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Carbink first appeared inPokemon X/Yand has been a consistent Pokemon since its debut, appearing in every mainline game since Gen 6. While it didn’t appear inPokemon Scarlet & Violet’s base game, the Teal Mask DLC brought it back, making it obtainable for trainers once again. Some trainers may want to use Carbink in battle, but others may want to catch it just to fill out the dex.
Unfortunately, Carbink’s spawn point is hidden inScarlet/Violet’s Teal Mask. If players aren’t looking at their surroundings, they can easily walk right by Carbink’s hiding spot. To find the Jewel Pokemon, players should start by heading to the center/peak of the Kitakami map.
How to Get Carbink
Players are going to need to hike up Oni Mountain toCrystal Pool. If trainers continue to progress The Teal Mask’s story, they’ll eventually have to climb up to Crystal Pool, but this area can be accessed whenever. Players are also going to needKoraidon/Miraidon’s high jump abilityor (even better) itsglide ability. The high jump is the first ability that trainers will unlock in thePath of Legendsmain quest;the glide ability is the last.
If trainers just have the high jump ability, then they’ll have to jump from ledge to ledge and time their jump inside Oni’s Mountain. Thus, it’s preferred to have the glide ability, even if finding the last Herba Mystica inPath of Legendscan take some time.
Below is a video showing how to reach Carbink:
Carbink can belevel 73if players have completed the main story (including “The Way Home”) ofScarlet/Violet. Otherwise, Carbink’s level will be aroundlevel 28. Since Carbink is located inside a cave, trainers are advised to use a Dusk Ball when attempting to catch it.
Carbink also appears in 4-star Tera Raids. These are unlocked once players have obtained7 Gym Badges.
Is Carbink Worth Using?
Cabink has the same base stats for everything except Defense and Special Defense. A base stat total of 500 isn’t bad of course, but it may be best to use Carbink asa tank or setter instead of an attacker.
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Looking at Carbink’s stats, it’s best for it to have a Nature thatincreases its Defense or Special Defenseat the cost of itsAttack or Special Attack. Most of Carbink’s learnset have special moves and non-damaging moves (such as Light Screen). Because of this, it may be better to have aBold (+Def, -Attk)or aCalm (+Def, -Sp.Attk)Nature. Furthermore, Carbink’s stronger attacking moves in its learnpool are special moves. Although Carbink isn’t a fighter, it’s recommended tosacrifice Carbink’s Attack growthwhile leaving its Special Attack alone.
Best Moveset & Ability
Carbink’s moveset should be adjusted to however its trainer wants to use it in battle. Those that plan on using it competitively may want to favor moves that can set uphazards, such asStealth RockandSpikes.
Keep in mind that these moves will be reflected right back at Carbink if the opposing Pokemon has an Ability likeMagic Bounce.
Giving CarbinkIron Defensewill sharply raise itsDefensein battle. This is a good move to have if trainers want to use it to stall their opponent. Setting upReflectorLight Screenwill halve the damage of incoming physical and special moves respectively forfive turns. Carbink learns Light Screen at level 30, but it will need TM074 if it wants to learn Reflect.
As for offense, Carbink can havePower GemorMoonblast, andBody Press. Power Gem/Moonblast areRock and Fairy-type moves respectively, and moves that Carbink will learn as it levels up. They will also give Carbink Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB).Body Press, on the other hand, is aFighting-typemove, but it calculates its damage by the Pokemon’sDefenserather than itsAttack.
Finally, Carbink has two abilities:Clear BodyandSturdy. For these,Clear Bodyis the better choice. Thisprevents Carbink’s stats from being lowered in battle, and if players are running Iron Defense, they’ll want their Carbink to have Clear Body. As for Sturdy, this prevents Carbink from being taken out by 1HKO moves. It essentiallyfunctions the same as a Focus Sash.
