TL;DR
- Nine different evolutionary stones trigger specific Pokemon transformations in Sword and Shield
- Lake of Outrage and Digging Duo provide reliable stone farming methods with daily respawns
- Modern mechanics eliminate move-learning concerns when evolving Pokemon early with stones
- Strategic stone usage can optimize your team composition and battle effectiveness
- Eevee has the most stone evolution options with five different elemental transformations
Mastering stone-based evolution is essential for completing your Pokedex and building a competitive team in Pokemon Sword and Shield. Unlike level-based evolution, stone evolutions provide immediate transformations that can significantly boost your battle capabilities when timed correctly.
The Gen 8 games continue the tradition of elemental stone evolutions while introducing new strategic considerations. Understanding which Pokemon respond to which stones helps you plan your team development efficiently. This comprehensive guide covers all stone evolution mechanics available in the Galar region.
| Evolutionary Stone | Pokemon |
|---|---|
| Water Stone | Lombre → Ludicolo, Shellder → Cloyster, Eevee → Vaporeon |
| Fire Stone | Vulpix → Ninetales, Growlithe → Arcanine, Eevee → Flareon |
| Leaf Stone | Nuzleaf → Shiftry, Gloom → Vileplume, Eevee → Leafeon |
| Thunder Stone | Pikachu → Raichu, Eevee → Jolteon |
| Ice Stone | Eevee → Glaceon, Galarian Darumaka → Galarian Darmanitan |
| Moon Stone | Clefairy → Clefable, Munna → Musharna |
| Sun Stone | Gloom → Bellossom, Cottonee → Whimsicott, Helioptile → Heliolisk |
| Dawn Stone | Snorunt (female) → Froslass, Kirlia (male) → Gallade |
| Dusk Stone | Lampent → Chandelure, Doublade → Aegislash |
| Shiny Stone | Minccino → Cinccino, Roselia → Roserade, Togetic → Togekiss |
Eevee stands out as the most versatile Pokemon regarding stone evolutions, capable of transforming into five different elemental forms. This makes Eevee particularly valuable for trainers looking to fill multiple type roles without catching separate Pokemon species.
Strategic evolution planning involves considering type advantages against major gym leaders and rival trainers. For example, evolving a Water-type Pokemon before facing Fire-type gyms can give you a significant battle advantage. However, remember that once evolved, Pokemon cannot revert to their previous forms.
Consistent stone acquisition requires understanding the two primary farming methods in Sword and Shield. Both approaches offer reliable results but with different resource investments and time commitments.
The Lake of Outrage in the Wild Area provides daily stone respawns behind large boulders. You’ll need the Rotom Bike water upgrade to access these locations. The stones rotate daily, so checking back regularly increases your chances of finding specific evolutionary stones needed for your team.
Alternatively, the Digging Duo located near the Pokemon Nursery in Bridge Field offers stone excavation services for 500 Watts per attempt. The left digger tends to find rarer items but with lower success rates, while the right digger provides more consistent results with common evolutionary stones.
Advanced trainers should note that Max Raid Battles occasionally reward evolutionary stones upon completion. While less reliable than the primary methods, this approach combines stone farming with experience gain and other valuable rewards.
For efficient Watt accumulation, focus on activating Pokemon Dens throughout the Wild Area. Each active den provides 50-300 Watts when interacted with, making Watt farming considerably faster than waiting for natural den spawns.
Evolution stone application has been streamlined in Sword and Shield, removing previous generation limitations that often forced trainers to delay evolution for optimal move sets.
To trigger evolution, simply select the appropriate stone from your Bag while the compatible Pokemon is in your party. The transformation occurs immediately without level requirements or other prerequisites, making stone evolutions among the most straightforward transformation methods in the games.
The Move Reminder mechanic revolutionizes stone evolution strategy. Located in every Pokemon Center throughout Galar, this NPC can teach any move the Pokemon would have learned in previous evolutionary stages. This eliminates the risk of missing crucial moves by evolving early with stones.
Common mistake: Many trainers unnecessarily delay evolution fearing they’ll miss powerful moves. With the Move Reminder available, you can safely evolve Pokemon immediately upon obtaining the required stone and teach desired moves later using Heart Scales.
Optimal strategy involves evolving Pokemon as soon as you obtain the necessary stone and have strategic need for the evolved form. The stat boosts and new abilities gained typically outweigh any temporary move set limitations, especially since moves can be recovered easily.
For competitive breeding, remember that evolved Pokemon cannot pass down moves exclusive to their pre-evolved forms. Consider this when planning your breeding strategy and move inheritance.
Action Checklist
- Visit Lake of Outrage daily to collect respawned evolutionary stones
- Farm 2000+ Watts and spend with Digging Duo for additional stones
- Evolve Eevee into needed elemental types for team coverage
- Use Move Reminder to recover any missed moves after evolution
- Plan evolution timing around upcoming gym battles for type advantages
No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Pokemon Sword & Shield Evolution Stones: Which Stones Evolve Which Pokemon? Complete guide to Pokemon evolution stones in Sword and Shield with strategic tips and locations