Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Hidden Abilities and how to get the ability patch
There's a patch for that
Getting Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Hidden Ability Pokemon is a bit easier than it was in earlier generations thanks to a new item introduced in Gen IX: the Ability Patch.
The problem is that finding an Ability Patch involves lots of tough Tera Raids and no small amount of good luck.
If you want to pass that Hidden Ability down through Pokemon breeding, you’ll need a Ditto as well.
What are Hidden Abilities in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?
Hidden Abilities are pretty much what it says on the label. Every Pokemon species has a couple of abilities that roll at random when you encounter them in the wild. You might catch one Pawmi that has Static as its ability, while another may have Natural Cure.
Most Pokemon species also have a Hidden Ability, but it’s, well, hidden. Pawmi, for example, has Iron Fist as its Hidden Ability, which increases the power of punch moves and is very handy for their later evolutions. Some Hidden Abilities are slightly less impressive, but still quite helpful. Oinkologne’s is Thick Fat, which reduces the damage taken from Fire and Ice moves.
How to get Hidden Ability Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet
You had a small chance of encountering a Pokemon who had their Hidden Ability in earlier generations through battle gimmicks such as SOS battles and swarms. In Scarlet and Violet, you may encounter a Pokemon with their hidden ability in 6-star Tera Raids. These only unlock in the post-game, so don’t expect an easy way to get Hidden Abilities unless you get a ‘mon with one in a trade.
You can also swap a Pokemon’s ability to the Hidden Ability if you use an Ability Patch.
How to get Ability Patch in Scarlet and Violet
The Ability Patch also comes from 6-star Tera Raids or 7-star raids. It’s a random drop and a pretty rare one at that, so if you have multiple Pokemon whose Hidden Abilities you want to tease out, plan on taking part in multiple Tera Raids. On the bright side, there’s no limit to how many Ability Patches you can get. If you’re exceptionally lucky, you might even walk away froma Raid battle with two or three Patches.
Some players reported earning Ability Patches in the Academy Ace Tournament. The Ace Tournmanent is a battle gauntlet where you face all the school’s professors and Arven without being able to change your Pokemon, and it only unlocks after you beat the Elite Four.
However, we haven’t actually earned an Ability Patch this way yet. These reports could be mistaken or the Patch may be a very rare reward.
Hidden Ability Pokemon in breeding and evolution
A Pokemon who has their Hidden Ability will always retain that ability when they evolve, or if the evolved form has a different Hidden Ability, the Pokemon will swap the old Ability for that one.
Breeding a Pokemon with a Hidden Ability has less certain results, ones that are subject to the usual random chances of moves and abilities getting passed down. Female Pokemon have a decent chance of passing their Hidden Ability on to an Egg, but if you wind up with a male instead or don’t feel like grinding, you can use a Ditto.
Any Pokemon who has their Hidden Ability and breeds with a Ditto has a 60 percent chance of passing their Hidden Ability on to the Egg.
For more on Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, take a look how to get all the Eeveelutions, collect Bottle Caps, and how to change your appearance in-game.
