With the release of The Isle of Armor expansion, Fletchling, the star of the Kalos region’s bird type Pokémon, has finally landed in Galar! Here’s how to find Fletchling and evolve it into Talonflame in Sword and Shield.

Where To Find Fletchling

Unfortunately, you will not be able to find Fletchling without The Isle of Armor expansion. As the expansion is still fairly new, Fletchling’s exact locations and rates have yet to be pinned down. However, players have reported encountering Fletchling most frequently in the daytime, during sunny weather conditions. It seems to be more common around Loop Lagoon, Challenge Road, and Potbottom Desert, so running around those areas during the daytime and in sunny weather will hopefully see Fletchling added to your party!

If all else fails, Fletchling can also be found through Dynamax raid dens.

Related: Pokemon Sword & Shield: How To Find & Evolve Bulbasaur Into Venusaur

Evolving Fletchling Into Flechinder or Talonflame

Fletchling evolves into Flechinder at level 17. At level 35 Flechinder will evolve into Talonflame, a Fire and Flying-type Pokémon with a speed stat that’s off the charts. No special mechanics or items necessary!

Battle Tactics

Fletchling has a low but well-rounded stat set suited to early game. Not very unique, right? This is where Flechinder comes in. Its stats, particularly Speed, get a huge boost upon evolution. Gale Wings and Flame Body make the most of Flechinder and Talonflame’s speed and Flying-type move sets, with Gale Wing in particular enabling some spectacular damage dealing.

Gale Wings gives priority to moves like Roost and Acrobatics, which makes having Acrobatics—Flechinder’s strongest STAB move—a must. Combining Acrobatics with Swords Dance will raise Flechinder’s mediocre Attack stat to a point where Acrobatics will clear just about anything that isn’t resistant to the move. Roost gives Flechinder more survivability and a chance to stay on the field for longer.

Talonflame and Brave Bird are a dynamic duo. A Talonflame with the Gale Wings trait, Brave Bird, Flare Blitz, and Roost is basically a nuker. Talonflame’s speed means that it can outpace just about any of its opponents, and with Gale Wings to buff Brave Bird and Roost, Talonflame becomes a hard-hitting offensive player with enough longevity to make your opponent hurt for longer.

Next: Pokemon Sword & Shield: How To Find & Evolve Squirtle Into Blastoise