Kyurem, the Boundary Pokémon. As the third Legendary of the Pokémon Black & White series, it represents the line between the two cover Legendaries. In this case that line is more literal, as Kyurem is the grey between the black Zekrom and white Reshiram. It's also implied that Kyurem, Zekrom, and Reshiram were once all one being. When people warred over their own ideals and truths, this being was split. Kyurem is what's left of the original creature's body.
Whatever its true nature is, the fact is that Kyurem is a powerful Pokémon that can now make its way into Pokémon Sword & Shield. We're going to show you how to bring some ice cold moral ambiguity to Galar.
Transferring From Older Games Using Pokémon Bank And Pokémon Home
Kyurem cannot actually be caught in Pokémon Sword & Shield. The only way to capture one and then get it to Galar is to transfer it over from the 3DS. This requires the help of two paid apps: Pokémon Bank and Pokémon Home.
Pokémon Bank is a cloud storage app for the 3DS. For $5 a year, players can store their Pokémon from the DS and 3DS games in the cloud. Kyurem can be caught in Black, White, Black 2, and White 2. It can then be put into Pokémon Bank using a separate, free app called Poké Transporter. Alternatively, players can find Kyurem in the 3DS games Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon. Those games allow for direct deposit into Pokémon Bank.
Pokémon Home is the newer cloud storage app, meant to eventually replace Pokémon Bank. It costs $16 a year, and comes with a free month of Pokémon Bank to help facilitate mass migration from the 3DS games. Players will need the Nintendo Switch version of Pokémon Home in order to transfer Pokémon from Bank. Activate both apps and follow the instructions provided to set up a transfer. Players will be asked to enter a long code into their 3DS. Then they'll be able to transfer Kyurem, and any other Pokémon, from their 3DS to Pokémon Home. Once Kyurem is in Pokémon Home, it can be moved from the cloud into the player's Sword/Shield storage box.
Trading For Kyurem
Kyurem is also subject to one of the easiest methods of acquiring Pokémon: trading. Pokémon Home has a function called the GTS that allows players to offer a Pokémon of their choice and ask for anything they'd like in return. Just please make sure you offer a fair trade for Kyurem. You can also find a friend to trade with and skip the part where you rely on the kindness of internet strangers.
Transfer From Pokémon GO
There are eventual plans to allow transfers between Pokémon GO and Pokémon Home. There is also a good chance that Kyurem will come to Pokémon GO as a raid at some point in the near future. However, neither thing has happened as of this writing.
Evolutions and Alternate Forms
Like most Legendary Pokémon, Kyurem does not evolve. It also misses out on a Gigantamax form. What it does get, however, are two fusions.
Going back to the idea that Kyurem, Reshiram, and Zekrom used to be one being, they can be fused together using an item. Kyurem can only combine with one at a time, however, resulting in a Black Kyurem and a White Kyurem.
Black Kyurem and White Kyurem can be transferred outright into Sword & Shield through Home. They can also be created by fusing Kyurem in Galar. The item that activates the fusion is called the DNA Splicers. It can be obtained from a merchant in Stow-on-Side.
What Kyurem Does In Battle
As a Legendary Dragon-type Pokémon, Kyurem is a monster in battle. It's also an Ice-type, giving it access to the move Freeze Dry. This essential attack does decent ice damage but is also automatically super effective against Water-types. That's a great thing to have as Ice usually has a disadvantage versus Water. Fusing only makes it more powerful by giving White Kyurem and Black Kyurem Turboblaze and Teravolt. These Abilities allow Kyurem to completely ignore any defensive Abilities and opponent might have.