So, yes. Pokémon Sword and Shield caused quite a fracas in the run-up to release, as fans learned that some of their favorites from previous generations just weren’t going to make the cut. Apparently, Nintendo Switch just isn’t big enough to hold almost 1000 different Pokémon. That’s the price you pay for being able to go portable and play while on the toilet, we guess.

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Silly snark aside, though, the latest Pokémon titles are home to a generous roster of new Pokémon. This time around, Game Freak really does seem to have outdone themselves when it comes to devising obscure evolution methods. If you want to know just which ridiculous hoops you have to jump through to evolve Galarian Yamask, you’ve come to the right place.

Update by Chris Littlechild, June 19, 2020: Just when the dust had settled with Sword & Shield, Galar has been shaken up once more. With the addition of Pokémon Home, new arrivals and changes like the Hidden Ability starters have been introduced. Quite apart from that, The Isle of Armor, the first installment of the DLC, has just been released. You know what that means: it's update time!

In light of these exciting new additions to Generation VII of Pokémon, we've decided to revisit this list of the toughest Pokémon to evolve in Galar. After all, the region has suddenly become a heck of a lot bigger! As surely as Cinderace with Libero and Rillaboom with Grassy Surge have shaken up the metagame (we guess Sniper Inteleon is also a thing), these old and new additions to the game have brought us Pokémon that are tougher to evolve than ever. From the all-new Kubfu and Galarian Slowpoke to Cosmoem and Sliggoo, let's meet some of them now!

15 Larvitar

Now, of course, Larvitar is not a new Galar Pokémon. In fact, the little guy (as well as Pupitar and its huge, furious final form, Tyranitar) have been doing the rounds since the days of Pokémon Gold and Silver. We’re starting this list off with a very old-school evolution method for a powerful Pokémon, though.

As has been the case since Generation I, some of the most fearsome Pokémon, such as Dragon-types, take the longest to evolve. You’re not in Viridian Forest with your fully-evolved level 10 Butterfree anymore, buddy. If you want a Tyranitar, you’ll be in it for the long haul. Larvitar evolves into Pupitar at level 30, spending a further 15 levels as a pupa before finally evolving again. It’s not exactly difficult, but it’s certainly one of the most long-winded evolutions in the new games.

14 Larvesta

Of the powerful Pokémon being reintroduced in Pokémon Sword & Shield’s Isle of Armor expansion, the mighty Bug/Fire critter Volcarona may be one of the most potent. With a formidable base 135 Special Attack stat, solid base 100 Speed, and one of the best boosting moves in the series in Quiver Dance, Volcarona is not to be underestimated.

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To counterbalance this power, it also takes a very long time to evolve. In fact, Larvesta must remain in its pre-evolved form until level 59, which is an eternity by Bug-type standards. Without EXP candies or solid TRs, this will be even more of a struggle, because Larvesta’s level up learnset is totally sub-par.

13 Cosmog And Cosmoem

cosmog in the pokemon anime

Since the advent of Pokémon Home, another fascinating critter has been made available in Sword & Shield: the Cosmog line. Perhaps better known as Lillie’s infamous Nebby, Cosmog is a rare example of a Legendary Pokémon with the capacity to evolve (The Isle of Armor DLC content has added another, as we’ll see a little later in this rundown).

In Pokémon Sun & Moon, Cosmog evolves into Cosmoem at level 43 (other than your first, ‘story’ Cosmog). From there, it evolves again into either Solgaleo (in Pokémon Sun, Ultra Sun, and Sword) or Lunala (in Pokémon Moon, Ultra Moon, and Shield). Not only can it be a little fiddly to get the opposite Legendary, but these Pokémon can be a tremendous pain to train to that high a level, with only the feeble Psychic moveset of Cosmic Power and Teleport available to them.

12 Kirlia

In some cases, as fans know, evolved forms of Pokémon are female or male exclusively. This means that a male Combee or Salandit, for instance, can never evolve.

Kirlia’s case is a little more unique and interesting, though. It has both a female-only evolution and a male-only one. For Gardevoir, a female Kirlia need only reach level 30, but if you want a Gallade, you’ll need to use a Dawn Stone on a male Kirlia instead. It’s all quite fiddly, but it’s not too complicated compared to the evolution methods of some Pokémon found in the Galar region.

11 Sliggoo

With the convenience of EXP Candies, it’s much less of a slog than it used to be to evolve Pokémon that simply need to hit a high level (hence Larvesta’s lower spot on this list, however high level 59 may be). This was a very welcome addition, but some Pokémon require a high level and an extra dose of RNG on top. We’re looking at you, Sliggoo.

RELATED: Pokémon: All The Pseudo-Legendaries, Ranked

As fans will probably know, Goodra is a brilliantly tanky Dragon-type from Generation IV. This pseudo-legendary is no picnic to acquire, though. Goomy reaches its second form at level 40, but will only evolve from Sliggoo at level 50 and above in the rain. Natural overworld rain, no less, as Rain Dance/Drizzle trickery won’t work. Seeking that sweet, sweet H2O out in the Wild Area can be infuriating at times, so we wish you the best of luck!

10 Tyrogue

Another old-school Gen II Pokémon, Tyrogue is the pre-evolved form of Hitmonchan. And Hitmonlee. And Hitmontop. As fans will know, there’s a convoluted way of deciding which of these furious Fighting-types you’re going to get. It all depends on Tyrogue’s stats on its evolution.

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With higher Defense than Attack, it’ll evolve into Hitmonchan. If the reverse is true, you’ll get a Hitmonlee. If both stats are equal, it’s a Hitmontop for you instead. Newer players (or those who are out of the loop) may find this quite a pain to manipulate. Still, it’s something lots of Pokémon players are familiar with by now, so we won't rate it any higher.

9 Karrablast And Shelmet

Why a joint entry? Well, you see, Karrablast and Shelmet’s fates are conjoined, entwined, like something out of one of Shakespeare’s love stories. Only, here, there’s no treacherous aide or general waiting in the wings to betray them and seize power for themselves.

Here’s the deal: these two Bug-types only evolve when they’re traded. Not in the manner of a simple trade evolution, you understand, but traded for each other. When you find a like-minded player who’s seeking the exact same evolution at the exact same time, you’ll get to bask in the simultaneous glory of their evolutions into Escavalier and Accelgor respectively. Again, though, this evolution method isn’t really news to anyone by now, so we can’t rate it any higher.

8 Sinistea

Of course, with the Galar region being based on the British Isles, there was always going to be a tea-related Pokémon. Luckily, Game Freak ensured that justice was done, in the shape of the pun-tastic Sinistea and its evolved form, Polteageist.

How do you evolve your adorable little teacup into a less-than-adorable tea pot? Well, interestingly, there are two different items required to do so. A lot of Sinistea simply evolve when exposed to a Cracked Pot, but there are rarer, ‘authentic’ Sinistea which need the Chipped Pot instead. A Cracked Pot is hidden on the rooftops of Stow-On-Side, but aside from that, you’ll mostly have to rely on the vendor at the same town if you’re hoping to get one or the other. It’s a curious little mystery that deserves a middle spot on our list.

7 Toxel

On the surface, the evolution method for Toxel is very simple. It evolves at level 30, which seems entirely foolproof. However, there’s much more to Toxtricity and you may not even have known it.

This punk rock-inspired Pokémon actually has two different forms: Amped Form and Low Key Form. In a first for the series, its form is determined by its nature (and cannot be changed by Mints, for whatever reason): a Bold, Relaxed, Timid, Modest, Bashful, Quiet, Mild, Careful, Gentle, Lonely, Serious, or Calm Toxel will evolve into a Low Key Toxtricity, while one of any of the other 13 natures will become Amped Form. There’s an obvious aesthetic difference between the two, but each also learns a different final level up move: Shift Gear for Amped Form and Magnetic Flux for Low Key Form.

6 Galarian Slowpoke

Earlier this year, Game Freak released a very special Pokémon: Galarian Slowpoke. It was intended as a kind of teaser for the DLC, and there was no way to evolve it. With the Isle of Armor’s release, though, fans can nab themselves a Poison/Psychic Galarian Slowbro of their very own. It’s not easy, though.

On arrival in the Isle of Armor, curious players may have already noticed an item called a Galarica Twig, found underneath trees as in the Wild Area. It may take some time to gather eight of them, but that’s what you’ll need to do. With the Galarica Twigs in hand, an NPC on an island near the Isle of Armor’s train station will give you a Galarica Cuff for them. Use this one Galarian Slowpoke from your inventory, and there’s your Galarian Slowbro. Holy fetch quest, Batman!

5 Inkay

Long-time Pokémon fans probably saw this one coming. That’s right, the Revolving Pokémon makes its return in Generation VIII and it’s brought its super quirky evolution method along with it.

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Yes, it’s clear how this odd idea fits perfectly with the concept of the Pokémon, but how could Game Freak ever have expected the player to figure this one out, without the aid of the Internet or an obscure NPC? To evolve Inkay into Malamar, the player has to hold their Switch upside down in handheld mode as it levels up (from level 30 onwards). It may not be strictly difficult, but in terms of pure unfathomability, there are only a few entries that top this one.

4 Galarian Farfetch’d

Ah, yes. Poor old Farfetch’d, having been little more than a joke at the community’s expense for over two decades, finally gets the last laugh. That silly leek-wielding duck you used to snark on? Well, that leek’s looking dang sharp these days, and this proud ducky warrior isn’t afraid to thrust it into any of your delicate fleshy bits.

That’s right, Farfetch’d actually has a Galarian form and an evolution now: the magnificent Sirfetch’d. With an impressive base Attack of 135 and the switch to Fighting typing, it’s actually fairly viable this time around (if you can patch up its lackluster Speed). In order for Farfetch’d to evolve, it will have to land three critical hits in a single battle, which is quite the creative challenge. There are still a couple that are even more difficult in our book, though.

3 Milcery

Milcery is an interesting case. For one thing, there are a total of 63 different forms of its evolution Alcremie. There are only very minor aesthetic differences between them, so you aren’t missing much if you don’t opt to try and collect them all. That would be a huge pain, anyway, because the method to evolve Milcery is a sort of Inkay 2.0.

Firstly, you need one of the sweet items it requires, which can be difficult to get your hands on. Next, you spin your control stick to make your Trainer perform a spin and finishing pose. Factors such as the length of the spin, whether you were moving clockwise or counter-clockwise and the time of day all determine the final form of your Alcremie.

2 Kubfu

That’s right, friends. As of the Isle of Armor expansion, another evolving Legendary Pokémon has been added to the mix: Kubfu. Players get a first glimpse of this little critter on the roof as they approach the Dojo, before eventually being entrusted with a Kubfu of their very own by Master Mustard.

As you’ve probably heard, it evolves into Urshifu, which has two different forms: Rapid Strike Style (Fighting/Water with the exclusive Water-type multi-hitting move Surging Strikes) and Single Strike Style (Fighting/Dark with the exclusive Dark-type attack Wicked Blow, which is also always a critical hit). These correspond to the Tower of Waters and the Tower of Shadows respectively, which must be conquered (using only Kubfu) in order for the Pokémon to evolve. We won’t spoil the challenge of the Towers, but rest assured that it’s quite a rigmarole for an evolution.

1 Galarian Yamask

Finally, we have perhaps the most obscure Pokémon evolution in the series to date. Once you’ve found a Galarian Yamask, you’ll need it to take 49 HP or more damage from one attack (without fainting). Next, head to the Wild Area, and the odd-looking bridge at the Dusty Bowl. As you pass beneath the bridge, your Galarian Yamask will evolve into Runerigus.

As with Cofagrigus, Runerigus is a slow, defensive Pokémon with a lot of interesting options. The switch to Ground/Ghost-type may hurt it, but we’ll see how it shapes up. In the meantime, what an oddly specific evolution method!

NEXT: Pokémon Sword & Shield: Every Gym Leader, Ranked