Main Walkthrough

Recommended Level: 19+

Recommended Pokémon Types: Bug, Fairy, Fighting, possibly Rock (see below)

The first Team Star HQ that you should consider taking on in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, given the levels of the Pokémon within, the Dark Crew's Base is stuffed full of Dark-type Pokémon. It's the best choice for cutting your teeth on battling Team Star, a task that has some unique mechanics above and beyond just battling.

The Dark Crew Base is located in West Province (Area One), on the outskirts of Cascarrafa. To reach it you'll likely travel through West Province (Area One) from South Province (Area Two). Travel through the region until you reach the northern Pokémon Center, then keep following the main path to the northeast. You'll wind up at the front gates of the Dark Crew Base before you reach Cascarrafa.

Upon approaching the front of the base a member of Team Star's Segin Squad will challenge you to a battle.

Team Star Grunt

  • Murkrow, level 19
Reward: 988 P

No surprise, the first Team Star Grunt has a Dark-type Pokémon. You can easily wallop Murkrow with Fairy-, Rock-, or Electric-type moves.

With the Grunt out of the way you'll be free to begin battle with the rest of Team Star, via a special mode called Star Barrage.

Star Barrage - Schedar Squad

Star Barrage is a mode unique to Team Star Bases. The Grunts of Team Star will send a legion of Pokémon at you, and you need to send out your first three Pokémon to take down thirty of them before a ten minute timer runs out. Toss out your Pokémon with the R button and they will autobattle their way through waves of enemy Pokémon. Speak to Clive near the entrance to restore your team to full health if they start to waver. There are also vending machines throughout the base that can restore your team's health.

You'll face the following Pokémon while in the base:

  • Murkrow (Dark- and Flying-type)
  • Nymble (Bug-type)
  • Pawniard (Dark- and Steel-type)
  • Sableye (Dark- and Ghost-type)
  • Sandile (Ground- and Dark-type)
  • Sneasel (Dark- and Ice-type)
  • Stunky (Poison- and Dark-type)
  • Zorua (Dark-type)
Despite Dark being the prevalent type in this base, your opponents are a bit of a mixed bag thanks to the bevy of secondary types. As long as your team members are 20+ it won't matter all that much which types you send in, though if you're less than 20 you may want to send out at least one Fairy-type. It will get more traction compared to the other types. Rock is a good substitute, as well, since Murkrow, Nymble, and Sneasel are all weak to it.

Defeat thirty Pokémon and the boss of the Segin Squad, Giacomo, will come out to challenge you. 

Giacomo of Team Star

  • Pawniard, level 21
  • Segin Starmobile
Reward: TM 062 Foul Play

Shockingly, Giacomo has a preference for Dark-type moves, so the team you used to mop up the base will (presumably) be capable of taking him down. His Pawniard is a Dark- and Steel-type that shouldn't prove a big deal, and one Fighting-type attack will wipe it out. Giacomo's ride, the Starmobile, uses Wicked Torque more or less exclusively to inflict damage. Any Pokémon that does super effective damage to Dark-types can flatten the vehicle, as it counts as a Dark-type, despite how it looks.


You'll earn a TM and a Star Badge for beating Giacomo, and Penny, another member of Operation Starfall (and one of your shyer classmates) will give you a bunch of Materials for crafting new TMs. Speaking of TMs, you'll unlock more recipes for TMs at TM Machines throughout Paldea. You can also reenter the base to find a few items:
  • There's a Fire Tera Shard sitting in front of a tent to the southwest
  • TM 122 Encore is sitting in the middle of several tents at the highest point of the base

Main Walkthrough