Changing a Pokémon’s Tera Type in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet can transform an ordinary team member into a raid-crushing specialist, a competitive surprise, or a defensive escape artist wearing an unusually fancy crystal hat. The process is straightforward once unlocked, but collecting the required materials can take considerably longer than ordering lunch in Medali.
This guide explains exactly where to change Tera Types, how many Tera Shards you need, the fastest ways to farm them, how the Stellar Tera Type works, and how to choose a type that actually improves your Pokémon instead of merely making it sparkle differently.
Quick Answer: How Do You Change a Pokémon’s Tera Type?
To change a Pokémon’s Tera Type, defeat Gym Leader Larry in Medali, collect 50 Tera Shards of the type you want, and speak with the cook at the Treasure Eatery in Medali. The cook will consume the 50 matching shards and permanently replace the selected Pokémon’s current Tera Type.
- Defeat Larry, the Medali Gym Leader.
- Collect 50 Tera Shards of one specific type.
- Travel to the Treasure Eatery in Medali.
- Speak with the cook behind the counter.
- Select the desired Tera Type.
- Choose the Pokémon you want to modify.
- Confirm the exchange.
For example, changing a Dragonite to Normal Tera Type requires 50 Normal Tera Shards. You cannot combine 20 Normal Shards, 15 Flying Shards, and 15 optimistic thoughts. All 50 shards must match the desired type.
What Is a Tera Type?
Every Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet has a Tera Type in addition to its normal type or types. When you activate Terastallization during battle, the Pokémon changes defensively into its Tera Type and receives additional offensive benefits.
Suppose you have a Fire- and Flying-type Charizard with a Dragon Tera Type. Before Terastallizing, Charizard retains its normal Fire/Flying strengths, weaknesses, and immunities. After Terastallizing, it becomes defensively Dragon-type for the remainder of the battle.
The Tera Type does not permanently replace a Pokémon’s regular typing outside Terastallization. It only determines what happens when the Pokémon uses the Terastal phenomenon.
Matching Tera Types Increase Same-Type Damage
If the Tera Type matches one of the Pokémon’s original types, attacks of that type receive an especially powerful same-type attack bonus. This makes matching Tera Types excellent for straightforward offense.
A Water-type attacker with Water Tera Type, for instance, can turn an already strong Water move into something that makes opposing health bars reconsider their career choices.
Different Tera Types Add New Strategic Options
A Tera Type that differs from the Pokémon’s natural typing can provide a new offensive bonus while changing its defensive matchup. This is where the system becomes much more interesting than simply choosing a matching color.
A Pokémon that normally fears Fairy attacks might use Steel Tera Type to resist them. A support Pokémon can use Ghost Tera Type to become immune to Normal- and Fighting-type moves. Grass Tera Type can provide useful resistances and immunity to powder moves such as Spore.
Requirements for Unlocking Tera Type Changes
Defeat Larry at the Medali Gym
The Tera Type changing service becomes available after you defeat Larry, the Normal-type Gym Leader in Medali. His battle takes place inside the Treasure Eatery, which is also where you will later return to modify Tera Types.
You do not need to finish the entire Victory Road storyline or complete the main game. However, you must defeat Larry before the cook will offer the service.
Collect 50 Matching Tera Shards
Every standard Tera Type has its own corresponding shard. To create a Fire Tera Pokémon, you need 50 Fire Tera Shards. To create a Fairy Tera Pokémon, you need 50 Fairy Tera Shards.
The standard shard categories are:
- Normal, Fire, Water, Electric, and Grass
- Ice, Fighting, Poison, Ground, and Flying
- Psychic, Bug, Rock, Ghost, and Dragon
- Dark, Steel, and Fairy
- Stellar, for players with access to The Indigo Disk content
Changing the Tera Type consumes the shards. If you later change your mind, you can switch again, but you must pay another 50 matching shards. The cook does not offer refunds because your Dragonite suddenly decided it preferred being Flying-type.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Changing Tera Type
Step 1: Open the Map and Travel to Medali
Medali is located in the northwestern portion of Paldea, northeast of Cascarrafa. Use the Medali fast-travel point if you have already unlocked it.
Step 2: Enter the Treasure Eatery
Locate the restaurant where the Medali Gym battle took place. Enter the building and approach the counter at the back of the dining area.
Step 3: Speak With the Cook
After Larry has been defeated, the cook will have a yellow dialogue indicator. Start the conversation and select the option to change a Pokémon’s Tera Type.
Step 4: Select the Desired Type
The menu will display types for which you possess enough shards. Select the Tera Type you want to apply. If a type is unavailable, check your Bag to confirm that you have all 50 matching shards.
Step 5: Choose a Pokémon
Select an eligible Pokémon from your party or storage boxes. Review the choice carefully, especially when modifying a trained competitive Pokémon or a rare event Pokémon.
Step 6: Confirm the Change
The cook will prepare a special dish, consume the shards, and update the Pokémon’s Tera Type. The change remains in effect until you pay to replace it again.
You can confirm the result by opening the Pokémon’s summary screen and checking the Tera Type icon.
How to Get Tera Shards Quickly
Complete Tera Raid Battles
Tera Raid Battles are the main source of Tera Shards. Raids rated three stars or higher can reward shards matching the raid boss’s displayed Tera Type, while higher-difficulty raids generally provide better rewards.
When searching the map, look for a crystal that matches the shard type you need. A Fairy-type raid crystal, for example, can reward Fairy Tera Shards after the boss is defeated.
Do not select a raid counter based only on the Tera icon. The boss attacks using moves associated with its original species, even though its defensive weaknesses are determined by its Tera Type. Bringing a Steel Pokémon into a Fairy Tera raid may look brilliant until the boss reveals a Fire or Ground move and turns your plan into a brief educational documentary.
Farm Higher-Star Raids
Five- and six-star raids are generally more efficient for collecting shards than repeatedly clearing weaker dens. These battles require stronger Pokémon, better movesets, appropriate held items, and more attention to the boss’s original typing.
Six-star raids become available through postgame progression. Seven-star event raids can also offer substantial rewards, although their availability changes over time.
Watch for Shard-Focused Events
Special Tera Raid events occasionally provide unusually large quantities of Tera Shards. Blissey raid events have historically been particularly valuable because successful battles can award multiple shard types and useful experience items.
Event availability is temporary, so check the Poké Portal News before planning a large farming session.
Collect Sparkling Items in the Overworld
Tera Shards can occasionally appear as sparkling pickups on the ground. This method is not as predictable as raiding, but it provides extra shards while exploring Paldea, Kitakami, or the Terarium.
Defeat Wild Terastallized Pokémon
Glowing wild Tera Pokémon can provide shards when defeated. They can also be caught if their existing Tera Type already matches your intended build, potentially saving all 50 shards.
Use the Item Printer in The Indigo Disk
Players who own The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero expansion can use the Item Printer at Blueberry Academy. Once sufficiently upgraded, the printer can generate Tera Shards among its possible rewards.
The Item Printer is random, so it is better viewed as a supplementary source rather than a guaranteed way to obtain one exact type. Still, it can quietly build a useful shard collection while you pursue other items.
Earn the Glimmering Charm
The Glimmering Charm is a DLC reward that increases the number of Tera Shards received from Tera Raid Battles. It is especially valuable for players who frequently build raid specialists or competitive teams.
How to Choose the Best Tera Type
Use a Matching Type for Maximum Offense
Matching a Pokémon’s Tera Type with its strongest attack type is usually the simplest option. A powerful Electric attacker can use Electric Tera Type to strengthen its Electric moves, while a physical Fighting attacker can double down with Fighting Tera Type.
This strategy is particularly effective in Tera Raids, where consistent damage is often more useful than surprising an AI-controlled opponent that cannot complain on social media.
Use a Defensive Type to Remove Weaknesses
Competitive builds frequently use Terastallization to escape a dangerous matchup. The best defensive Tera Type depends on the attacks your Pokémon expects to face.
Common examples include:
- Normal Tera Dragonite: Strengthens Extreme Speed and grants immunity to Ghost moves.
- Steel Tera Hydreigon: Replaces severe Fairy vulnerability with Steel’s useful defensive profile.
- Grass Tera defensive Pokémon: Resists Water, Electric, Grass, and Ground while blocking powder moves.
- Ghost Tera support Pokémon: Becomes immune to Normal- and Fighting-type attacks, including Fake Out.
- Water Tera Fire Pokémon: Can reverse expected matchups against Water-, Rock-, or Ground-oriented opponents.
These are strategic examples rather than universal instructions. A good Tera choice should complement the Pokémon’s moves, ability, held item, teammates, and intended battle format.
For Raids, Consider Both Offense and Survival
The best raid Tera Type usually matches the damaging move you plan to use after Terastallizing. However, your Pokémon must survive long enough to activate it.
Study the raid boss’s natural move pool, not just the Tera symbol above the crystal. A Ground Tera boss is weak to Water attacks defensively, but its original species might carry Grass, Electric, or Freeze-Dry coverage. The raid icon tells you what hurts the shield; the species tells you what may hurt you.
How the Stellar Tera Type Works
The Stellar Tera Type was introduced through The Indigo Disk. Unlike the standard 18 Tera Types, Stellar does not simply transform a Pokémon into a conventional defensive type.
A Stellar Terastallized Pokémon generally retains the defensive properties of its original typing while gaining offensive benefits across its moves. Outside Tera Raids, Stellar boosts each move type once before that specific type’s special boost is used up. In Tera Raid Battles, the offensive benefit functions differently and can remain useful throughout the fight.
To change an eligible Pokémon to Stellar Tera Type, collect 50 Stellar Tera Shards and bring them to the same cook at the Treasure Eatery.
Stellar Shards can be obtained through Indigo Disk activities, including wild Stellar Tera Pokémon in the Terarium and the upgraded Item Printer. Additional shards can also be found as special pickups after sufficient DLC progression.
Stellar is versatile, but it is not automatically the best option for every Pokémon. A dedicated attacker using one primary damage type may benefit more from a standard matching Tera Type.
Important Limitations and Special Cases
- The cost is always 50 matching shards: Changing to a natural type is not cheaper.
- The change is not reversible for free: Returning to the previous type costs another 50 shards of that type.
- Evolution does not update Tera Type: An Eevee with Normal Tera Type will remain Normal Tera after evolving into Sylveon.
- Custom Tera Types are not inherited through breeding: Offspring receive a standard Tera Type associated with the hatched species rather than inheriting an unusual parent type.
- Changing Tera Type does not change ordinary typing: The new type matters only when Terastallization is activated.
- Ogerpon and Terapagos are special exceptions: Their Tera Types are fixed and cannot be changed normally with Tera Shards.
- Only one Pokémon can Terastallize per battle: Changing every team member’s Tera Type does not allow all six to become chandeliers simultaneously.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Spending Shards Before Finalizing the Build
Before paying, decide the Pokémon’s moves, held item, ability, EV spread, and battle role. A defensive Tera Type may look attractive but provide little value if the Pokémon is supposed to deliver immediate damage in raids.
Farming the Boss’s Original Type Instead of Its Tera Type
Raid rewards are associated with the Tera Type shown on the crystal. A Dragonite appearing in a Steel Tera raid helps you farm Steel Shards, not Dragon or Flying Shards.
Assuming the Most Defensive Type Is Always Best
Steel has many resistances, but it also creates Fire, Fighting, and Ground weaknesses. Fairy is excellent in many situations, but Poison and Steel attacks remain dangerous. Every defensive choice trades one matchup for another.
Using Stellar Without a Clear Reason
Stellar looks spectacular and supports flexible move coverage, but a specialized raid attacker may deal more reliable damage with a conventional Tera Type that matches its strongest move.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Change Tera Type More Than Once?
Yes. A Pokémon’s Tera Type can be changed repeatedly, provided you pay 50 matching shards for every change.
Can You Change Tera Type Before Beating Larry?
No. The Treasure Eatery service becomes available after defeating the Medali Gym Leader.
Can You Buy Tera Shards?
Standard shops do not sell them. You generally obtain shards through Tera Raids, wild Tera encounters, overworld items, events, and certain DLC features.
Does a Tera Type Change Affect a Pokémon’s Moves?
It does not automatically replace or teach moves. However, Tera Blast changes to match the user’s Tera Type while the Pokémon is Terastallized. You may need to adjust the moveset manually to benefit from the new type.
Can a Pokémon Lose Its Original Same-Type Attack Bonus?
Terastallization changes the Pokémon’s defensive type, but it generally preserves offensive same-type bonuses connected to its original typing while also providing a bonus for the Tera Type.
Is Changing Tera Type Necessary for the Main Story?
No. The main adventure can be completed without carefully optimizing Tera Types. The feature becomes more important in difficult raids, postgame challenges, and competitive battles.
Practical Player Experience: Lessons From Building Tera Pokémon
The first lesson most players learn is that choosing a Tera Type takes seconds, while collecting 50 matching shards can feel like applying for a small business loan. Because the cost is significant, impulsive changes are rarely worthwhile. It is better to test the Pokémon’s moveset in ordinary battles before visiting the Treasure Eatery.
A common early experience involves building a Pokémon for one specific raid, changing its Tera Type, and then realizing the real problem was not the type at all. Perhaps the Pokémon was underleveled, lacked optimized EVs, had the wrong ability, or was holding an item that contributed approximately the same amount as decorative parsley. Tera Type is powerful, but it cannot repair every weak build.
Raid farming also becomes much easier once players stop attacking every crystal they see. When you need 50 Fairy Shards, prioritize Fairy Tera crystals and ignore unrelated raids unless their general rewards are exceptional. A focused route saves time and prevents the Bag from filling with 300 Rock Shards when the team has absolutely no interest in becoming Rock-type.
Another useful habit is keeping several multipurpose raid Pokémon rather than constantly rebuilding one favorite. A strong physical attacker, special attacker, debuffer, and support Pokémon can cover many raid combinations. You can then reserve expensive Tera changes for team members that will be used repeatedly.
The most satisfying Tera choices usually solve two problems at once. Normal Tera Dragonite is popular not merely because Normal looks amusingly ordinary beneath a giant crystal crown. It strengthens Extreme Speed while changing Dragonite’s defensive profile. Grass Tera can protect a vulnerable Pokémon from Ground or Water moves while also blocking Spore. A successful choice creates offensive pressure and removes a specific weakness.
Players entering online raids quickly discover another practical truth: maximum damage is not always the most valuable contribution. A support Pokémon with a carefully chosen defensive Tera Type can survive, lower the boss’s stats, use cheers, and prevent the team timer from disappearing. Staying alive is often better than performing one dramatic attack followed by three dramatic knockouts.
It is also wise to separate raid builds from competitive builds. Raid battles reward durability, recovery, stat setup, and repeated same-type damage. Competitive matches involve switching, prediction, speed control, surprise coverage, and limited turns. A Tera Type that dominates a raid may be predictable or unnecessary in player-versus-player battles.
Finally, do not be afraid to leave a Pokémon’s Tera Type unchanged. Natural matching types are often perfectly effective for the story and casual play. Tera Shards are a strategic resource, not an expiration-date coupon. Saving them until you understand exactly why a build needs Fire, Ghost, Steel, or Stellar is usually the smartest decision.
Conclusion
To change Tera Type in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, defeat Larry, collect 50 matching Tera Shards, and visit the cook at the Treasure Eatery in Medali. The process itself is simple, but selecting the right type requires an understanding of the Pokémon’s role, moves, weaknesses, and intended battle format.
Use matching Tera Types when you want concentrated offensive power. Choose defensive types when you need to reverse a dangerous matchup. Consider Stellar for flexible strategies after progressing through The Indigo Disk, but do not assume the rainbow option automatically wins every battle.
Most importantly, plan before spending. Fifty shards can create an excellent specialistor an extremely expensive Pokémon wearing the wrong hat.
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Note: Limited-time Tera Raid events and their rewards may change. Check the latest Poké Portal News before planning an event-based shard-farming session.
Research basis: official Pokémon game guides and established gaming references covering Terastallization, Tera Shards, Medali, raid rewards, breeding, and Stellar Tera mechanics.
