Skip to main content

How to evolve Finizen into Palafin in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Palafin Pokedex entry cover.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

There are tons of Pokémon to catch and evolve in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but few are as quirky as Finizen. This water-type creature can evolve in Palafin — but the process doesn't work like most other evolutions in Scarlet and Violet. Instead of simply bringing them into battle and having them evolve at a set level, there's a very specific action you need to take that'll trigger the Finizen to Palafin evolution. And unless you know how it works, you'll be stuck with Finizen for your entire journey.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

10 minutes

What You Need

  • Finizen

  • A friend to join Union Circle with

Interested in adding Palafin to your PokéDex? Here's a look at how to evolve Finizen into Palafin in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Palafin Pokedex entry cover.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to evolve Finizen into Palafin

Evolving Finizen isn't difficult, but it's a very unique evolution process that requires a bit of prep.

Step 1: Make sure the Finizen you want to evolve is at level 37 or higher. Finizen evolves at level 38.

Before you enter Union Circle, make sure your Finizen is close to leveling up to 38 (or higher) to save yourself time and resources.

Finizen at a picnic.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Enter a Union Circle session with a friend.

You can start or join a Union Circle session at Pokémon Centers all over the map or by accessing the Poké Portal in the main menu.

If you don't have any buddies around to join Union Circle with you, it's fairly easy to find a partner on the internet through the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet subreddit or a popular Discord server.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3: Once you're in Union Circle, all you need to do is level up your Finizen. You can do this by battling wild Pokémon or using XP candies to save time.

Once Finizen levels up above 37, it will immediately evolve into Palafin.

Palafin right after evolving.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Palafin in Hero form during battle.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to use Palafin's Hero form

You might feel a little letdown immediately after evolving Finizen. Palafin looks almost exactly the same. This is where things get a little weird.

Palafin is only able to transform into its Hero form during battle by using a specific move. We'll walk you through it.

Step 1: When Finizen evolves into Palafin, it will try to learn the move Flip Turn. This move is essential to unlocking Palafin's Hero form, so make sure it learns it immediately. If you've accidentally not learned the move upon evolution, you can always relearn it by changing Palafin's moves in its summary.

Palafin moveset.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Flip Turn works similarly to moves like Volt Switch or U-Turn — when Palafin uses this move, it will return to its Pokéball and you'll be prompted to send out another Pokémon.

Using this move activates Palafin's unique Zero to Hero and it will transform into its more interesting Hero form before being returned to your party. In its Hero form, Palafin has higher base stats in every category except for HP and speed.

When you swap Palafin back into the battle, it will be in its Hero form. It will revert to its Zero form when the battle is over.

Sam Hill
As Digital Trends' Gaming evergreen lead, Sam Hill is here to help you find your new favorite game and dive right in. The…
The best Pokémon spinoff games of all time
Pikachu with detective cap and boy with brown hair and red jacket eating breakfast

We all fell in love with the Pokémon franchise through its RPGs. These games let us explore the world, meet new friends, and build teams of powerful monsters to battle with. Even though each new generation introduces new Pokémon to catch and a new region to conquer, the gameplay doesn't evolve all that much. Besides some great Pokémon fan games, there are a ton of amazing spinoff games set in the Pokémon world that test out all sorts of genres. In fact, there are way more spinoff games than mainline at this point, with more upcoming video games to add to that pile in the near future. If you need a break from catching them all but still want to spend time with your favorite pocket monsters, here are the best Pokémon spinoff games of all time.

Pokémon isn't the only franchise with amazing spinoffs. The best Mario spinoffs and the best Zelda spinoffs are also worth your time.

Read more
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket’s next expansion adds shinies to the mix
shiny l;ucario ex in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket.

The next expansion in the hit digital trading card game Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket will bring the shiny hunt to the mobile game. Called the Shining Revelry, this new expansion will add uniquely colored Pokémon as well as more monsters from the Paldea region when it launches on March 26.

Pokémon TCG Pocket: Shining Revelry | Official Trailer

Read more
This Digimon card game is set to rival Pokémon TCG Pocket
this digimon card game set to rival pokemon tcg pocket screenshot

《公式》スマートフォン向けアプリ『デジモンアリシオン』プロジェクト始動PV |《Official》New Digimon Card Game app "DIGIMON ALYSION"

Following the success of Pokémon TCG Pocket, the Digimon franchise is getting a mobile card game of its own. Digimon Alysion is a free-to-play title coming to both Android and iOS. However, Bandai Namco hasn't given a release date or many details outside of the existence of the game. With that in mind, a closed beta test is planned for the next few months.

Read more