Unfortunately, you cannot ride a Cyclizar in Pokémon Scarlet 😔. Like most players, I was bummed when I discovered this.
I thought as the game progressed, I might unlock a rideable Cyclizar, especially after seeing NPC’s wheezing past on theirs. Sadly, this wasn’t the case.
Initially, I thought it was a bug, so I hopped on a Discord thread, where I learned it was part of the game’s mechanics. Here’s what I learned…
Why can’t you ride a Cyclizar?
There isn’t an official reason why Cyclizar isn’t rideable in Pokémon Scarlet. However, this hasn’t stopped the fans from speculating. The most popular reasons given are gameplay mechanics and redundancy 🤓.
Gameplay mechanics
Most argue that you cannot ride Cyclizar because it cannot surf, sprint, dash, and glide like the Koraidon. Early in the game, you get Koraidon, a legendary Pokémon that you use as a mount to traverse the open Paldean landscape.
As the game progresses, you collect items that unlock your Koraidon’s Special abilities.
For instance, by beating the giant crab, Klawf unlocks a sweet Herba Mystica that gives your Koraidon the sprinting ability.
Unfortunately, the game makers haven’t added this feature for Cyclizar. As such, this Pokemon’s movements are limited to flat terrains. You’re probably thinking, “Why not add this feature?” Well, nobody knows.
Several players argue that having a rideable Cyclizar would reduce the hassle of switching between Koraidon’s mount and battle modes. However, we’re yet to see this update 🤔.
Redundancy
This reason is closely tied to the first. As mentioned, you get Koraidon, which you use to traverse the Paldean landscapes.
Therefore, it would be redundant to have a second mount, especially since you cannot use Koraidon until you complete all three main stories in Pokémon Scarlet.
Furthermore, the lack of upgrades reduces Cyclizar’s usability as a mount.
How do you use Cyclizar in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?
To use Cyclizar effectively, capitalize on the Shed Tail move and avoid terastalization. Cyclizar has impressive speed and attack stats.
It also has the Shed Tail move that lets it create a substitute and switch it into the game at the cost of half its HP. Here’s a table outlining Cyclizar’s Stats and movesets 👇:
|
Type |
Dragon / Normal |
|
Species |
Mount Pokémon |
|
HP |
70 |
|
Attack |
95 |
|
Defense |
65 |
|
Sp. Attack |
85 |
|
Sp. Defense |
65 |
|
Speed |
121 |
|
Movesets |
Draco Meteor, Overheat, Shed Tail, Protect. |
Capitalizing on the Shed Tail Move
Cyclizar is among the few Pokémon able to learn Shed Tail. This move allows it to use half of its HP to create a substitute for itself before switching places with a Pokémon in waiting. This substitute acts like a decoy that protects the substitute without any HP cost.
You can capitalize on this by switching to a Pokémon immune to your opponent’s moves. Doing this will help you outlast them in a battle.
Avoiding Terastallizing Cyclizar
Terastallizing is a temporary change that allows your Pokémon to change types. Your Pokémon gains a Tera type with improved moves.
Terastallizing can alter the course of a battle and should be used wisely. However, you needn’t use this move on Cyclizar.
Instead, rely on its speed to outrun opponents and support other Pokémon. Of course, you can still terastallize it when battling Dragapult.
Since I started playing Pokemon at a tender age, my love for the game kept growing. My passion is what inspired me to pursue video game journalism. This helped me gain immersive experience of 5 years. I have a lot of expertise in the gaming industry since I have been editing game-related content for a long time. Since I have also been studying this game in-depth for years, I am now a professional player. My desire is to share everything I know about Pokemon to help you broaden your knowledge on the game. You can read more about me on the about us page.