You're staring at a giant purple glowing spike in the ground and wondering why on earth Game Freak decided to hide 32 of these things across Paldea. It’s a lot. Honestly, hunting down Pokemon Scarlet all stake locations is probably the most tedious part of the endgame, but you can't exactly ignore it if you want the Ruinous Quartet. These four legendary Pokemon—Wo-Chien, Chien-Pao, Ting-Lu, and Chi-Yu—are locked behind sealed shrines, and the only way to open them is by pulling eight stakes of a specific color for each.
It's a grind. No doubt.
If you’ve spent hours wandering around Casseroya Lake or climbing the cliffs of North Province Area Two only to realize you’re still missing one single yellow stake, I feel your pain. The map doesn't track them. There's no "stake radar." You just have to know where to look. Most players end up missing the ones tucked into tiny cave alcoves or perched on pillars that look like they're out of bounds.
Let's break down where these things actually are so you can get back to actually battling.
The Grasswither Shrine: Purple Stakes for Wo-Chien
This is usually the first set people tackle because it's centered around the South Province. Wo-Chien is the "Debuff King," and while he’s not the fastest mon in the shed, that Tablet of Ruin ability is nasty in doubles. To find the purple Pokemon Scarlet all stake locations, you’re going to be spending a lot of time in the marshes and rocky outcrops of Area One, Three, and Five.
One of the sneakiest stakes is sitting right on a cliff edge near Los Platos. You’ve probably walked under it ten times. Another is hidden inside a small cavern in South Province Area Three, north of the Poke Center. Don't just look on the flat ground. The developers loved putting these on top of the "spiral" mountains that take forever to climb if you haven't fully powered up Koraidon’s jumping and gliding abilities yet.
There's a stake perched on a high plateau in South Province Area Five that overlooks the sea. It's beautiful, sure, but it's a pain to reach. You’ll also find one near the Artazon East Poke Center, tucked behind a ridge. Basically, if you see a high point that looks like a dead end, there’s a 70% chance a purple stake is vibing up there. Once you pull all eight, head to the Grasswither Shrine in the South Province (Area One) near the bottom of a cliff. Wo-Chien is waiting. He's a Grass/Dark type, so bring some Bug moves if you want to end it quick, though you're probably trying to catch it, so False Swipe is your best friend.
Chien-Pao and the Icerend Shrine: Yellow Stakes
Yellow stakes. These are scattered around the West. Think Cascarrafa, the Asado Desert, and the West Province. Chien-Pao is arguably the best of the four legendaries for competitive play because its Speed and Attack stats are genuinely terrifying.
Finding the yellow Pokemon Scarlet all stake locations involves a lot of verticality. One is located in a deep pit in the West Province Area One. Another is on a narrow ledge halfway down the Great Crater's exterior rim. You’ll find a yellow stake sitting casually on a rock formation in the middle of the Asado Desert, which is easy enough to spot, but others are buried in the Cascarrafa gym’s backyard.
A particularly annoying one is located on the ruins near the West Province Area One (Central) Poke Center. You have to climb the crumbling walls to see it. If you're missing one, check the coastlines. There’s a stake hidden on a tiny strip of land near the West Paldean Sea. Once the seal breaks, fly to the Icerend Shrine located on the West Province Area One cliffs. Chien-Pao is a Dark/Ice type. It hits like a truck. Be ready.
The Green Stakes: Ting-Lu’s Ground-Shaking Power
Ting-Lu is the tank of the group. If you want a Pokemon that can survive a literal meteor strike, this is it. Its shrine, the Groundblight Shrine, is located in the Socarrat Trail, which is that weird forest area at the very top of the map.
The green Pokemon Scarlet all stake locations are concentrated in the North Province and around Casseroya Lake. If you hate water, I have bad news. You’re going to be hopping across islands. There’s a stake on a tiny island in the middle of the lake that looks like every other island. Another is hidden in a cave system near the Casseroya Watchtower No. 2.
Don't miss the one at the very top of a waterfall in North Province Area Two. It’s easy to overshoot when gliding. Also, check the Socarrat Trail itself; there’s a stake hidden behind a massive tree that’s almost invisible unless you’re looking at it from the right angle. Ting-Lu is Dark/Ground. It’s slow, it’s heavy, and it’s a beast in Trick Room teams.
Chi-Yu and the Firescourge Shrine: Blue Stakes
Finally, we have the blue stakes for the fire fish, Chi-Yu. This thing is a special attacking nightmare. Most of the blue Pokemon Scarlet all stake locations are in the North Province Area One and Two, specifically around the bamboo forests and the Fury Falls area.
Fury Falls is a vertical labyrinth. You’ll find a stake at the top of the falls, one tucked inside a cave behind the falls, and another on a ridge overlooking the entire North Province. There’s even one sitting in the ruins of a house in North Province Area Two. It feels a bit like a scavenger hunt in a mountain range.
The blue stakes are often the hardest to find because the terrain is so jagged. One is located on a cliff north of the Tagtree Thicket, which technically counts as North Province. Once you’ve snatched all eight, the Firescourge Shrine is inside a cave at the very top of Fury Falls. Chi-Yu is Dark/Fire. It’s small, but its Special Attack stat is higher than most people’s hopes and dreams.
Why Some Stakes Just Won't Appear
Sometimes you’ll swear you’ve visited every spot but the shrine won't open. This usually happens for two reasons. First, you might have interacted with a stake but didn't actually "pull" it. You have to click through the dialogue until the stake vanishes and the game tells you a mysterious sound came from the shrine.
Second, the lighting in Paldea is... let's say "variable." At night, the stakes glow brightly, making them much easier to spot from a distance. If you’re struggling during the day, wait for the in-game night cycle. The purple and blue stakes especially tend to blend into the shadows of the cliffs during the afternoon.
Preparation for the Ruinous Battles
Don't just run into these shrines with a level 50 team and a dream. These legendaries are level 60 and they have a nasty habit of using moves that reduce your health by half (Ruination).
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- Bring a "Catcher" Pokemon: Gallade or Breloom with False Swipe and a status move like Spore or Thunder Wave.
- Stock up on Timer Balls: Since these fights usually drag on, Timer Balls become more effective than Ultra Balls after about 10 turns.
- Check your weather: If you're fighting Ting-Lu in a sandstorm or Chien-Pao in the snow, the passive damage might faint them after you’ve worked so hard to get them to 1 HP.
- Save your game: Seriously. Save right in front of the shrine. If you accidentally KO them, they do eventually respawn, but it’s a hassle you don't need.
Practical Steps to Finishing the Hunt
Start by unlocking all the flight points. If you don't have the "climb" ability from the Stony Cliff Titan (Klawf), stop looking for stakes. It’s a waste of time. You need the full movement kit to reach at least half of the Pokemon Scarlet all stake locations.
Once you have the movement abilities, pick one color and stick to it. Don't try to find "whatever is nearby." Focus on purple, then yellow, then green, then blue. This prevents you from losing track of which shrines you’ve actually made progress on. Use the map's zoom feature to look for those tiny brown circles that indicate ruins or elevated plateaus—these are the prime real estate for stake placements.
When you finally pull that 32nd stake, the sense of relief is massive. You’ve just finished the hardest treasure hunt in the game. Now go catch those disasters.
Actionable Next Steps
- Prioritize Koraidon/Miraidon Abilities: Ensure you have defeated the False Dragon Titan (Casseroya Lake) to unlock the Climbing ability, as many stakes are inaccessible without it.
- Toggle the Map: Use the 'R' button to orient your map to North; this makes following external community maps significantly less confusing when navigating the mountainous North Province.
- Time Your Hunt: Change your Nintendo Switch system clock or simply wait for night-time in-game to make the glowing stakes visible from high-altitude glides.
- Check the Shrines First: Before hunting, visit the four shrines (marked by colored icons on the map once discovered) to trigger the dialogue that "registers" them in your game world.