If you want to complete the Pokedex in Scarlet and Violet, you’ll need to learn how to get Chien-Pao, one of the four Ruinous Pokemon. Chien-Pao is a hidden legendary Pokemon, one of four legendaries you’ll need to fill out the dex.
Finding and catching Chien-Pao is more complicated than your average Pokemon, so let’s find out how to obtain this rare and powerful beast.
How To Get Chien-Pao: Finding the Stakes
You’ll find Chien-Pao hidden behind a sealed door. To unlock it, you’ll need to pull out eight ominous stakes from the ground across various parts of Paldea.
Here’s where to find them with the places you need to be looking for on the map. You should complete the Titans before you go venturing for these stakes because some are a lot easier to find if you can climb or swim using Miraidon/Koraidon.
1: North of Cortendo across the river, go up the cliffs and the stake is sitting by one of the cliffsides.
2: Behind the Cascarrafa Gym building, hidden by a tree.
3: South of Asado Desert and the area where you fought Team Star’s Dark crew, just past the ruins.
4: A stake is placed atop a circular hole in the earth close to the Sky Titan area.
5: South-East of the West Province Area One Central Pokemon Center, you’ll find bits of land jutting out from the cliffside, and the stake is found on one of these cliffs.
6: This one is a bit deceptive. From the position marked on the map below, go east and drop down a considerable distance to find the opening to a tunnel. The stake is inside this cave.
7: East of Alfornada you’ll find a river with a number of waterfalls, and the stake is positioned next to one of the lower waterfalls.
8: North of Alfornada you’ll find a tower in the water near a waterfall. A little bit further north you’ll find the stake on a cliffside.
How To Get Chien-Pao: Catching It
Now all that remains is to travel to Chien-Pao’s shrine and catch it. It’s a good idea to turn off autosave and save beforehand to ensure you don’t accidentally defeat it before you catch it.
You’ll find Chien-Pao’s shrine by the western side of the West Province. Once you get there, Chien-Pao will be waiting to battle you.
Chien-Pao is an Ice/Dark type, so you should use Pokemon resistant to those types. It will use Ice and Dark moves along with Sacred Sword, a fighting-type move. It also uses Ruination, a dark move that’ll reduce your HP by 50%.
It’s tougher to catch than your average Pokemon, so putting it to sleep or paralyzing it will help a lot. Just make sure you don’t use moves that could kill it. Use Ultra Balls or other good Pokeballs for a better chance of catching it.
For more Pokemon Scarlet and Violet guides, keep reading The Games Cabin.