The Crown Tundra has introduced the first ever Galarian forms of legendary Pokemon, which are Galarian Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltress. These new forms have different typing than the originals. Articuno is a psychic flying, Zapdos is a fighting flying type, and Moltress is a dark flying. They also have different abilities than their original forms.
In this article I will be telling you how to catch Galarian Moltress. Beware: there are some spoilers, since you must progress through the Crown Tundra’s storyline to get Galarian Moltress.
How to unlock Galarian Moltress
First you must do the introductory quests to the Crown Tundra to get access to Galarian Moltress. To get there go to Wedgehurst Station and talk to the guy in the green vest. He will then ask if you want to go to the Armor Station or Crown Tundra Station.
Pick the Crown Tundra Station, and once you exit you have to battle Peony who has level 70 steel type Pokemon, so be prepared. After that just follow the story until you finish the Dynamax adventures, setup your base on the Crown Tundra, and Peony gives you three quests. The Bird Pokemon of Legend quest is the one that will lead you to Galarian Moltress.
Once you have the Bird Pokemon of Legend quest, make your way South. Look on your map: the giant tree with pink leaves is where you need to go to. To get there just go down, keep right in Giant’s Bed, and go through the Old Cemetery. Continue towards the right and you will see a river, you need to go on this river and follow it until it meets land. On your left will be the area the tree is in.
When you arrive at the tree you will get a cutscene that will release the legendary birds into your game. Now you will be able to catch Galarian Moltress, which can be found on the Isle of Armor.
Preparing to catch Galarian Moltress
Before trying to catch Galarian Moltress, make sure you are prepared. Have plenty of Ultra Balls and Timer Balls, or whatever Pokeball you want to catch Galarian Moltress in. If it is night time you can also use Dusk Balls which have a better catch rate than Ultra Balls.
Make sure you also have plenty of Revives and Max Potions. Galarian Moltress is level 70 so make sure to have a full team of Pokemon that are level 70 or higher.
You will want at least one or more Pokemon with False Swipe to get Galarian Moltress to 1 HP. Along with False Swipe, you will also want a Pokemon with a status move that can inflict paralysis or sleep, since these increase the chances of capturing Galarian Moltress. Good Pokemon to fill this role are Zeraora, Gallade, Venusaur, Parasect, and Mew.
Be aware that many of these have a weakness to flying type moves, so make sure to bring other Pokemon that can inflict status effects if you need to, and some backup False Swipers.
Another move you need is Taunt, because Galarian Moltress has the move Nasty Plot, and the ability Berserk. Nasty Plot will boost Galarian Moltress’ special attack by two stages every time it is used. Pair that with Berserk – which raises its special attack when under 50% HP – and Galarian Moltress can quickly become a beast that one-shots all your Pokemon.
With Taunt you can prevent Galarian Moltress from using Nasty Plot to setup on you. Which it did when I battled it – it used Nasty Plot for the first three turns! Galarian Moltress’ other moves are they are Hurricane, Fiery Wrath, and Sucker Punch.
One last thing I want to mention, is that it is possible to get a marked Galarian Moltress. If you want to learn how to hunt for a Galarian Moltress with a mark, check out our guide on Pokemon marks.
Now lets see how you can battle with Galarian Moltress.
Battling Galarian Moltress
First you will want to fly to the Fields of Honor on the Isle of Armor. You will immediately see Galarian Moltress spawn and begin flying. Do not chase it as it starts to fly about, as it too goes on a specific path. Instead, just go to the wooden bridge and wait for Galarian Moltress to come to you.
As Galarian Moltress flies over you can follow it a little bit, and then it will pause in the air. Unlike the other legendary birds, Galarian Moltress is aggressive and will immediately dive-bomb you to engage in battle.
Once you are in battle you can try throwing a Quick Ball for the one-turn catch. This is risky since Galarian Moltress will most likely use Nasty Plot if you do not Taunt it turn one. Taunt only lasts three turns, so make sure to pay attention for when the Taunt wears off. You want to make sure Galarian Moltress is always Taunted so it does not boost its special attack.
After that you want to paralyze Galarian Moltress and lower its health to 1 HP with False Swipe. If you would prefer to put Moltress to sleep, then do that when Galarian Moltress is already at 1 HP.
Now it is time to start throwing Pokeballs. If it is night time use Dusk Balls, and if 8 turns have passed use Timer Balls; or, if you want Galarian Moltress in a specific ball, use one of your choice. Galarian Moltress will break out a lot, but with enough persistence you will catch it.
Now you can enjoy your brand new Galarian Moltress in The Crown Tundra! I hope this guide has helped you out and if the other legendary birds are giving you trouble, I have guides for them too: go here for my Galarian Zapdos guide, and here for my Galarian Articuno guide.
Check out our other articles on The Crown Tundra to answer any more questions you may have, like whether you should choose Regidrago or Regieleki. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your adventures in The Crown Tundra!
