For many competitive Pokémon players, it can be a chore trying to legally obtain the best possible version of each Pokémon. The first of any given Pokémon you might encounter in the wild may not have the right Nature, Ability or stats, leaving many trainers to continuously hunt for the right version, breed the perfect specimen or just hack a strong-enough Pokémon into the game.
However, Game Freak has responded over the years by introducing items and mechanics to make it easier to obtain battle-ready Pokémon. One such item is the Bottle Cap and its stronger equivalent, the Gold Bottle Cap. Here’s what you need to know about Bottle Caps and how you can get them in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
What is a Bottle Cap?
The Bottle Cap is an item introduced in Generation 7 to help trainers improve the individual values (IVs) of their Pokémon. Every Pokémon has an IV between 0 and 31 in each of its stats, with these IVs determining how much of a boost the Pokémon gains in each stat.
Occasionally, there is value in a Pokémon intentionally having bad IVs. For example, a naturally slow Pokémon like Torkoal may want to have 0 Speed IVs so that it can be as fast as possible under the effects of Trick Room. But for the most part, the best possible version of any given Pokémon will have 31 IVs in its most important stats, if not all of its stats.
This is where Bottle Caps come into play. In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, there is a man with an Abomasnow in Montenevera who will Hyper Train your Pokémon in exchange for Bottle Caps. Specifically, one Bottle Cap can earn you one Hyper Training session that will max out one of your Pokémon’s stats so that it will effectively have an IV of 31.
The rare and more valuable Gold Bottle Cap has an even more pronounced effect. If you give the Hyper Trainer a Gold Bottle Cap, he will max out one of your Pokémon’s IVs in all six stats. This is generally the easiest way to prepare your Pokémon for battle unless your Pokémon needs to have bad IVs in one stat like the Torkoal example mentioned above.
How to get Bottle Caps in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
There are a few locations in Paldea where you can find a one-off Bottle Cap. The item can be found in a long room in Mesagoza, a southwestern island in the West Paldean Sea and in a grassy patch in the southern portion of North Province Area Two.
Of course, you’ll likely need multiple Bottle Caps to create an ideal competitive team in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Fortunately, there are numerous repeatable methods for obtaining Bottle Caps as well. You can buy them from Delibird Presents after earning your sixth Gym Badge or wait for a Pokémon with Pickup as its Ability to randomly collect one. In addition, you can receive Bottle Caps as rewards through the Academy Ace Tournament, the Porto Marinada auction and Tera Raid Battles.
You won’t encounter Gold Bottle Caps in one-off locations throughout the Paldea region like you can regular Bottle Caps. Nevertheless, there are still a couple of repeatable methods for obtaining the powered-up version of this crucial item. Gold Bottle Caps are occasionally available as rewards through the Academy Ace Tournament and the Porto Marinada auction.
