So, you’ve finally tracked down that slimy, metallic dragon in the Highlands. You’re looking at your Hisuian Sliggoo and wondering why, despite it being Level 50 or 60, it just won’t turn into that absolute tank, Goodra. It’s frustrating. I get it. Most Pokémon evolve just by hitting a certain level or maybe touching a shiny rock, but figuring out how to evolve Sliggoo in Legends Arceus requires a bit more patience and a literal eye on the sky.
The Hisuian variant of Sliggoo is a Steel/Dragon type, making it a defensive powerhouse compared to its original Kalosian cousin. But it’s picky. It won't just evolve because you want it to. You need a very specific set of environmental circumstances to trigger the evolution button in your party menu.
The Rain Requirement is Everything
Hisuian Sliggoo follows a tradition started back in the Kalos region, but with a slight twist for the semi-open world of Hisui. To evolve it into Hisuian Goodra, your Sliggoo must be at least Level 50. If you’re at Level 49, you can wait in a monsoon for hours and nothing will happen.
But Level 50 is only half the battle.
The real kicker? It has to be raining. Not just cloudy. Not foggy. Not a light mist that looks like rain but is actually just "overcast" in the game's weather system. It needs to be a genuine downpour.
In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, weather is randomized and tied to the internal clock of each specific map. You can’t just use a move like Rain Dance in battle to trigger the evolution. It doesn't work that way. The overworld itself must be wet. If you’re in the Coronet Highlands or the Crimson Mirelands—the two places you're most likely to have this Pokémon out—you have to wait for the clouds to break.
Honestly, the weather system in this game can feel like it’s actively rooting against you. I’ve spent forty minutes running around the Holm of Trials just waiting for a drop of water.
How to Force the Rain
If you’re tired of waiting, you can cheese the system. Head to any base camp. Talk to the Galaxy Member (the one who lets you rest) and choose to sleep until a different time of day.
- Rest until morning.
- Check the sky.
- No rain? Rest until midday.
- Still dry? Rest until evening.
Rinse and repeat. Eventually, the RNG will swing in your favor and the heavens will open up. You’ll know it’s working when you see the rain streaks on the screen and hear that specific pitter-patter sound design that Game Freak nailed in this entry. Once the rain is falling, open your satchel, hover over your Level 50+ Sliggoo, and you’ll see that the "Can Evolve" prompt is finally glowing yellow.
Where to Find Sliggoo if You Don't Have One
Maybe you’re reading this and you don’t even have the snail yet. You have two main options, and one of them is significantly scarier than the other.
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The most "direct" way is to head to the Crimson Mirelands. Specifically, go to the Holm of Trials. Down in the southeastern part of the map, there’s an island where an Alpha Hisuian Sliggoo hangs out. It’s a beast. It will likely be around Level 50 when you find it, which is perfect because it’s already at the evolution threshold.
The problem? It’s surrounded by Parasect that want to ruin your day and the Alpha itself has a nasty habit of using Dragon Pulse or Iron Head to send you back to the camp in a faint.
If you prefer a "safer" route, catch a Goomy. Goomy also hangs out in the Holm of Trials, usually splashing around in the ponds. Goomy evolves into Hisuian Sliggoo at Level 40. No special weather is needed for that first jump—just pure XP. Once it hits 40, you get the Sliggoo, and then you begin the rainy-day vigil for the final form.
Why Hisuian Goodra is Actually Worth the Hassle
Is it worth sitting through five "rest" cycles just to get a bigger snail? Yes.
Hisuian Goodra is arguably one of the best Pokémon in the entire game. By adding the Steel typing to the Dragon base, it loses the traditional Dragon weakness to Fairy and Ice. It becomes a specialized tank. In a game like Legends: Arceus, where the "Alpha" Pokémon can often one-shot your team with a stray hyper beam, having something that can actually take a hit is vital.
The signature move Shelter is the icing on the cake. It raises the user's defensive stats and makes them harder to hit. In the turn-based "Action Order" system of Hisui, using Shelter in an "Agile Style" can make your Goodra almost untouchable for a couple of rounds.
Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
I see a lot of people getting stuck because they think "Thunderstorm" weather doesn't count. Actually, a thunderstorm does count as rain, but "Snow" in the Alabaster Icelands does not. Even though snow is technically frozen rain, the game engine treats it as a different condition. If you’re trying to how to evolve Sliggoo in Legends Arceus while standing in a blizzard, you’re going to be waiting forever.
Stick to the Mirelands or the Highlands.
Also, double-check your level. If you used Rare Candies or EXP Candy to hit Level 50 while it was raining, the "Evolve" button might not pop up instantly. Sometimes you need to close the menu and reopen it to refresh the game's check on evolution conditions.
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The Step-by-Step Checklist
- Get your Sliggoo to Level 50. Use Grit Items to boost its stats while you're at it, because the level alone isn't everything in this game.
- Travel to the Crimson Mirelands. This area seems to have the highest frequency of rain cycles compared to the Cobalt Coastlands or the Obsidian Fieldlands.
- Check the weather. If it’s sunny or just cloudy, go to the tent and sleep until a new time of day.
- Listen for the rain. Once the downpour starts, open your menu immediately.
- Select Sliggoo and trigger the evolution. Once the cutscene plays, you’ve got yourself a Hisuian Goodra. It’s a weird-looking thing, tucked into its shell like a hermit crab, but it’ll carry you through the end-game fights against the remaining Noble Pokémon and the final encounters at the Temple of Sinnoh.
The best way to prep for this is to gather all your XP candies from Alpha hunting first. Go to the Holm of Trials, catch the Alpha Sliggoo, and if it's already Level 50, just wait for the rain right then and there. It’s the fastest path to completion. If it isn't raining, head back to the Bogbound Camp, sleep, and check again. It’s a loop, but for a Steel-type dragon with those defensive stats, it’s a small price to pay.