Pokemon Scarlet & Violet DLC: How to Beat Carmine — Best Pokemon, Counters, and Weaknesses

The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC for Pokemon Scarlet & Violet has finally arrived. Part 1: The Teal Mask launched on September 13, opening the gates to the land of Kitakami. When you first arrive in Mossui Town on your school trip, you’ll receive a less-than-warm welcome from Carmine. Both your friendship and your teams will grow stronger with time, but you’ll need to battle your new rival in the meantime. Here’s how to beat Carmine in the Teal Mask DLC.

How to Beat Carmine in The Teal Mask DLC

You’ll battle Carmine on three separate occasions in the Teal Mask. Each time you face her, she’s added new team members and evolved her existing Pokemon. Her team also levels up significantly over the course of the story. That said, you’ll need to come prepared with a strong, diverse team of your own to beat her each time.

Carmine’s Team and Weaknesses in The Teal Mask

First Battle

Carmine talks a pretty big game when you first meet her in Mossui Town, barring you from entering unless you can beat her in a battle. She has three unevolved Pokemon to start, so this battle will likely be painless. However, her team can pack a punch if your Pokemon are under level 60. Not to mention, her team boasts few consistent weak points.

Second Battle

Your friendship hasn’t grown much by the time you battle Carmine again, but her team certainly has. You’ll face off just before the Festival of Masks begins. That said, Fire, Flying, Fighting, Fairy, and Bug are some of her biggest weaknesses during your second match. Your opponent will show off her team with even greater skill here, so watch out for her Morpeko’s Focus Sash and moves like Matcha Gotcha and Aura Wheel.

Third Battle

Once you’ve caught Ogerpon, Carmine will want to take on the Legendary Pokemon in battle to test your new partner’s strength. This time, you’ll battle as friends rather than rivals. However, she certainly won’t go easy on you. Again, Fire, Flying, Fighting, Fairy, and Bug are some of her biggest weaknesses.

Carmine’s Pokemon have also matured into their abilities and signature moves. She’ll lead with Mightyena, setting up an Attack nerf with its Intimidate ability. She’s also equipped Morpeko with the Focus Sash. This prevents you from knocking it out in one hit, keeping the Pokemon in the ring and allowing it to inflict maximum damage with Aura Wheel.

Related: Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Teal Mask: How to Get Sinnoh Starters

Best Counters for Carmine in The Teal Mask

First Battle

When you first meet Carmine in Mossui Town, you’ll need to rely on your best partners to take her down. Quaquaval would perform well in this battle, given its advantageous dual-typing. Other great partners include Lokix, Annihilape, and Frosmoth.

Each of these Pokemon can learn several super-effective moves to help you secure an easy win. Just make sure your Pokemon are around level 60 or so to up their survivability in the match.

Second Battle

Before you battle Carmine on the first night of the Festival, you’ll want to add Fire, Flying, Fighting, Bug, Ice, or Fairy-type Pokemon to your team. Moves of these types will also help. I recommend using Pokemon like Frosmoth, Talonflame, and Volcarona to land super-effective hits. Lucario and the Sinnoh starter, Infernape, could also be exceptional partners here.

That said, Special Attackers will perform best against Mightyena, as its Intimidate ability will lower your Pokemon’s Attack stat. You should also bear in mind that you won’t be able to knock out Carmine’s Morpeko with one hit, thanks to its Focus Sash. Be sure that your partner can withstand its Electric-type Aura Wheel to deal the finishing blow.

Third Battle

To battle Carmine for the third time, you’ll need to have Ogerpon on your team. There’s no way around this, so I recommend equipping one of the Pokemon’s three masks to complement your existing team. For example, I gave the Pokemon its Wellspring Mask to fill the Water-type gap on my own team. However, the Hearthflame or Cornerstone Mask will give you an even greater advantage.

With Ogerpon at the ready, you’ll still need to make sure your remaining team members are prepared for the battle. This time, you’ll also need to account for Carmine’s Ninetales, a Fire-type.

In all, I would recommend battling with several of the same Pokemon, including Talonflame and Volcarona. Lycanroc is also a great pick for this match, as it has access to a variety of super-effective moves, such as Rock Tomb, Fire Fang, Aerial Ace, and Dig.

With the right moves, you’ll best even Carmine’s most powerful team members. Ultimately, this will wrap up your Teal Mask adventure until the Indigo Disk DLC drops. That said, both Carmine and her younger brother, Kieran, will surely challenge you to more battles when you visit the duo at Blueberry Academy in Part 2.

That’s how to beat Carmine in the Teal Mask DLC! Check out our guides hub for more help on your Teal Mask journey in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.