Pokémon Scarlet and Violet 7-star Skeledirge Tera Raid: Dates, location, and best counters

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s next seven-star Tera Raid event is set to feature the beloved Gen IX Fire Starter, Skeledirge.

As promised on Pokémon Day, the three Paldean Starters are finally getting their own Tera Raid events in Scarlet and Violet. This of course includes the adorable Fuecoco’s final evolution, Skeledirge. Starter Pokémon are typically tougher to come by in the mainline games, so this is a great opportunity to catch the crocodile if you don’t already have it.

Here’s everything you need to know about Skeledirge and its special Tera Raid event in Scarlet and Violet.

When is the seven-star Skeledirge Tera Raid event in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?

You will have exactly one week to challenge and catch Unrivaled Skeledirge from Thursday, March 6 at 6pm CT until Thursday, March 13 at 6:59pm CT. This accounts for the daylight saving time change on March 9.

The Skeledirge Tera Raids are scheduled to begin right after the Meowscarada raids end. This event will be followed by the last Paldean Starter, Quaquaval. Throughout the three raid events, there will also be mass outbreaks around the map for Charcadet, Smoliv, Finizen, Applin, Sewaddle, Poliwag, Porygon, Scyther, and Lapras.

How to find the seven-star Skeledirge Tera Raids in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

The Skeledirge Tera Raid will pop up in a random spot on the Paldean map, but it’s easy to find as long as you have seven-star Tera Raids unlocked and follow these steps:

• During the event period, connect to the internet and make sure your Poké Portal news is updated. 
• Open your Paldea map and look for a black Tera Raid icon with the Fire Tera Type symbol. Set that as your destination. If you can’t find it, reset your game and reconnect to the internet before trying again.
• Fly to the nearest Pokémon Center or landmark. From there, hop on Koraidon or Miraidon and head toward the orange flag on your mini map.
• When you arrive at your destination, interact with the sparkling black crystal. Make sure it’s a seven-star raid with Skeledirge’s silhouette.
• To join online group raids, use the Tera Raid Battle Search feature in the Poké Portal. This requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership.

Can you catch more than one Skeledirge in the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Unrivaled Tera Raid event?

You may only catch one Unrivaled Skeledirge with the Mightiest Mark from this Tera Raid event. After successfully defeating and catching this Skeledirge, you can rechallenge the raid for the other rewards, but it won’t let you catch another one with the same mark.

How to catch Skeledirge in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Even though you can only catch one Skeledirge with the Mightiest Mark from the raid event, there are other ways to obtain the crocodile Starter in the game.

The easiest way to obtain Skeledirge is to select Fuecoco as your Starter at the beginning of the game, and then evolve it into its final form. If you selected Sprigatito or Quaxly as your Starter instead, your best bet is to trade with a fellow player for a Skeledirge.

There was also a Mystery Gift distribution for Roy’s Fuecoco, but the code is now expired. Keep an eye out for any future Mystery Gift events that may include Fuecoco, Crocalor, or Skeledirge.

Beating the Unrivaled Skeledirge Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Skeledirge is one of the more difficult seven-star raid bosses because of its signature move, Torch Song, and its Unaware ability.

Torch Song boosts Skeledirge’s damage output, while Unaware allows it to ignore any stat boosts on your Pokémon—making it useless for you to set up. The combination of the two is deadly, and things can get out of hand if you aren’t careful.

Thankfully, the right Pokémon can counter this. All you need to do is find a counter that shuts down Skeledirge’s Unaware ability and Torch Song.

What type is Unrivaled Skeledirge?

Skeledirge is a Fire/Ghost-type Pokémon, and it will have the Fire Tera Type for this specific raid battle. This gives it only three defensive weaknesses: Water, Ground, and Rock.

To avoid Skeledirge’s Tera-boosted Fire attacks, you could bring a Pokémon with the Flash Fire or Well-Baked Body abilities, though your options are pretty limited. It’s better to go with a Water-type counter in the rain to weaken Skeledirge’s firepower and strengthen super-effective Water attacks against it.

What moves does Unrivaled Skeledirge know?

Skeledirge’s moveset only consists of damaging attacks and no status moves. However, it will still be able to boost its Special Attack quickly with Torch Song after each use. In other words, Skeledirge will become more powerful throughout the raid until its Special Attack stat is maxed —unless you stop it in its tracks.

Best counters for the Unrivaled Skeledirge Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

It takes a tough cookie to beat this seven-star Tera Raid, and the nefarious Malamar perfectly counters the Skeledirge’s Torch Song and Unaware ability.

Best Malamar Tera Raid build in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Malamar is one of the best counters you can bring against raid bosses that like to boost their stats. That’s because Malamar comes with the Contrary ability, which turns the user’s stat boosts into stat drops.

If you use Skill Swap on Skeledirge, its annoying Unaware ability will be replaced with Contrary. Once Skeledirge has Contrary, it will constantly reduce its own Special Attack every time it uses Torch Song. Before you know it, Skeledirge will no longer be an offensive threat.

With Skeledirge’s Unaware ability gone, Malamar can freely set up with Superpower until its Attack stat is maxed. To boost your damage output, use Rain Dance and Terastallize to the Water Tera Type. From there, you can just keep spamming Tera Blast.

Here’s the step-by-step game plan:

1. Use Skill Swap on the first turn.
2. Attack with Tera Blast to build up your Tera charge until Malamar is knocked out. You want Malamar to faint so that it gets its Contrary ability back.
3. Use Superpower six times to maximize Malamar’s Attack stat.
4. Use Rain Dance and Terastallize to the Water Tera Type.
5. Spam Tera Blast.
6. Use Rain Dance again as needed when the rain stops.

The only downside to using Malamar is that it takes a while to get set up. Be mindful of the timer and click your moves as quickly as possible.

What is the best Nature for Fuecoco, Crocalor, and Skeledirge in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?

Fuecoco, Crocalor, and Skeledirge are strong special attackers with good bulk, so the best Natures for them would be Modest (+ Special Attack, – Attack) or Quiet (+ Special Attack, – Speed). If you’re specifically running a Trick Room team where slower Pokémon have the advantage, give Skeledirge the Quiet nature. Otherwise, go with Modest.

With a Nature that boosts Special Attack, Skeledirge can maximize its damage output with powerful attacks like Torch Song, Flamethrower, Shadow Ball, and Overheat. Its signature move, Torch Song, works perfectly here since it also boosts Skeledirge’s Special Attack on top of dealing good damage.