Dondozo is making waves in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet as the next seven-star Tera Raid boss—just don’t expect it to be an easy fight.
Running from Thursday, July 25 at 7:00pm CT until Thursday, Aug. 8 at 6:59pm CT, Unrivaled Dondozo Tera Raids will appear around the Paldea region in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. This Dondozo comes with the Mightiest Mark and Water Tera Type, making it both a strong party member and valuable ‘mon to add to your collection.
Here’s everything you need to know about the seven-star Dondozo Tera Raids in the Gen IX games.
How to find Unrivaled Dondozo Tera Raids in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
It’s quite easy to track down the Unrivaled Dondozo Tera Raids—especially if you’ve challenged previous seven-star raids. Just follow these steps:
- Make sure you’ve unlocked seven-star Tera Raids.
- During the event period, connect to the internet and make sure your Poké Portal news is up to date.
- Open your Paldea map and look for a black Tera Raid icon with the Water Tera Type symbol. Set that as your destination.
- Fly to a nearby Pokémon Center or landmark and follow the orange flag on your mini map until you reach your destination.
- Interact with the black crystal and confirm it’s a seven-star raid with Dondozo’s silhouette.
- You can also use the Tera Raid Battle Search feature in the Poké Portal to participate in group raids with fellow trainers. This requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
How to catch Dondozo in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Dondozo was introduced in Gen IX, making it native to Scarlet and Violet’s Paldea region. In other words, you can either catch one in the wild or via the Unrivaled Tera Raid event.
For wild encounters, Dondozo’s specific location is at Casseroya Lake in the northwest part of the Paldea map. As you swim around the lake, it’s hard to miss the catfish floating in the water because it’s so huge.
If you want to catch Dondozo with the Mightiest Mark, you need to beat the Unrivaled Tera Raid event while it’s around. It’ll have the Water Tera Type, so your best bet is to bring a strong counter with Electric or Grass-type attacks. Take the raid boss down for your chance to throw a Poké Ball at it.
Can you catch more than one Dondozo in the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Unrivaled Tera Raid event?
You are limited to catching one Dondozo with the Mightiest Mark for the Unrivaled Tera Raid event. As with previous Tera Raid events, you can rechallenge the raid if you want to farm the rewards, but you won’t be able to throw another Poké Ball at it if you’ve already caught one from the event.
If you want another Dondozo, just head to Casseroya Lake to catch a wild one without the Mightiest Mark.
What is the best Nature for Dondozo in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?
When it comes to Nature, you should play to Dondozo’s strengths—its bulk. That’s why an Impish nature (+ Defense, – Special Attack) complements it perfectly.
For the most part, Dondozo is intended to be used in double battles with Tatsugiri. When bonded to Tatsugiri’s Commander ability, the catfish gains a boost in a certain stat when using Order Up. The stat boost depends on Tatsugiri’s form: Curly Form boosts Attack, Droopy Form boosts Defense, and Stretchy Form boosts Speed.
Dondozo’s job is to sit on the field for a long time, setting up Order Up. Giving it an Impish nature allows it to stay alive longer against physical attackers as it increases its stats and dishes out damage. Paired with Droopy Form Tatsugiri, Impish Dondozo is an absolute tank and a huge pain to remove from the field.
Without any Tatsugiri, you could stick with Impish for Dondozo’s Nature or try Adamant (+ Attack, – Special Attack) for more initial damage without setting up. But if you plan on setting up with Curse, your best bet is to keep the Impish nature for longevity. Once Dondozo is all set up, spam powerful moves like Wave Crash, Order Up, Heavy Slam, or Earthquake for good damage.
