How To Get Chien Pao And Add The Legendary Pokemon To Your Team
Chien-Pao stands out as one of the most powerful and visually striking Legendary Pokémon introduced in the Paldea region. As a member of the Ruinous Quartet, this Dark and Ice-type creature possesses exceptional Speed and Attack stats that make it a top choice for competitive battles. Unlocking Chien-Pao requires a specific side quest involving hidden items scattered across the open world.
Finding the Yellow Ominous Stakes
To break the seal holding Chien-Pao, players must locate and pull eight glowing yellow stakes hidden throughout the western side of Paldea. These stakes are placed across West Province and parts of South Province, often tucked away on elevated cliffs, inside hidden caves, or behind large landmarks. Equipping your Ride Pokémon with traversal abilities like climbing and gliding makes hunting down these objects much easier.
As you interact with each yellow stake, it will pull free from the ground and crumble away into the earth. After pulling the eighth and final stake, a mysterious ringing cry will echo across the region, signaling that the shrine seal has been broken. This indicates that the Legendary Pokémon is finally accessible and ready for battle.
Locating the Icerend Shrine
Once all eight stakes are removed, head directly to the Icerend Shrine located in West Province Area One. The shrine sits nestled inside a cliffside cavern just west of the mountain where the Open Sky Titan resides. If you have attended History classes at the Academy, Ms. Raifort will mark the exact location on your map for quick navigation.
Approaching the glowing yellow doors of the shrine allows you to interact with the ancient structure and initiate the encounter. Be sure to prepare your team and save your game before stepping through the threshold. The battle begins immediately after interacting with the shrine mechanism.
Battle Strategies for Catching Chien-Pao
Chien-Pao enters the battle at Level 60, equipped with devastating physical attacks and its signature Sword of Ruin ability. This ability lowers the Defense stat of all other Pokémon on the field, making its physical strikes hit significantly harder. It is wise to bring bulky Steel, Fighting, or Fire-type Pokémon that can withstand its Ice and Dark-type moves without knocking it out instantly.
Reducing Chien-Pao's health to the red zone and inflicting status conditions like Sleep or Paralysis will greatly improve your catch rate. Using Dusk Balls inside the shrine cave or Ultra Balls after several turns will give you the best chance of securing a successful capture without fainting your target.
Maximizing Chien-Pao in Competitive Play
Adding Chien-Pao to your roster grants access to incredible offensive momentum in both single and double battle formats. Its high base Speed allows it to outpace most opponents, while moves like Ice Spinner and Sacred Sword deal massive damage. Pairing it with strong physical attackers maximizes the benefits of its Defense-lowering passive ability.