The latest Pokémon titles, as always, brought a selection of old favorites and weird and wonderful new Pokémon along for the ride. Not as many old Pokémon as fans would have liked (we were all here for the National Pokédex cuts drama), but apparently Galar just isn’t big enough for all of them.
Even so, Sword and Shield players have crafted their favorite parties and stormed the Wild Area and every other part of the game with them. Depending on the Pokémon you choose, though, you might have had a distinctly tougher journey through the game. Whether they’re a pain to evolve, they’re super rare, or they don’t evolve until a high level, here are some of the toughest Pokémon to raise in Galar.
10 Dragapult
If you’ve been getting to grips with Sword and Shield competitive play, you’ve probably encountered a lot of Dragapult. It’s a very popular pick, owing to its Speed, power as a mixed attacker and solid Ghost/Dragon STAB.
If you want to get your hands on one, you’re in for a bit of a rough ride. Firstly, its base form, Dreepy, is a very rare find at the Lake of Outrage (the highest chance is a 2% encounter rate during fog). After that, it evolves very late (into Drakloak at level 50 and finally Dragapult at 60).
9 Runerigus
By contrast, Runerigus’s base form, Galarian Yamask, isn’t very difficult to get your hands on at all. They’re quite abundant on Route 6; you can’t really miss them on your way up the mountain. The issue you’re going to have, if you’re committed to having this new Ground/Ghost Pokémon on your team, is evolving it.
In one of the most convoluted evolution methods yet, you’ll need to allow your Yamask to take 49 HP (or more) damage without fainting. Head over to the Dusty Bowl in the Wild Area and pass under that distinctive-looking stony bridge. As you do so, it will evolve into Runerigus! Even with that done, its learnset can be a problem too, so some good TMs/TRs might also be needed.
8 Eiscue
One of the most interesting new Pokémon that joined the roster this generation was Eiscue. This adorable little ice-type resembles a penguin, with an adorably odd little face that you can’t see a lot of the time. Such is Eiscue’s gimmick.
When this Pokemon enters battle, it first appears in its Ice Face form. A physical attack will break the ice and change it to its Noice form, which has different stats and can serve as an effective attacker. It works a lot like Mimikyu, except hail can restore the ice. Through the course of the main story, though, you’ll probably find that special attacks (and simply losing the ice at an inopportune moment) make Eiscue very hard to raise. As will its rarity: it’s only available in Pokémon Shield, and the chances of finding it on Route 10 are only 2% (5% in a blizzard at the Lake of Outrage)!
7 Stonjourner
Stonjourner is Eiscue’s Pokémon Sword counterpart. It’s also a version exclusive, and only found in the same spots. Just as rarely, too, so you might be trudging through that snow for quite some time! It’s also well worth hunting down, though. Stonjourner is a very unusual Pokémon that hasn’t really seen any use yet.
It brings some interesting assets to the table, with its Power Spot ability (which passively boosts the damage allies deal with their attacks in doubles matches) and great physical tankiness. Training one is certainly going to be difficult, though, with its Rock-typing (all those weaknesses) and the fact that it absolutely can’t take a special attack at all.
6 Alcremie
Alcremie is another interesting new Pokémon. It’s a Fairy-type that has seen some use in the metagame, but hasn’t quite come into its own just yet. It has solid specially-oriented stats, a great exclusive move in Decorate (which gives an ally +2 in Attack and Special Attack and hits through their Protect) and a viable Gigantamax form.
What you not have signed up for, however, is its hilariously obscure evolution method. There are many different forms of Alcremie (simply different colors), and the one your Milcery evolves into depends on various factors. As Bulbapedia reports, the type of Sweet it’s holding, the length of time the player spins for, which direction they’re spinning in… it’s all factored in. Maybe it’s just too much trouble to go to.
5 Shedinja
A lot of curious new Pokémon were added to the series in Sword and Shield, but let’s not forget that it also features some very unique ones from previous entries. That’s right, thanks to the old Nincada evolution gimmick, Shedinja is here too.
If you’ve never used a Shedinja before, you might not appreciate just how problematic these things can be to raise. Here’s the deal: this Bug/Ghost type has a maximum of 1HP, regardless of its level or anything else. All it has to keep it alive is its exclusive Ability, Wonder Guard, which renders it immune to all direct attacks that aren’t super effective. This means it can still instantly faint to status, hazards, weather or any other kind of passive damage. Good luck using it successfully!
4 Tyrogue
When baby Pokémon were introduced back in Generation II, Tyrogue was one of the first in line. This cute little guy isn’t exactly the most formidable Fighting-type around, but it adds an interesting little wrinkle to the concept of split evolution lines.
It’ll evolve into either Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan or Hitmontop depending on its stats at level 20. It will need Attack higher than its Defense, Defense higher than its Attack or both stats to be equal, respectively. This can be quite a pain to manage, and is as awkward as it ever was in Sword and Shield. Couple that with its frailty and lack of moves, and Tyrogue really is a pain to train.
3 Barraskewda
While Barraskewda isn’t a Pokémon that has set Sword and Shield competitive play alight, there’s no doubt that it has its place and can be a formidable attacker. It truly thrives in the rain, during which its Swift Swim Ability will raise its Speed to unstoppable levels and its Water-type STAB becomes even stronger.
Despite its uses as a sweeper and cleaner, the main issue with Barraskewda is that it’s a glass cannon through and through. It really can’t take a hit at all, so if you’re taking an Arrokuda/Barraskewda through the main game, you’ll probably find yourself reviving it more often that your other party members if you aren’t careful. Even the resisted hits a Water-type wants to switch in on will leave a big dent.
2 Polteageist
Early trailers for Sword and Shield featured the prominent appearance of very British-inspired Pokémon: a little purple spirit that lives in a teapot. Sinistea/Polteageist may be just a little on the nose for some, but who’s counting?
At first glance, this pure Ghost-type critter seems quite straightforward. It’s a powerful special attacker with high Special Defense and very average Speed, which evolves from Sinistea when exposed to a particular item. The issue is, there are two different items, and it’s very tough to tell which one will work with your Sinistea. There are both Antique and Phony forms of Sinistea, one with a mark of authenticity (which can barely be seen) and one without. They require a Chipped Pot and a Cracked Pot respectively to evolve, a difference that flummoxed many players when they first got their hands on the game.
1 Morpeko
Finally, we have another Pokémon that was revealed to fans early in Sword and Shield’s trailer stage. Morpeko struck a chord with many, an adorable and hangry little furball that’s easier to relate to than lots of us care to admit.
Its main gimmick, and the one that makes it so unwieldy to use at times, is its Ability Hunger Switch. This causes it to switch from Full Belly Mode to Hangry Mode as turns go by, and its exclusive move Aura Wheel changes from Electric to Dark type and back as it does so. Being its best STAB move, this unreliability can be a real issue.
NEXT: The 10 Best Dark Type Pokémon
