optimizing your Pokémon better for battle.

Not every Pokémon will have a Hidden Ability, though. To check if your Pokémon has a Hidden Ability, you’ll want to look at it’s summary. Underneath its Ability, it’ll list if it has a Hidden Ability — though it won’t show you if it’s been unlocked. This is something you’ll have to keep track of on your own. The hunt for a Pokémon with a Hidden Ability will require quite a bit of grinding and catching Pokémon.

If you don’t have a Pokémon with a Hidden Ability already on your team, you can increase your chances of finding one by battling in Tera raids. Three-star and above Tera raids may give you a Pokémon with a Hidden Ability, which can be unlocked by using an Ability Patch. Unfortunately, a Hidden Ability will not be active without the Ability Patch.

Ability Patches are one of the more difficult items to obtain in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. The only way to obtain them is by competing in six and seven-star Tera raids, which are some of the most difficult raids in the title.

Once you’ve successfully completed a six-star raid, then the Ability Patch may be dropped as a reward — though there’s no guarantee you’ll receive one. You’ll likely have to compete in multiple six-star raids before you get an Ability Patch.

Once you have the Ability Patch, all you have to do is use it on the Pokémon in your party with a locked Hidden Ability, and viola! You now have a team member with a powerful Hidden Ability, making it a powerful contender to have in battle. Ability Patches can only be used once, so be mindful of which member of your team you use it on.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are now available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.