Altaria is a useful Pokémon to have in your party for a late-game push in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Being part Dragon, you can find many uses for its strong attacks. Before you can have Altaria, though, you need to catch its predecessor, Swablu. At this point, it doesn’t have the Dragon-type in it, but it can still learn Dragon moves on its way to growing up. Here is where you can find and catch Swablu in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
Related: Where to find Voltorb in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
How to catch Swablu in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Swablu likes to stay in mountainous regions in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but if you want to catch it, you will need to go to certain mountain areas. It does not appear at all of them.
If you start your treasure hunt by heading west of the school, you can find Swablu decently early on in your game around the West Province (Area One) – North Pokémon Center. Between this point and the nearby Team Star base, Swablu typically spawn pretty regularly. Outside of that, they also like to spawn in the mountains to the west of Los Platos, and in South Province (Area Five). You might also find them along the mountainous eastern side of The Great Crater of Paldea near Zapapico.
When battling Swablu, you should know that it is a Normal and Flying-type Pokémon. It is weak to Electric, Ice, and Rock moves, immune to Ground and Ghost, and resistant to Bug and Grass. Use any other moves to get its health down without making it faint.
When you have your Swablu, you can evolve it into Altaria by raising it to level 35. It will take on a much more extreme susceptibility to Ice, but the Dragon-type addition will make it more powerful with those moves.
