Rockruff is one of the Pokemon franchises many Puppy Pokemon, and was first introduced in Sun and Moon. A fan favorite since its first appearance, Rockruff and its evolutions have returned for Scarlet and Violet.
Rockruff's evolution, Lycanroc, has three different forms, and which one it evolves into depends on the time of day. Let's take a look at where to catch Rockruff, and how to evolve it into each of its forms.
Where To Find Rockruff
Rockruff can be found in several areas throughout the Paldea region, including East Province Area Two, South Province Area One, South Province Area Four, West Province Area One, and West Province Area Three. Of these areas, Rockruff is most common in the West Province, and even has a fixed encounter location by the windmills near the West Province Area One - Central Pokemon Center.
How To Evolve Rockruff
As mentioned above, Rockruff has three different forms it can evolve into, depending on the time of day it is evolved. These forms can't be changed after evolving, so choose when to evolve your Rockruff carefully if you're aiming for a particular form.
Midday Form and Midnight Form
Lycanroc's Midday Form can be obtained by leveling up Rockruff to level 25 between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM. Essentially, evolving Rockruff any time during the day, between when the sun rises and sets will get you Lycanroc's Midday Form.
Lycanroc's Midnight Form is obtained in a similar way, by leveling up Rockruff to level 25 between 8:00 PM and 8:00 AM. Evolving your Rockruff any time during the night, between when the sun sets and when it rises will have it evolve into its Midnight Form.
Unlike previous Pokemon games, the in-game time is on its own cycle, and does not reflect the current time in the real world.
Dusk Form
Lycanroc's Dusk Form is a bit trickier to obtain. First, you will need to make sure your Rockruff has the special ability Own Tempo. Rockruff has a rare chance to have this ability when you encounter it, so you may need to catch a few before you find one with Own Tempo.
When you do have an Own Tempo Rockruff, you'll need to wait until evening, or between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM. Level it up to level 25 during this time, and Rockruff will evolve into its Dusk Form.
How To Tell The Time Of Day
While there is no in-game clock that tells you the current time, you can determine the time of day for evolving Rockruff by looking at the sky. During the day, provided it isn't raining, the sky will be a clear blue. During the night, it will be dark blue. During the evening, when Rockruff evolves into Dusk Form Lycanroc, the sky is an orange color.
Day and night both last for around 30 real-world minutes, but evening only occurs during a six minute window between them. Be ready for this time if you want to evolve your Rockruff into Dusk Form.