Electric-type Pokémon have always felt like the unofficial fourth Starter type in the Pokémon series, which makes many Scarlet and Violet players flock to them early. Some of them, like Pikachu, can only evolve in contact with a Thunder Stone, regardless of their level. Fortunately, getting one of these is pretty straightforward in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet since you can either buy them or go to specific locations where you can find them on the ground.
With devastating attacks against Water and Flying types, Electric types are useful Pokémon that can form important parts of final teams. But sometimes, if you want the Electric type that you really want in your squad, you’ll need some help evolving them.
New Paldean Pokémon such as Bellibolt require a Thunder Stone on their pre-evolutionary form in order for a player to get them without finding an already-evolved form in the wild.
How to get Thunder Stones in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
The easiest way to get a Thunder Stone in SV is by buying one at Delibird Presents for 3,000 Pokédollars. There are a few different branches of Delibird Presents in multiple places around Paldea, but the easiest ones to get to are in Mesagoza, where you conveniently travel very early in the game. Look for them in the southern part of the city, as indicated by the red circles on the map below.
You won’t be able to find these stones at Delibird Presents right off the bat, however. You need to beat three gyms in Paldea first before the stores begin to offer the stones to you. I recommend beating the gyms in Cortondo, Artazon, and Levincia first, in that order, since they are the easiest ones.
You can also buy Water and Fire Stones at Delibird Presents.
There are also a few places in the overworld where you can find Thunder Stones if you don’t have the cash to shell out for them. There’s one in the city of Levincia in the part of the city that juts out into the East Paldean Sea. There’s also one atop a turbine in the West Province of Area One. These places might be harder to find or get to, but that’s the tradeoff for getting a Thunder Stone for free.
Another way to get a Thunder Stone is by catching or evolving 30 unique Pokémon in total as part of the Pokédex Completion rewards. If you have already registered 30 Pokémon or more, you can claim your Thunder Stone the following way:
- Press the “-” button to open the Pokédex window.
- Press A to open the detailed view of the Pokédex.
- Press X to open the Pokédex rewards.
- You will automatically receive rewards based on how many Pokémon you’ve caught, including a Thunder Stone if you’re at or past the 30 Pokémon mark.
All Pokémon that evolve with Thunder Stones in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
The following Pokémon require Thunder Stones to evolve into their next stage. You can evolve them at any level:
| Pokémon | Evolves into |
| Eevee | Jolteon |
| Magneton | Magnezone |
| Pikachu | Raichu |
| Tadbulb | Bellibolt |
| Eelektrik | Eelektross |
Related: Electric-type weaknesses in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet from The Escapist
How to evolve Pokémon using a Thunder Stone
To quickly evolve any of the Pokémon listed above using a Thunder Stone, follow the exact steps below.
- Put the Pokémon you want to evolve in your party, in any slot.
- Press X to open the Main Menu.
- Select “Bag” and press A to open the Bag window.
- Move to the “Other Items” tab by pressing the D-Pad or moving the left analog stick to the right or left.
- Scroll down until you find the Thunder Stone by pressing down on the D-Pad or moving the left analog stick down.
- Press A to select it, then A again to “Use this item.”
- Select the Pokémon in your party you want to evolve. It should have “Can Use” written under its name. Press A to start the evolution process.
