Eldeer, the majestic Season Pokémon, is a coveted creature in the Pokémon universe. Its elegant design and unique seasonal forms make it a desirable addition to any trainer’s team. Obtaining Eldeer, however, depends on the specific game you’re playing and the mechanics it employs. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to encounter and capture Eldeer across various Pokémon games where it’s available, covering everything from evolution methods to in-game locations and special events.
Understanding Eldeer’s Evolution: The Key to Obtaining One
Eldeer doesn’t appear in the wild in all games where its pre-evolution, Sawsbuck, is present. Therefore, understanding how Sawsbuck evolves is crucial. Sawsbuck evolves from Deerling starting at level 34.
Leveling Up Deerling: A Necessary Step
The most direct method of obtaining an Eldeer is to catch a Deerling and train it to level 34. This involves battling wild Pokémon, challenging trainers, and potentially using EXP Candy if available in your game. Focus on maximizing Deerling’s experience gain by utilizing held items like Lucky Egg (if obtainable), and participating in battles where experience points are plentiful. Consider battling high-level Pokémon that you can safely defeat with Deerling. Pay attention to type matchups to ensure Deerling doesn’t faint prematurely, hindering its experience gain.
Finding Sawsbuck in the Wild: A Direct Approach in Some Games
In certain Pokémon games, Sawsbuck, the evolved form of Deerling and therefore a route to Eldeer, can be found in the wild. This eliminates the need to evolve Deerling. However, wild Sawsbuck encounters can be rare.
Exploring Specific Locations: Where to Look
Sawsbuck’s appearance often correlates with the current in-game season. Certain areas are more likely to host Sawsbuck, particularly those with abundant forest and nature-themed environments. Consult online resources, such as Bulbapedia or Serebii.net, to pinpoint the exact locations where Sawsbuck appears in the specific game you are playing. Pay close attention to notes about seasonality, as Sawsbuck’s presence might be limited to specific seasons.
Leveraging Seasonality: Timing is Everything
Sawsbuck’s appearance is closely linked to the season, showcasing different forms based on whether it’s Spring, Summer, Autumn, or Winter. Each form might be more common in specific locations during its corresponding season. Knowing the current season in your game is vital to increasing your chances of encountering the Sawsbuck form you desire. Use this knowledge to focus your search in areas where the desired form is most likely to appear.
Locating Deerling: The Foundation for Eldeer
If you cannot find Sawsbuck directly, your path to Eldeer will involve catching a Deerling. Deerling is the pre-evolution, and evolving it is a reliable method to obtain Eldeer.
Habitat Preferences: Knowing Where to Search
Deerling prefers forested areas, routes with tall grass, and locations where nature is prominent. Its habitat is often related to its seasonal form. Look for Deerling in areas with a higher concentration of Grass-type Pokémon, as these regions tend to be favorable habitats. Checking specific locations detailed in online resources will maximize your search efforts.
Understanding Seasonal Forms: A Visual Guide
Deerling has four different forms depending on the season: Spring Form (pink), Summer Form (green), Autumn Form (orange), and Winter Form (brown). Each form has a unique aesthetic appeal. Knowing the current season can help you predict which form you’ll encounter, allowing you to catch a Deerling with the desired appearance.
Utilizing Raids and Max Raid Battles
Some Pokémon games feature Raid Battles or Max Raid Battles, where you team up with other players (or NPCs) to battle a powerful Pokémon. These raids may occasionally feature Sawsbuck, providing an opportunity to catch one directly.
Checking Raid Dens: A Cooperative Approach
Keep an eye on the active Raid Dens in your game. Raid events can sometimes feature Sawsbuck as a possible encounter. Team up with other players to increase your chances of successfully defeating the raid boss and getting the opportunity to catch it. Checking online communities and forums can help you coordinate raid battles and locate Sawsbuck raids.
Participating in Events: Limited-Time Opportunities
Pokémon games often host special events that increase the spawn rates of specific Pokémon in raids or the wild. These events might feature Sawsbuck, providing a limited-time opportunity to catch one. Stay informed about upcoming events through official Pokémon news channels, social media, and in-game announcements.
Trading: A Social Avenue to Obtaining Eldeer
If you have access to online trading or local trading with other players, you might be able to trade for an Eldeer or Sawsbuck. This is particularly useful if you’re having difficulty finding one in the wild or evolving a Deerling.
Online Trading Platforms: Connecting with Other Trainers
Utilize online trading platforms, such as the Global Trade System (GTS) or dedicated trading subreddits, to search for players willing to trade an Eldeer or Sawsbuck. Offer desirable Pokémon in return to increase your chances of a successful trade. Be aware of the potential for scams and always verify the legitimacy of the Pokémon being offered before finalizing the trade.
Local Trading: Connecting Face-to-Face
If possible, connect with other Pokémon trainers in your local area for face-to-face trading. This allows for more personal interaction and reduces the risk of scams. Local Pokémon communities often organize meetups and events where trainers can trade and battle.
Breeding: Passing Down Traits
Breeding Deerling can be a method of getting more of them to evolve, allowing you to get Eldeer. This requires understanding breeding mechanics.
Pairing with Compatible Pokémon: Genetic Factors
Deerling, like other Pokémon, can breed with compatible partners. This requires understanding Egg Groups. Deerling belongs to the Field and Grass Egg Groups. Breeding a Deerling with a compatible Pokémon will produce more Deerling eggs. If you want to get a specific form of deerling, knowing the season is very important since the egg will hatch with the form of the mother (or either parent if breeding with Ditto).
Hatching Eggs: A Patient Endeavor
Hatching eggs requires carrying them in your party while walking around the game world. The number of steps required to hatch an egg varies depending on the Pokémon. Using Pokémon with abilities like Flame Body or Magma Armor can halve the number of steps required to hatch eggs. Hatching multiple eggs can increase your chances of getting a Deerling with desirable stats or a specific seasonal form.
Transferring from Other Games: A Cross-Game Approach
If you’ve caught an Eldeer or Sawsbuck in a previous Pokémon game, you might be able to transfer it to a newer game using Pokémon HOME, a cloud-based storage service. This allows you to bring your favorite Pokémon from older games into newer ones.
Using Pokémon HOME: Bridging the Generations
Pokémon HOME acts as a bridge between different Pokémon games, allowing you to transfer Pokémon from compatible titles to a central storage location. From there, you can transfer them to other compatible games. Transferring an Eldeer or Sawsbuck through Pokémon HOME can save you the time and effort of finding and catching one in the new game.
Checking Compatibility: Game-Specific Limitations
Before attempting to transfer an Eldeer or Sawsbuck, ensure that both the source and destination games are compatible with Pokémon HOME. Not all Pokémon games are compatible, and some Pokémon may not be transferable between certain games. Check the Pokémon HOME documentation for a list of compatible games and Pokémon.
Shiny Hunting for Eldeer and Sawsbuck: A Challenge for Dedicated Trainers
For trainers seeking the ultimate challenge, shiny hunting for Eldeer or Sawsbuck can be a rewarding, though time-consuming, endeavor. Shiny Pokémon are rare variants with different color palettes.
Understanding Shiny Odds: Patience is Key
The odds of encountering a shiny Pokémon are typically quite low, often around 1 in 4096 in recent games. These odds can be improved by using methods like the Shiny Charm, which is typically obtained by completing the Pokédex. Shiny hunting requires significant patience and dedication.
Utilizing Shiny Hunting Methods: Maximizing Your Chances
Several methods can be used to improve your chances of finding a shiny Eldeer or Sawsbuck. These methods vary depending on the game but may include chaining encounters, breeding with the Masuda method (breeding with a Pokémon from a different region), and using the Shiny Charm. Research the specific shiny hunting methods available in the game you are playing.
Conclusion: Embarking on Your Eldeer Journey
Obtaining Eldeer requires a combination of knowledge, patience, and strategic gameplay. Whether you choose to evolve a Deerling, search for Sawsbuck in the wild, participate in raids, trade with other players, or transfer one from another game, understanding the game’s mechanics and utilizing available resources will significantly increase your chances of success. Remember to consider the seasonality of Deerling and Sawsbuck, as their forms and locations can vary depending on the in-game season. Happy hunting!
Where can I find Sawsbuck and Deerling in Pokémon games?
Sawsbuck and Deerling are known as the Season Pokémon, and their appearances are often tied to specific seasons within the game. You’ll typically find Deerling in forests, meadows, and areas with lush vegetation. Locations vary slightly depending on the game, but popular spots often include areas accessible early in the game, allowing you to add them to your team relatively quickly. Be sure to check online resources specific to the Pokémon game you’re playing for the most accurate and up-to-date location information.
Sawsbuck, being the evolution of Deerling, is generally rarer to find in the wild. You’ll likely encounter it in similar habitats as Deerling, but at a higher level. However, the primary method of obtaining Sawsbuck is by evolving a Deerling when it reaches level 34. Keep in mind that the appearance of both Deerling and Sawsbuck, most notably their fur color and flower arrangements, will change with the in-game seasons, so be observant during your search!
What is the best strategy for catching a Deerling or Sawsbuck?
The key to successfully catching Deerling or Sawsbuck is to weaken them without causing them to faint. Using moves that inflict status conditions such as paralysis or sleep can significantly increase your chances of capturing them. Avoid using moves that deal significant damage early in the encounter, as you might accidentally knock them out before you have a chance to throw a Poké Ball.
Once you’ve weakened the target Pokémon and potentially inflicted a status condition, it’s time to choose the appropriate Poké Ball. Standard Poké Balls are a good starting point, but Great Balls and Ultra Balls offer a higher catch rate. Consider using specialized Poké Balls, such as the Net Ball (effective against Water and Bug-type Pokémon) or the Dusk Ball (effective in caves or at night), if applicable, to further improve your odds. Patience and persistence are essential; don’t be discouraged if it takes several attempts.
How do the different seasonal forms of Deerling and Sawsbuck affect their stats or abilities?
While Deerling and Sawsbuck have distinct seasonal forms – Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter – these forms are purely aesthetic and do not affect their base stats or available abilities. Regardless of the season, Deerling and Sawsbuck will have the same stat distribution and access to the same set of abilities. The primary difference lies in their appearance, with changes in fur color and the presence of flowers or leaves reflecting the current season in the game.
This means that choosing a Deerling or Sawsbuck based on its seasonal form is purely a matter of personal preference. The form you encounter will depend on the current season in the game’s environment. You don’t need to worry about seeking out a specific season’s form for competitive advantages, as all forms are functionally identical in terms of gameplay mechanics. Focus on training and move sets, rather than form, to maximize their potential.
What are some good moves to teach Deerling and Sawsbuck?
Deerling and Sawsbuck, being Normal/Grass types, benefit from a diverse movepool to cover their weaknesses. A move like Horn Leech is excellent for recovery, dealing damage while restoring HP. Wood Hammer is a powerful Grass-type move for high damage output, but be mindful of the recoil. Consider including a Normal-type move like Double-Edge for consistent damage, although it also carries recoil.
To provide type coverage, include moves such as Jump Kick or Wild Charge. These can help against threats like Steel, Rock, or Ice types that resist Normal and Grass moves. Consider teaching them status moves like Leech Seed for sustained HP drain or Aromatherapy for healing your team. The best move set will depend on your team composition and battle strategy, so experiment with different options to find what works best for you.
Are there any Shiny versions of Deerling and Sawsbuck? How rare are they?
Yes, Shiny versions of Deerling and Sawsbuck do exist. These alternate color palettes make them highly sought after by collectors and players alike. Obtaining a Shiny Deerling or Sawsbuck involves encountering and capturing them in the wild, hatching them from Eggs, or obtaining them through trading. The likelihood of finding a Shiny Pokémon through random encounters is typically quite low.
The base Shiny encounter rate in most Pokémon games is 1 in 4096. However, some methods can improve your odds of finding a Shiny Pokémon. Using the Shiny Charm, obtainable in many games after completing the Pokédex, significantly increases the Shiny encounter rate. Breeding using the Masuda method (breeding Pokémon from different language versions of the game) also increases the Shiny chance. Despite these methods, Shiny hunting requires patience and persistence.
Can Deerling and Sawsbuck learn any Hidden Abilities? What are they?
Yes, both Deerling and Sawsbuck can possess Hidden Abilities, which are abilities that are not their standard abilities. Deerling’s Hidden Ability is Serene Grace, which doubles the chance of a move’s secondary effect occurring. For example, a move with a 10% chance to inflict paralysis will have a 20% chance with Serene Grace. This can make Deerling surprisingly disruptive in battle.
Sawsbuck also shares the Hidden Ability Serene Grace. This ability can be beneficial, particularly if Sawsbuck uses moves with a chance of inflicting status conditions or raising stats. Obtaining a Deerling or Sawsbuck with Serene Grace often involves encountering them in Max Raid Battles or breeding Pokémon with the ability. Hidden Abilities can add a new layer of strategy to battles.
Are Deerling and Sawsbuck viable in competitive Pokémon battling?
Deerling and Sawsbuck can be situationally viable in competitive Pokémon battling, though they are generally not considered top-tier choices. Their Normal/Grass typing gives them some offensive coverage but also leaves them vulnerable to common types like Fire, Flying, Poison, Bug, and Ice. Sawsbuck, with its higher base stats compared to Deerling, has a better chance of holding its own in battles.
Sawsbuck can be used as a niche pick in certain teams due to its access to moves like Horn Leech, Jump Kick, and Swords Dance. The Hidden Ability Serene Grace can also be strategically utilized to increase the chances of secondary effects from moves. However, their overall defensive stats are relatively low, and they face stiff competition from other Grass and Normal-type Pokémon. Using them effectively requires careful team building and a good understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.