Finizen looks like the simple Water-type Pokémon you’ll ever catch, but Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have one of the most unusual evolution rules in the series behind this dolphin. Palafin is locked behind multiplayer, and unless you know how, you can level Finizen for hours and still get nowhere. Here’s where to find Finizen, how to evolve Finizen into Palafin, and what are the critter’s Zero Form and Hero Form.
Where to Find Finizen in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Finizen can be found in any sea in Paldea. If there’s an open ocean, Finizen can spawn there. You can battle them from the shoreline, or surf out once your mount learns to swim after defeating your third Titan Pokémon. One good location to find it is to head to the East Paldean Sea near Porto Marinada.
How to Evolve Finizen into Palafin
Finizen only evolves in Union Circle, which is Scarlet and Violet’s co-op mode. It can be a local or online session, but both work the same for evolution. You can evolve Finizen into Palafin when at Level 38 or higher while inside a Union Circle in another player’s match. So yes, you need friends’ help and get into their session.
Once at Level 37, enter a Union Circle and gain one more level to trigger the evolution immediately. You don’t need to stand near your partner, fight with them, or do anything extra—the game only checks that you’re teamed up. XP, Candies, or a Rare Candy use counts as a level up, the same as when you fight.
Palafin looks exactly like Finizen, minus the small heart symbol on its chest. That’s intentional, known as Zero Form, and hides Palafin’s signature gimmick. There’s a strong version of Palafin called Hero Form, the bulky superhero form you see in the Pokédex. Zero Form is what you see in the overworld, and when it enters battle, Hero Form only spawns in a fight after a certain action.
To unlock Hero Form, Palafin first has to disappear. Switch it out of battle once, and on its next entry, it returns as the buffed Hero Form with largely improved creature’s stats. The Aqua Tail move highlights the transformation since it works like a Water-type attack (similar to Volt Switch), though it isn’t required.
The important part is the switch-out. Once Palafin leaves the field and comes back, the change activates automatically and remains until the battle ends. Hero Form never appears in the overworld and reverts to Zero Form after the fight.