With the recent release of Pokémon Sword and Shield (which we just reviewed), there are lots of new and returning Pokémon fans roaming the region of Galar as they embark on their own adventures. That said, every adventure can be made a bit easier with some handy pointers, so here are some useful tips to keep in mind as you battle your way through Galar:
Redeem Your Free Gigantamax Meowth
To celebrate the release of Sword and Shield, Game Freak is giving all players a free Kanto Meowth that has the ability to Gigantamax. This terrifyingly long cat can be obtained by going to the in-game menu by pressing X and selecting the Mystery Gift option (which is unlocked quite early in the story.) Choose to get your gift through your internet connection, wait a few moments, and select the Meowth gift to receive your monster. This specific gift will only be available until January 15th, so be sure to jump on that ASAP.
Claim Your Gigantamax Pikachu/Eevee From Let’s Go
If you have save data on your Switch profile for Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu or Let’s Go Eevee, you can claim a free Pikachu or Eevee (or both, depending on which save files you have) that is capable of Gigantamaxing. You can get these iconic partners from the Wild Area Train Station by talking to the two kids in the station. You first go to the station rather early in the game, so you can use your Pikachu/Eevee for the majority of the game’s story. Keep in mind that, as a result of their Gigantamax ability, neither can evolve.
Where to Find Ditto
The easiest way to get Ditto in Sword and Shield is through encountering it in the area found at the top left corner of the Wild Area, only accessible by crossing Lake Outrage using the Water Bike you get before reaching Spikemuth. Weather conditions don’t seem to affect Ditto spawns, so it shouldn’t take too long to obtain one. They spawn regularly, so you can catch multiple in a fairly short period of time.
How to Evolve Galarian Farfetch’d Into Sirfetch’d
Though it’s exclusive to Sword, Galarian Farfetch’d and its evolution, Sirfetch’d, are some of the most interesting regional forms in the Pokémon series. After catching a wild Galarian Farfetch’d on Route 5, you may be confused as to why it doesn’t evolve as it levels up. This is because Galarian Farfetch’d has a unique evolution condition.
In order to become Sirfetch’d, a Galarian Farfetch’d has to land three critical hits in one battle. It can be against multiple Pokémon in a Trainer battle, and they don’t have to be in a row. To maximize your chances of getting three critical hits in one fight, I recommend equipping your Farfetch’d with the Scope Lens, which increases your chance of landing a critical hit and can be found on Route 9 just outside Spikemuth. Then, teach your Farfetch’d the move Focus Energy (TR13), which can be obtained in Motostoke City by talking to the Record Store’s owner. Focus Energy further increases your chances of landing a critical hit, so I’d recommend using it on your first turn, then using a weaker attack like Rock Smash to get critical hits without knocking out your opponent. So long as you got three critical hits in the battle, your Farfetch’d will evolve as soon the battle is over.
How to Evolve Galarian Yamask
It’s not hard to find a Galarian Yamask, as they roam around Route 6 in any weather conditions. To evolve Galarian Yamask, you have to let it take at least 49 points of damage in a battle. Then, while the Yamask has lowered health, you have to take your Yamask to the Wild Area and run underneath the arch in the Dusty Bowl area (which is found right in the middle of the Wild Area’s upper section.) After running under the arch, your Yamask should evolve into the eerie Runerigus.
If you’re like me and you still prefer Cofagrigus (the coolest Ghost Pokémon), you can trade a Galarian Yamask for a Unovan Yamask with the kid in an Eevee costume in the Ballonlea Gym. Level up the Unovan yamask once, and you’ve got the best Ghost Pokémon fresh out of Unova.
How to Evolve Applin
Applin is a clever Pokémon design, as it’s an apple that has a “wyrm” in it, which evolves into a full-blown dragon. It can be found on Route 5 in both games, as well as several parts of the upper Wild Area. It only evolves through the use of certain items, those items being the Tart Apple and the Sweet Apple. The Tart Apple can only be obtained in Sword, while the Sweet Apple can only be obtained in Shield, but more on that in a moment.
As soon as you get Applin, you should head to Hammerlocke City. Once there, go to the left until you reach the Vault in front of the last drawbridge in town. Speak to the young boy in the red hoodie, and he’ll ask for your Applin. Agree to give it to him (he gives it back immediately.) After a nice little cutscene, the boy returns your Applin and gives you one of the two apples, depending on which game you have. You can also get a second apple (the same one as your first) on the island in the middle of the Axew’s Eye district of the Wild Area.
The Tart Apple, when used on Applin, turns it into Flapple, the attack-focused Grass/Dragon Pokémon. The Sweet Apple will evolve Applin into Appletun, the defensive Grass/Dragon Pokémon. I’d recommend getting the second apple and using it to make a spare Flapple/Appletun, which you can trade with a friend for the opposite version’s evolution.
How to Evolve Milcery
Milcery has one of the strangest evolution methods in the game. After catching a Milcery in the Glimwood Triangle, go to one of the Battle Cafés in Hammerlocke, Motostoke, or Wyndon. After completing a battle, you’ll receive a Sweet. Equip the Sweet to Milcery, then after exiting the menu, spin your character around for at least five seconds, then stop and your Milcery will evolve. There are multiple different Sweets that all slightly change the appearance of your evolved Alcremie, depending on which Café you visit.
Where to Find and Revive Fossils
Sword and Shield have two exclusive fossils in each game, though it’s entirely possible to get all four fossils without owning both games and without any trading. Exclusive to Sword are the Bird Fossil and Dino Fossil, while Shield has the Fish Fossil and the Drake Fossil. Two fossils can be found near the Scientist on Route 6, while two other ones can be obtained from an NPC in the Stow-in-Side Pokémon Center.
Fossils from the opposite game can be obtained by the Digging Brothers: two NPCs in the Wild Area who are located at the upper end of the area between the two sections, the Bridge Field. By paying one of the brothers some Watts, they’ll dig up a number of treasures. The brother on the left has a chance of finding any of the four available fossils while digging. This can be done repeatedly, so long as you have the necessary Watts.
After obtaining at least two of each fossil, go to the Scientist near the end of Route 6. She’ll combine two of your chosen fossils together to make an ungodly hybrid Pokémon. Four different monsters can be made as a result of mixing and matching your fossils (Dracovish, Dracozolt, Artcovish, and Arctozolt), so keep track of which combinations you make to avoid making any doubles.
Where to Find Evolutionary Stones
Pokémon like Eevee, Pikachu, Roselia, and Minccino all require Evolutionary Stones to evolve. These were fairly difficult to obtain in the oldest Pokémon games, but incredibly easy to snag in Sword and Shield. There are two handy methods to find a variety of stones quickly: one is to pay one of the Digging Bros with Watts. During a dig, either brother can find a number of different stones. This is especially handy if you’re already looking for fossils, as you can kill two birds with one stone.
The other method is free, but gives you less stones. In the area across from the Lake of Outrage (where Dittos can be found), you can find an Evolutionary Stone under each Stonehenge-like pillar. They seem to respawn occasionally, so I view this method as a quick way to get a couple stones here and there.
Common Questions and Answers
How can I tell if my Pokémon can Gigantamax?
If your Pokémon is able to Gigantamax, you’ll see a red “X” shape next to the Pokémon’s name on their Summary screen. Keep in mind that only Pokémon caught in specific Gigantamax Raids and certain event Pokémon (Mystery Gift Meowth, Let’s Go reward Pikachu/Eevee) can Gigantamax. A wild Machamp, Pikachu, or Butterfree cannot Gigantamax at this time.
Can you see Shiny Pokémon from the overworld like in the Let’s Go games?
No, you have to enter a battle with a Pokémon to find out if it’s Shiny.
How do I get the Shiny Charm?
The Shiny Charm is an item that approximately triples your likelihood of encountering a Shiny Pokémon (which is still a brutal 0.073% chance.) To obtain the Charm, you’ll have to complete the Galarian Regional Pokédex by capturing all 400 Pokémon. You don’t need to have all 400 in your boxes, but you do need to have their data registered in your Pokédex. Once you’ve completed the Dex, head to the Game Freak building next to the Pokémon Center in Circhester City (where the Rock Gym is in Sword, and the Ice Gym is in Shield). Talk to “The Director,” who will give you the charm after evaluating your Dex.
Where’s the GTS?
Unfortunately, the GTS is not in Pokémon Sword and Shield. It is currently theorized that 2020’s Pokémon Home application will feature global trading as a replacement, but as of writing, this is unconfirmed.
Have any outstanding questions? Leave a comment below, and stick around with MonsterVine for more Pokémon content.
