Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Cassiopeia boss battle guide

After beating all five of Team Star’s leaders in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Cassiopeia will tell you to meet them at the school, noting that they’ll reveal their identity and battle you.

If you’re not properly prepared, you’ll crumble, as Cassiopeia isn’t a specialist of any one typing, and therefore has no direct counters. You should be around level 60 before starting this battle.

[Note: Obviously, spoilers for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are below. If you clicked on this page by accident or if you Googled this for some reason but aren’t here in the game yet, you might want to leave.]

Graphic: Julia Lee/Polygon | Source images: Game Freak/The Pokémon Company, Nintendo

Cassiopeia (Director Clavell) battle

Director Clavell is Cassiopeia, apparently. His party is as follows:

1. Oranguru, level 60 (normal/psychic)
2. Abomasnow, level 60 (grass/ice)
3. Gyarados, level 60 (water/flying)
4. Amoongus, level 60 (grass/poison)
5. Polteageist, level 60 (ghost)
6. Meowscarada, level 61 (grass/dark with grass Tera Type)
   Skeledirge, level 61 (fire/ghost with fire Tera Type)
   Quaquaval, level 61 (water/fighting with water Tera Type)

Clavell’s final Pokémon will be whichever evolved starter Pokémon is a natural elemental type counter against yours (the one you nor Nemona picked).

After you beat him, he’ll explain some stuff a little, and tell you to head to the school’s courtyard at night. You can access the schoolyard by entering the school and using the navigation system (the same one you use to get to classes and your dorm room). Be prepared for a fight, which we talk about more below.

Image: Game Freak/The Pokémon Company, Nintendo via Polygon

Cassiopeia (Penny) battle

No, Director Clavell was obviously not really Cassiopeia. It was Penny all along! As her backpack would suggest, she uses Eevee evolutions, making this fight pretty simple, as all of these Pokémon are pretty weak defensively.

Her party is as follows:

1. Umbreon, level 62 (dark)
2. Flareon, level 62 (fire)
3. Jolteon, level 62 (electric)
4. Vaporeon, level 62 (water)
5. Leafeon, level 62 (grass)
6. Sylveon, level 63 (fairy with fairy Tera Type)

For our battle, Penny spent the first turn after throwing out each new Eeveelution using Baby-doll Eyes, pretty much giving you a free turn. This does lower your physical attack stat, so you probably won’t one-shot her Pokémon with physical moves (unless you’re massively over-leveled).

Once you beat Penny, some cutscenes will play. If you meet her on the steps (as the game instructs you to), she will hand over TM169 (Draco Meteor), an extremely powerful dragon-type move.