Where to get Malicious Armor in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Malicious Armor is a rare, unique evolution material in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Unique enough, in fact, that you’ll only find it in Violet. It’s also only used for a single purpose: evolving Charcadet into Ceruledge, one of the better Fire-type Pokemon new in Scarlet and Violet. The Malicious Armor has unlock requirements befitting its rarity and importance, as you won’t be able to gather all the materials you need to get it until at least a few hours into your adventure. We’ll go over everything you need to know here.

Related: Best Nature for Charcadet and Ceruledge in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

How to get Malicious Armor in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’

To get Malicious Armor, you’ll need to own Pokemon Violet, then head to the city of Zapapico in the eastern section of Paldea. You can’t go straight there after finishing your introductory story section at Uva Academy. You’ll need to defeat Bombirdier, the Open Sky Titan, and unlock Miraidon’s swimming ability. From there, head back east and north until you reach the river dividing the north and south parts of the continent. Zapapico is closest to the Great Crater of Paldea in East Province (Area Three).

Once you reach Zapapico, head to the western portion of the city and look for a woman standing near a small fountain. She’ll call out to you in a yellow speech bubble, saying, “Fancy a trade?”

When you speak to her, she’ll say she has “a curio with a dark past” and is willing to trade for ten Sinistea Chips. To find those, you’ll need to not only defeat the Lurking Steel Titan east of the city, but you’ll also need to head to a set of ruins in Southern Province (Area Six) near Alfornada. All the Pokemon in that section of the world are around level 40, so expect a tough fight, even against a Ghostly tea cup.

When you have the ten Sinistea Chips, return to the woman and trade for the Malicious Armor. You can then use it on a Charcadet of any level to evolve it to Ceruledge. If you get a Ceruledge with a better nature and want to use that instead, you can return to the woman with ten more Sinistea Chips, and she’ll give you another set or Malicious Armor for your additional trouble.