Budew's evolution, Roselia, is a solid step up, being quite capable in a battle, but it's actually Roselia's evolution that you're after, as Roserade is easily one of the best grass-types and poison-types in the entire franchise. It can take a bit of work, especially if you start with Budew, but we're here to talk you through how to evolve both Budew and Roselia, along with where you can catch all three of them.
Being one of the best grass and poison Pokémon evolution lines in the franchise means that they cause all sorts of problems for fairy-, grass-, ground-, water-, and rock-types, trivializing bouts with the likes of Lycanroc, Garchomp, and Gardevoir.
Here's what you need to know about Budew's evolution and Roselia's evolution.
Where can I catch Budew?
You can catch Budew in many early game areas, meaning it takes nothing more than a pokéball to catch one. Admittedly, its battle prowess is a bit laughable, but the second you evolve it into Roselia, you're cooking, and then when you get Roserade, you're off to the races.
On Nintendo Switch, you can find Budew in the following games and locations:
- Sword and Shield - Route 4, Rolling Fields, East Lake Axewell, West Lake Axewell, Dappled Grove, Giant's Mirror, Bridge Field, and Stony Wilderness
- Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl - Route 204, Route 212, Eterna Forest, Great Marsh, and the Grand Underground (Spacious Cave, Grassland Cave, Riverbank Cave, Still-Water Cavern, and Sunlit Cavern)
- Legends: Arceus - Crimson Mirelands (Golden Lowlands, Gapejaw Bog, Cottonsedge Prairie) and Coronet Highlands (Fabled Spring)
How do I evolve Budew?
Budew needs a high friendship with you to evolve into Roselia. Normally, we recommend battling, but Budew is pretty useless in this regard, so instead, it's best to just have it in your party so it can benefit from the EXP share. You can also play with it at camp and supply it with food for some extra points. Oh, there's also the soothe bell, an item that's specifically there to improve your friendships, so grab that and give it to Budew.
Where can I catch Roselia?
If you don't care about completing your 'dex, you can catch Roselia. It can appear early in games like Sword and Shield, but appearances are rare, so you're more likely to encounter one a bit later. Pokéballs may get the job done, but it's best to have great balls on hand. To catch Roselia, look in the following locations:
- Sword and Shield - Axew's Eye, Giant's Mirror, South Lake Miloch, Dusty Bowl, Rolling Fields, Bridge Field, Dappled Grove, Giant's Cap, East Lake Axewell, Hammerlocke Hills, North Lake Miloch, Motostoke Riverbank, Stony Wilderness
- Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl - Route 212, route 221, route 224, Route 225, route 229, Trophy Garden, Great Marsh, and the Grand Underground (Swampy Cave, Grassland Cave, Bogsunk Cavern, and Sunlit Cavern)
- Legends: Arceus - Crimson Mirelands (Gapejaw Bog, Cloudpool Ridge, and Cottonsedge Prairie) and Coronet Highlands (Fabled Spring)
How do I evolve Roselia?
Roselia needs a shiny stone to evolve into Roserade, and luckily, it's a fairly common item, appearing in the following locations:
- Sword and Shield - Route 8, Lake of Outrage, and Bridge Field (ask the Digging Duo for help)
- Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl - Route 228, Iron Island, and your buddy may get one for you if they have the pickup ability
- Legends: Arceus - reward for completing quest 74 (A Bit of Help from Blissey), Coronet Highlands, Alabaster Icelands, Jubilife Village (Trading Post and Ginter), Path of Tenacity, and Space-time Distortions
Where can I catch Roserade?
You can catch Roserade in specific games; Sword and Shield and PLA; other than that, you have no choice but to evolve Roselia. Roserade is resilient and usually requires the use of an ultra ball to catch, so bring plenty with you.
As for where you can find Roserade, check the following locations:
- Sword and Shield - Hammerlocke Hills and Dappled Grove
- Legends: Arceus - Crimson Mirelands (Cloudpool Ridge)
How do I evolve Budew in Pokémon Go?
Budew needs 25 candies to evolve into Roselia in Pokémon Go. While this can be quite easy to do if RNG is on your side, it can also take some time, as you need to not just encounter Budew, but catch enough to give you the candy you need.
How do I evolve Roselia in Pokémon Go?
You need to give Roselia 100 candies and a Sinnoh stone in Pokémon Go. Roserade is worth the effort, and getting the evolution item isn't as daunting as you might think; you just need to follow the same steps as above to get the candies and take part in battles or complete special research to get the stone.