Pokemon Sword and Shield have been out for a few days now. Both versions have their fair share of differences, from the Pokemon available to the new Gigantamax Raids. There have been several new Pokemon as well as new Galarian forms and evolutions to existing Pokemon. Some of them have become very interesting and some of them have become a lot weaker.
In this guide, we'll look at the best Pokemon that are worth adding to your Team from the Pokemon available in the Sword version.
#10. Stunky/Skuntank
Type: Poison/Dark
Available in the below locations (Stunky):
- Dappled Grove
- South Lake Miloch
- North Lake Miloch
- Route 3
- Giant’s Cap
- South Miloch
Stunky and Skuntank were introduced in Generation 4's Diamond & Pearl. They have also been very underrated Pokemon and their type is only weak to Ground-Type. There are no Ground-Type Gym Leaders in Pokemon Sword and Skuntank is also a powerful Pokemon in the competitive Pokemon scene.
#9. Farfetch'd/Sirfetch'd
Type: Fighting
Available in the below locations (Farfetch'd):
- Route 5
- Giant’s Mirror
Farfetch'd is exclusive to Pokemon Sword and can't be found in Shield. Farfetch'd is also no longer a Normal/Flying Type. The Galarian edition is a pure Fighting Type and it evolves into Sirfetch'd, which is also a pure Fighting Type. Farfetch'd evolves into Sirfetch'd simply by getting 3 critical hits in a Battle, which is quite easy to do.
Fighting Types are one of the best types in Pokemon and these two are a nice addition to an old classic Pokemon.
#8. Yamper/Boltund
Type: Electric
Available in the below locations (Yamper):
- Route 2
- Route 4
- Motostoke Riverbank
- Stony Wilderness
- Giant’s Mirror
Other than being absolutely adorable, Yamper and Boltund are very strong Electric-Type Pokemon in the Galar region. There are not many Electric Types in the game. Yamper/Boltund have high stats, high speed, and very powerful moves.
If you chose Scorbunny or Grookie as your starter, they can help defend against Water/Flying types. There's also a Water Gym where an Electric Pokemon will come in handy.
#7. Blipbug/Dottle/Orbeetle
Type: Bug (Blipbug), Bug/Psychic
Available in the below locations (Blipbug):
- Route 1
- Route 2
- Giant’s Cap
Available in the below locations (Dottler):
- Route 5
- Stony Wilderness
- Giant’s Mirror
- Giant’s Cap
Bug Types are probably the worst type in the game and always have been. But Dottle and Orbeetle are very strong, with the Bug/Psychic Type combination. It's mostly the Psychic Type that helps you out with these Pokemon but their stats are much stronger than most Bug Type and even some Psychic Type Pokemon. Blipbug and Dottler are very easy to find and worth training as well.
#6. Turtonator (Fire/Dragon)
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Type: Fire/Dragon
Available in the below locations:
- Lake of Outrage
- Dynamax Raids
Turtonator was introduced in Sun/Moon and is only weak to Dragon-Types. It has no evolution but its unique typing and strong stats make it a worthy candidate to include in your team. Turtonator can be found a little later in the game but it can also be found in Dynamax Raids. Turtonator is exclusive to Pokemon Sword.
#5. Rufflet/Braviary
Type: Normal/Flying
Available in the below locations (Rufflet):
- Route 8
- Stony Wilderness
Available in the below locations (Braviary):
- Lake of Outrage
- Dusty Bowl
Rufflet and Braviary were introduced in Generation 5's Black and White. They are arguably the best Normal/Flying Pokemon ever introduced in Pokemon. They are also much better than Corviknight, introduced in this generation. Braviary is definitely the best Flying Type to keep in your party.
#4. Deino/Zweilous/Hydreigon
Type: Dark/Dragon
Available in the below locations (Deino/Zweilous):
- Lake of Outrage
Deino and its evolutions are "pseudo legendaries" introduced in Gen 5's Black and White. Although it has quite a few weaknesses, the overall stats especially of Hydreigon makes it very strong. The movesets they learn are strong too and the Deino to Hydreigon line is one of the strongest Dragons you can get. These Pokemon are exclusive to Pokemon Sword.
#3. Applin/Flapple/Appletun
Type: Grass/Dragon
Available in the below locations (Applin):
- Route 5
- Stony Wilderness
- Dusty Bowl
- Giant’s Mirror
Applin is a Grass/Dragon Type that can evolve into Flapple if you feed it a Tart Apple or Appletun if you give it a Sweet Apple. You can only get the Tart Apple in Sword and the Sweet Apple you need to get from Shield. From the pool of the many Dragon Types available in Sword, Applin/Flapple is a strong contender with high stats and a strong moveset.
#2. Impidimp/Morgrem/Grimmsnarl
Type: Dark/Fairy
Available in the below locations (Impidimp):
- Motostoke Outskirts
- Motostoke Riverbank
- Stony Wilderness
- Giant’s Mirror
- Hammerlocke Hills
Impidimp and its evolutions have a unique Typing we haven't seen in Pokemon yet. Although it is weak to 3 Types, the statline on the evolutions of Impidimp gets buffed quite a bit. It can beat Fighting Types with ease thanks to its Fairy Typing. It can also defeat Dragon Types which there are an abundance of this in this game.
#1. Hatenna/Hattrem/Hatterene
Type: Psychic/Fairy
Available in the below locations (Hattena):
- Motostoke Outskirts
- Stony Wilderness
- Hammerlocke Hills
Hatenna and its evolutions can be considered the "Ralts/Kirlia/Gardevoir" of Galar. They are all Psychic/Fairy Types with strong Special Attack and other stats. You also have the choice of getting Gardevoir in the game if you wish. You can also find Hatenna in a Dynamax Raid where it will have special abilities you won't normally find in the Wild.
Hatterene is a worthy Pokemon to have and is very strong compared to most other Psychic Pokemon in Pokemon Sword. Be sure to look out for Dens in the Wild Area to find those special Hatennas.
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