Magikarp is easily the most pathetic Pokémon that has ever been created in the series. That being said, it also has one of the most epic evolutions in Gyarados, so at least there is some reason to go through the headache of having one in your party if you want a powerhouse in your team later on. If Gyarados is one of your favorite Pokémon, here is where you can find the much weaker Magikarp in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
How to catch Magikarp in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
There are fewer places where you can not find Magikarp than spots where you can in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. When looking at its potential habitat spots, the entire Paldea region is nearly filled. To find it, you just need to go where you would expect to find fish; in any body of water. Whether it is a river, the sea, or a pond, Magikarp can appear in any water source, even if it is right next to a desert. Just walk around these wet areas, and eventually, you should see one struggling to splash. If you’re lucky, you may even find a shiny golden one.
When battling a Magikarp, remember that it is weak against Electric and Grass attacks. In most cases, you should be fine just throwing a Pokéball at it to catch it, but if luck isn’t going your way, we recommend hitting with any low-power attack, so you don’t accidentally make it faint, which is pretty easy to do. It likely won’t have any moves except Splash, so don’t even worry about it retaliating.
When you have Magikarp, we highly recommend putting it at the last spot in your party so that it can earn experience while your much more useful Pokémon battle. When it reaches level 20, it will evolve into the awesome Gyarados.
