How to evolve Bonsly into Sudowoodo in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Since its introduction to the Pokémon series in the second generation of games, Sudowoodo has been a Pokémon that maintains a level of charm that brings trainers to it repeatedly. While it looks like a tree, it is not a Grass-type, instead being a Rock Pokémon, giving it high defense and strength against Electric Pokémon. It starts out as the small Bonsly and does not evolve under traditional means. Here is how to evolve Bonsly into Sudowoodo in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Related: How to evolve Pikachu into Raichu in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

How to get Bonsly to evolve into Sudowoodo

To get Bonsly to evolve into Sudowoodo in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, you need to level up the Pokémon after it knows the move Mimic. Bonsly will learn the move organically when you raise its level to 16. If it knows the move at that point, level it up one more time to 17, and it will begin the evolution sequence. Mimic is not a move available through TMs, so if you don’t let it learn at that point, you will need to have it remember the move later and then level it up one time by either battling or catching Pokémon or giving it a Rare Candy.

You can catch Bonsly very early in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. They appear in the area right in front of Mesagoza as you make your way to the school for the first time. As stated above, both Bonsly and Sudowoodo are Rock-type Pokémon, so they can be pretty useful against Electric and Flying Pokémon with weaknesses against Water, Grass, and Fighting in particular.

There really are no moves that Bonsly moves that Sudowoodo can’t, so if you want the fake tree Pokémon, there is no reason to hold off on Bonsly growing into it.