Main Walkthrough

The nucleus around which all of Paldea exists, the Great Crater of Paldea is the final big question mark in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. A huge blank space located in the center of the map, the crater - also known as Area Zero - is seldom-mentioned during the course of the game, and only becomes a major location once you've completed all three Treasure Hunts. You have a lot to do before you can even think of visiting this place.

Though the Great Crater of Paldea borders all of Paldea's inner provinces, the only point of entrance is the Zero Gate, located in the hills outside Medali. You'll need to complete Victory Road, Starfall Street, and Path of Legends in order to unlock the area, and until you complete the game you can't ride your mount while exploring the crater. This guide will assume that you've beaten the final boss and can now glide, high jump, climb, and dash your way through Area Zero. This guide will help you through The Way Home, the quest that brings you to the Great Crater of Paldea, if you haven't beaten the game.

It is important to note that the map does not work in the Great Crater of Paldea. As such, this guide will separate items into the areas between the various research stations, and will include as many landmarks as possible to describe the position of items. There are no trainers to fight, so every battle you have on the way down the crater will be against wild Pokémon.


Great Crater of Paldea Pokémon

During your initial visit to the Great Crater of Paldea you will run into most of these Pokémon. That said, the prehistoric / futuristic Pokémon that are largely unique to the area will (for the most part) only spawn once you've completed the game and pay the crater another visit.
  • Altaria - Between the second and third research stations
  • Bellibolt - Near watery areas past the second research station
  • Bisharp - Near watery areas past the second research station
  • Braviary - Up on rocks between Zero Gate and the first research station
  • Brute Bonnet - Between the second and third research stations
  • Buizel - Near watery areas
  • Chansey - Between the second and third research stations
  • Copperajah - Gravel slope downhill from the first research station
  • Corviknight - Between Zero Gate and the first research station
  • Cufant - Gravel slope downhill from the first research station
  • Donphan - Gravel slope downhill from the first research station
  • Dudunsparce - Cave areas
  • Dugtrio - Cave areas
  • Dunsparce - Cave areas
  • Espathra - Cave areas
  • Espeon - All outdoor areas
  • Farigiraf - All outdoor areas
  • Flamigo - Near watery areas past the second research station
  • Floatzel - Near watery areas
  • Floette - All outdoor areas
  • Flutter Mane - Cave area between the fourth research station and the Zero Lab
  • Frosmoth - Between Zero Gate and the first research station
  • Gabite - Cave areas
  • Garganacl - Gravel slopes and caves
  • Gible - Cave areas
  • Girafarig - Between Zero Gate and the first research station
  • Glimmet - Lowest level of the cave
  • Glimmora - Cave areas
  • Gogoat - Gravel slopes
  • Golduck - Near watery areas
  • Great Tusk - Cave areas
  • Hawlucha - Gravel slopes
  • Jumpluff - Up on rocks between Zero Gate and the first research station
  • Lokix - Gravel slopes
  • Lycanroc - Gravel slopes
  • Masquerain - Near watery areas past the second research station
  • Medicham - Between Zero Gate and the first research station
  • Meditite - Between Zero Gate and the first research station
  • Pawmi - Between Zero Gate and the first research station
  • Pawmo - Between Zero Gate and the first research station
  • Pawniard - Near watery areas past the second research station
  • Phanpy - Gravel slope downhill from the first research station
  • Raichu - Between Zero Gate and the first research station
  • Sandy Shocks - Gravel slopes
  • Scream Tail - Scarlet only - Whole area
  • Slither Wing - Scarlet only - All outdoor areas
  • Swablu - Between the second and third research stations
  • Tadbulb - Near watery areas past the second research station
  • Talonflame - Gravel slopes and rocky areas
  • Vaporeon - Near watery areas
  • Volcarona - Between the second and third research stations
  • Venomoth - All outdoor areas
  • Zweilous - Cave areas

Items - First Section

This section encompasses all of the grassy areas between the landing spot, past the Zero Gate, and the first research station.
  • As you first begin to explore the crater from the landing spot you'll find a heap of rocks on your left, as well as some fences. If you go over the rocks - or take the long route around the fences - you'll find TM 159 Leaf Storm.
  • Also near the entrance is a big hole in the ground. If you drop down into it on your mount you'll find a clearing in the rock. Down here is TM 152 Giga Impact.
  • Take a left from the landing point, past the fences, and the path will split. If you take the left path you'll find the top of a huge, shallow, watery area, complete with a waterfall, that's largely a dead end. You'll find TM 142 Hydro Pump in the middle of the water.
  • Splitting the path to the water and the slope to the first research station is a tall cliff. Climb to the top and you'll find an HP Up.
  • Go down the slope leading to the bottom of the waterfall and you'll find two Elixirs along the way.
  • As you close in on the research station you'll find a gravel-like dirt slope leading down to the front door. Along with a bunch of new Pokémon spawns you'll find a Rare Bone on the slope. Across from the slope, hidden among the rocks and the cliff wall, is TM 165 Flare Blitz.
  • Hidden behind and to the side of the first research station is a Nugget.

Once you reach the first research station you're directed to head deeper into the crater by going down the slopes, but you can stay on the upper paths once you have your mount by heading right from the entrance to the research station. There's a ring of pathways leading back to the beginning of the area, along which you can find a bunch of items: 
  • A Max Elixir (near a heap of rocks up the path from the research station)
  • TM 079 Dazzling Gleam (at the base of a tree overlooking a huge gap in the path and a tall waterfall)
  • TM 158 Focus Blast (on the other side of the gap with the waterfall - you'll need to perform a dash and glide to get across)
  • TM 097 Fly (in front of a satellite dish on the other side of the waterfall gap and on an upper ledge)
  • TM 112 Aura Sphere (in a wide, watery area that ends in a waterfall, not far from the satellite dish)
  • TM 169 Draco Meteor (on a clearing near a second satellite dish)

Items - Second Section

This section covers all of the items that you can find between the first and second research stations. 
  • Downslope from the first research station you'll find a few trees near a waterfall. In front of one of the trees are three Max Ethers.
  • Further downslope from the first research station you'll find a gravel hill that serves as a shortcut to the second research station. If you climb the rocks to the right of the hill you'll wind up beside a narrow cliff path. TM 062 Foul Play is sitting on the ledge. Also near here, along the underside of the rock path that shelters the ledge, is a Rare Candy.
  • If you follow the longer path down to the second research center, behind several enormous stone columns, you'll find a Carbos on your left and TM 078 Dragon Claw in a small, hidden clearing on your right. At the bottom of the slope you'll find another side path on your left, at the end of which you'll find TM 038 Flame Charge.
  • Behind the second research station is a cliff. Climb it and you'll find TM 140 Nasty Plot on your left. Down a path to the right you'll find a Sun Stone.

Items - Third Section

This section covers all of the items that you can find between the second and third research stations.
  • There are several items, including two Elixirs, along the slope away from the second research station and down to a nearby waterfall. Under the waterfall you'll find TM 027 Aerial Ace. If you climb the cliffs next to the waterfall you'll eventually reach a ledge where you'll find TM 133 Earth Power.
  • If you take a left once you descend into the water near the waterfall you'll find a lengthy side path. Check on your left as you walk to find a Zinc. Far ahead you'll find another meandering stream, and on the right side of it is a tree with a Flying Tera Shard at its base. Climb the rocks near the end of the stream and you'll find a ledge with TM 139 Misty Terrain. If you follow the water to its end point you'll find a huge waterfall. Near it is a Max Elixir, and sitting on a rock under the waterfall is a Comet Shard.
  • Near the waterfall with the Comet Shard you'll find a side path leading to a long, grassy corridor. There are items to collect along the way, most notably a Bug Tera Shard at the base of a tree, a Comet Shard atop a large rock pile near the tree, a Water Stone in the middle of yet another stream, and an Iron a short walk from the stream. This pathway will lead you to the third research station.
  • If you head towards the path your group took on your way through here but climb onto the ramp above it using your mount you'll find a long slope upwards. This leads to an eventual dead end, though on your right you'll find a clearing with a tree. TM 100 Dragon Dance is sitting at its base. To the left of the path are higher platforms you can climb onto, and if you turn around and run along the tops of the clearings you'll find several items, including a Max Ether and TM 163 Hyper Beam. (Note that you can also easily reach this area from the first research station, as it is sitting on a cliff edge at the end of the path.)
  • If you walk down the path your group took towards the third research station you'll find a number of items, including two Elixirs and TM 143 Blizzard (on a ledge along the right side of the path, not far from the Elixirs).
  • Next to the third research station is a tree with a Normal Tera Shard at its base. Also beside the third research station is a sizable cave, within which you'll find a Protein.

Items - Fourth Section

This section covers all of the items that you can find between the third research station and the Zero Lab, which encompasses the entirety of the enormous cavern beneath the Great Crater of Paldea.
  • A short way into the cave a landslide will force you to the right. If you use your mount to climb the rocks you'll find a Rare Candy on the other side. This path will lead back to the main path deeper into the cavern, and not far from where the two paths join up you'll find an Ice Tera Shard. It's sitting in front of a crystal formation.
  • There are huge crystal formations growing up around the furth research station. Sitting atop the crystals are a Max Revive and TM 101 Power Gem.
  • There's a slope leading deeper into the crater out front of the fourth research station. Along the slope you'll find three Electric Tera Shards, three Steel Tera Shards, three Poison Tera Shards (along the dead-end right path), three Dark Tera Shards, three Fighting Tera Shards, and TM 114 Shadow Ball. Along the path you'll pass the huge, crystalline top of the Zero Lab, and if you check along the top you'll find TM 171 Tera Blast.

The lowest level of the Great Crater of Paldea is enormous, and checking everything can take a while. Here's what you can find:
  • There are three Ghost Tera Shards in the water to the right of the entrance to the Zero Lab.
  • On the right side of the chamber from the entrance of the Zero Lab you'll find a small side chamber with a crystal formation in the middle. You'll find TM 171 Tera Blast atop the crystals and three Water Tera Shards behind the crystals.
  • In the rear of the Zero Lab chamber you'll find a single crystal formation jutting out of the ground. Three Dragon Tera Shards are sitting on top of the crystal.
  • In the rear-left of the chamber you'll find an enormous rock pillar. If you climb to the top of it you'll find a small clearing, along with TM 120 Psychic. There's another pillar nearby, and if you glide over you'll find three Rock Tera Shards on top of it.
  • Behind the huge Zero Lab crystal is another, smaller (but still very large) crystal formation. Climb up it to find TM 123 Surf. Far below this is another, much smaller crystal formation with three Ground Tera Shards and TM 093 Flash Cannon.
  • Atop a building to the left of the entrance of the Zero Lab you'll find TM 161 Trick Room.
  • Inside the Zero Lab you'll find a Booster Energy

In addition to all of the items listed above you can find the Koraidon / Miraidon used by the Professor in this cavern. It's on a ramp at the rear of the Zero Lab, and it will attack when you approach. You can catch it, though Koraidon / Miraidon has a low capture rate and can take a while even if you use Ultra Balls. It's not a bad candidate for using your Master Ball, assuming you want a second version of your mount (likely for trading to someone else with the opposite version of the game).