How to Evolve Raboot

To evolve Raboot into Cinderace, you only need to raise it to level 35. The evolution triggers automatically at the end of the battle where the level is reached.

You do not need a Fire Stone, friendship points, or a trading partner. Using Rare Candies or EXP Candies obtained from Max Raid Battles or Tera Raid Battles will also trigger the evolution immediately upon hitting level 35.

If you press the B button during the evolution animation, Raboot will remain in its current stage. You can trigger the evolution again by leveling it up to 36 or higher.

Evolving Raboot yields Cinderace, a premier physical sweeper and offensive pivot in singles formats. We rate Cinderace an 8.5/10 for competitive play.

Its base 119 Speed outpaces major threats like Ogerpon and Latios, while its base 116 Attack hits crucial damage thresholds. The defining factor is its Hidden Ability, Libero. This ability changes Cinderace's typing to match the move it is about to use, granting a 1.5x Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) on every attack.

• Role: Physical Sweeper / Offensive Pivot
• Best Item: Heavy-Duty Boots to ignore entry hazards.
• Key Moves: Pyro Ball, U-turn, Court Change, High Jump Kick.

Generation 9 nerfed Libero, restricting the type change to once per switch-in. Despite this, Cinderace maintains high usage because Court Change swaps entry hazards between field sides, providing unique utility.

Some players attempt to keep Raboot unevolved to use the Eviolite item, which boosts its Defense and Special Defense by 50%. This is mathematically inefficient.

Raboot's base HP is 65, and its defenses sit at 60. Even with Eviolite, Raboot fails to survive standard neutral hits from tier-staple wallbreakers like Dragapult or Kingambit. Furthermore, Raboot lacks reliable recovery moves like Roost or Recover, meaning any chip damage is permanent.

• Pros of Evolving: Access to the 120-Base Power signature move Pyro Ball. Base Speed jumps from 94 to 119. Exclusive access to Court Change.
• Cons of Evolving: Cinderace is frail (80/75/75 bulk) and struggles against priority moves like Extreme Speed or Sucker Punch if poorly positioned.

Evolving is mandatory for viability. Raboot has zero niche in standard competitive tiers outside of NFE (Not Fully Evolved) formats.

Cinderace fits best on Hyper Offense and Bulky Offense teams. Players who rely on momentum and frequent switching benefit heavily from its fast U-turn.

If your team struggles with hazard stacking (Spikes, Stealth Rock, Toxic Spikes) but cannot afford a passive Defog user, Cinderace is the optimal solution. Court Change flips the hazards to the opponent's side, directly punishing defensive stall teams.

Players running hard Stall or defensive balance should avoid Cinderace. It cannot take repeated hits and offers no defensive synergy. In these builds, defensive hazard removers like Corviknight or Great Tusk are superior choices.

Immediately after evolving, optimize Cinderace for maximum physical damage and speed. The standard EV spread is 252 Attack, 252 Speed, and 4 Special Defense, paired with a Jolly nature.

Pyro Ball is mandatory. It has 120 base power, 90% accuracy, and a 10% chance to burn the target. U-turn guarantees momentum against switch-ins like Dondozo or Toxapex.

The final two slots depend on team needs. Court Change provides hazard control. Sucker Punch offers base 70 priority to pick off weakened faster threats like Dragapult. High Jump Kick hits Rock and Dark types, though the 10% crash damage risk requires careful prediction against Ghost-type switch-ins.