Tandemaus, a Normal-type pocket monster in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, represents an adorable pair of mice referred to as a “couple” that eventually evolves into a happy “family” later on as a more robust Maushold when players meet certain conditions. Players looking for this unique pair in Tandemaus can catch them in specific areas in the Paldea Region, such as the East Province of Area 2, Zapapico Town, Artazon, and other urban locations in the open-world. Although a slightly weaker Pokémon at first, the evolved form Maushold has distinct Abilities that make it a useful addition to players who train these cute companions in battle.
Maushold can only be obtained once players train Tandemaus to level 25 before causing an enemy Pokémon to faint during battle using Tandemaus. Ending the battle that confirms these conditions transforms Tandemaus from two mice into four, boosting their already decent Speed and Attack stats further with their other scores. Normal-types like Maushold are incredibly useful for combating the myriad of Ghost-types in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, as Ghost-type moves have no effect on Normal-type Pokémon. Trainers looking to utilize the fully evolved Maushold should consider the strengths and weaknesses of their typing match-ups when trying to gain experience with Tandeamaus, as on its own, the Pokémon can be quite weak in battle.
Evolving Tandemaus into Maushold in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
As stated before, Tandemaus does not boast incredible power when participating in battle, especially at earlier levels, causing players to struggle somewhat when trying to meet the second condition of their evolution. However, if players do not wish to spend too much time grinding on weaker Pokémon for Tandemaus’ XP, they can arm Tandemaus with the right moves to make battles manageable. For example, at level 11, Tandemaus learns Super Fang, which halves the HP of any Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet‘s large roster, giving players an advantage against rivals whose leveled-up creatures would dwarf a less experienced Tandemaus.
Another avenue that helps players manage the training of Tandemaus are the Abilities the Pokémon could have upon capturing it in the wild. Commonly seen on Generation 3’s Zigzagoon, Tandemaus has the Pickup Ability, which causes a 10% chance to receive a random item after a battle, ranging from Super Potions to even Ultra Balls. The items players could receive may be used in battle to encourage further use of Tandemaus, maintaining the possibility of earning more experience or keeping other Pokémon, such as the starter in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, active in difficult situations. Run Away, the alternative Ability, allows the player to flee automatically from any wild encounter, which also supports trainers who do not want to accidentally be stuck in a battle that guarantees a longer journey to healing Tandemaus before evolving it into Maushold in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.