This page explains how to encounter and catch Wo-Chien, one of the Legendary Pokémon in Scarlet & Violet.
Wo-Chien is a Ruinous Pokémon and a member of the Legendary quartet known as the “Treasures of Ruin”.
Where to Find Wo-Chien¶
(1 of 2) The purple shrine where Wo-Chien is found.
The purple shrine where Wo-Chien is found. (left), Location of the purple shrine on the map. (right)
Wo-Chien is sealed behind the purple shrine in South Province (Area One), east-south-east from Los Platos.
To release the seal, you must remove 8 purple stakes scattered throughout south-east Paldea. For their precise locations, please refer to our Purple Stakes page.
After doing so, there will be a message saying that a sound is coming from the shrine. Inspect the seal on the shrine (after saving your game first!) to encounter Wo-Chien.
Useful Links¶
How to Catch Wo-Chien¶
(1 of 2) Wo-Chien is a Dark and Grass type.
Wo-Chien is a Dark and Grass type. (left), Tablets of Ruin weakens the Attack of all Pokémon except itself. (right)
| Pokémon | Level | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Wo-Chien | 60 | Dark  Grass  |
At the start of the fight, Wo-Chien’s Tablets of Ruin ability will trigger, lowering the Attack of all Pokémon except itself.
Stat-wise, Wo-Chien has exceptional Special Defense, great Defense and otherwise solid stats, except it’s obviously slow since it’s a snail.
The one you’re facing can use 
Giga Drain and Power Whip for Grass STAB, Ruination to halve your HP and 
Foul Play to deal damage based on your Pokémon’s Attack stat. Giga Drain will also restore Wo-Chien’s HP according to the damage it deals.
(1 of 2) Ruination is like Super Fang, halving the opponent’s HP.
Ruination is like Super Fang, halving the opponent’s HP. (left), Giga Drain is a nuisance, dealing damage and healing Wo-Chien. (right)
You might’ve gotten away with it earlier, but you’ll almost definitely need to inflict a status ailment for this fight. Paralyze is very simple and lasts forever–you can use moves like Nuzzle, 
Thunder Wave or Glare. Sleep has better odds, but only lasts a few turns–if you must, use moves like Hypnosis or Yawn; Spore and Sleep Powder do not work on Grass types.
When damaging Wo-Chien, avoid Bug type moves since they deal quadruple damage. Regular super-effective moves are OK, since Wo-Chien is bulky and Tablets of Ruin lowers Attack. As Wo-Chien’s HP begins falling though, you should swap to 
False Swipe (obtained from Jacq, your homeroom teacher) so you don’t accidentally KO Wo-Chien.
There’s a good chance you’ll experience a tug of war between Wo-Chien using Giga Drain to steal HP and you using False Swipe to keep its HP low. It may help using 
X Sp. Def to boost your Pokémon’s Special Defense, to reduce the damage (and thus HP recovery) from Giga Drain.
(1 of 2) X Sp. Def will weaken Giga Drain.
X Sp. Def will weaken Giga Drain. (left), Keep throwing those balls when you have the chance! (right)
When it’s time to start throwing 
Poké Balls, 
Ultra Balls are the straightforward choice. If you’re battling when it’s night time, 
Dusk Balls are a better choice. If more than 10 turns have passed, 
Timer Balls are the best choice. If Wo-Chien is asleep, 
Dream Balls are also great, but you probably don’t have many of those.
Recommended Pokémon for Catching Wo-Chien¶
A Pokémon that resists Grass would be extremely helpful here. Even better if they take a quarter damage, like 
Dragonite for instance. This will let your Pokémon survive Giga Drain and Power Whip, while reducing the HP healed from Giga Drain.
If you have a bit of spare time, Kingambit is a great Pokémon to use, since it resists all of Wo-Chien’s moves, minus Ruination, which deals fixed damage. It can also use False Swipe. Plus 
Iron Defense to protect itself from Power Whip and Foul Play.
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