Legendary Pokémon are a big draw for players picking up any Pokémon game, and new legends are being added at every turn. For Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, this means players will need to find the location of various Ominous Black Stakes through Paldea to unleash four new Legendary Pokémon that are being kept under lock and key.
A new quartet of legends dubbed the Four Treasures of Ruin are known for personifying the hatred, fear, and other dark emotions surrounding a “king” that have taken on the form of Pokémon known for bringing ruin wherever they are seen. They were sealed away for that dangerous power, locked behind Ruinous Shrines in the four corners of the region, and can only be released once their eight Ominous Stakes are pulled from the ground.
As a result of that condition, players will have to scour large portions of Paldea’s overworld in search of glowing stakes. These can be easy to spot while traveling or may require deep exploration to discover them hidden in the depths of caves and grottos.
No matter how you go about your exploration for Gen IX, you will eventually need to capture all four Ruinous Pokémon to complete your Pokédex. Here is how to find the location for each of the 36 Ominous Black Stakes in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet to unlock the new Legendary Pokémon.
Where to find all Ominous Black Stakes in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
In each corner of Paldea’s region map, there are eight Ominous Black Stakes. Each of those eight stakes is tied to a single shrine that is also housed within those areas and connected stakes will share a secondary color—Green, Blue, Purple, or Yellow.
You will need to pull out each of the eight stakes to prompt the unlocking of a shrine, which will free one of the four Ruinous Pokémon and allow you to challenge them to a battle. Just be sure you save because you only get one shot at each just like a normal Legendary Pokémon encounter.
Where to find all Ting-Lu Ominous Green Stakes in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Known as the Vessel of Ruin, this Dark/Ground-type is locked behind Ominous Green Stakes spread throughout the northwestern portion of Paldea. It can split the earth with its heavy head and was born from fear being poured into an ancient ritual vessel.
Where to find all Chi-Yu Ominous Blue Stakes in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
A Dark/Fire-type that is tied to envy, Chi-Yu is capable of burning at over 5,400 degrees Fahrenheit, which allows it to create lava out of its surroundings. You will find the most dangerous goldfish locked away within the northeast areas of Paldea.
Where to find all Wo-Chien Ominous Purple Stakes in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Grudges can sometimes lead to linking the dead to the land of the living, and a person punished for “writing the king’s evil deeds upon wooden tablets” has taken the form of Wo-Chien, a Dark/Grass-type that drains the life out of vegetation and can kill entire forests. This deadly embodiment of ruin can be unleashed in the southwest of Paldea—with a little bleed over close to home too.
Where to find all Chien-Pao Ominous Yellow Stakes in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
While it might look like it hails from the snowy north, the Dark/Ice-type Chien-Pao is actually located in the southwestern part of Paldea locked behind eight Ominous Yellow Stakes. Known as the Sword of Ruin, it is made up of the hatred of those who perished by the blade and innocently jumps in and out of avalanches it has caused, regardless of the damage.
