How to evolve Sandygast in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

There is a multitude of Ghost-types in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but few are as unique as Sandygast.

A literal sandcastle gone wrong, Sandygast is a dual Ghost and Ground-type, which is actually quite powerful in Paldea. Because of this, players have been adding Sandygast to their party when they first stumble upon one at one of the many beaches across the region.

However, as players begin leveling Sandygast up, players are wondering exactly how to evolve this little sandcastle in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Sandygast by itself isn’t that great of a Pokémon, only boasting a 320 base stat total. Most of this total comes from Defense and Sp. Attack, with Speed in particular, is a weak point for Sandygast. However, Sandygast’s evolution, Palossand, has a much higher base stat total of 480, featuring fairly balanced stats except for Speed. You might want to think about giving either Sandygast or Palossand a Quick Claw to make it go first in a battle, otherwise, it rarely will.

Evolve Sandygast into Palossand in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Luckily for fans of the sandcastle, there is no special evolution for Sandygast. All players need to do is reach a specific level, which in this case is level 42. Once players have reached that level, they will be able to evolve Sandygast into Palossand.

The one reason you might want to hold off evolving Sandygast at level 42 is that it learns Shadow Ball at level 45. To compare, Palossand learns Shadow Ball at level 47, so you’re giving yourself two extra levels with Shadow Ball if you hold off on the evolution. Of course, you’re also not accessing Palossand’s increased stats, so it’s certainly a trade-off.