The Isle of Armor DLC has brought tons of great additions to Pokémon Sword & Shield, but one of the most exciting and unexpected was the return of Pokémon following behind you out of their Pokéball. Once again, you can explore the wilderness with your teammates travelling beside you, just like in Pokémon Yellow and the Pokémon Let’s Go games.
This might seem insignificant to most players, but the number of animations put into this process is massive, as each Pokémon has to walk differently and has to resemble its actual size compared to a human trainer. These are just some of the funniest and coolest walking partners you could choose from.
10 Blissey
One of the weird quirks of the Isle of Armor's version of Pokémon following you is that they can often be quite slow, causing most of them to frequently teleport up to you. This can make many fast Pokémon disappointing, but the Pokémon that struggle to keep up with you are all the more entertaining.
Blissey is by far one of the best in this regard, running after you with some of the largest steps as it attempts to keep up with you. It might not be fast, but it’s makes up for it with great stats and a strong effort as it leaps through the grass.
9 Jigglypuff
Jigglypuffs are some of the first Pokémon you’ll find in the Isle of Armor, with many spawning right near Armor Station during nice weather. Here you’ll see that besides walking on its feet, it’ll also blow itself slightly larger as it gently floats towards you.
Jigglypuff is described as the Balloon Pokémon in the Pokédex, but most people know it from the anime and Super Smash Bros. as a deadly ball of pink fluff who loves to sing. Seeing it embrace its original identity by floating in the wind makes this Jigglypuff appearance far cuter than any of its previous appearances.
8 Porygon2
Many Pokémon can only show up on land, but if you have any Pokémon that fly or float, they usually can follow you over the water on your Rotom Bike too. This includes the virtual Pokémon, Porygon2, who can float over any terrain as it bobs its way behind you.
What sets Porygon2 apart from its other evolutions, and other floating Pokémon, is its spinning legs and wobbly head that move rapidly as it tries to catch up with you. Much like Blissey, this Pokémon is in a rush to keep up with you, and it’s a detail that makes it more entertaining than most other levitating followers.
7 Cinderace
Fast Pokémon can’t always keep up with you on the ground, but the ones that can are all the more impressive and fun to wander with. Cinderace is one of these, using its long legs to run quickly beside you like it’s trying to score a goal in a soccer game.
Most of the Galar starters are quite fast runners, Cinderace's peppy and athletic style makes it far more distinct than the others. Moving with it feels almost like you’re on a jog together, making Cinderace feel less like a pet and more like a workout partner.
6 Skarmory
Most of the birds you can find in Galar will be great walking partners, as they’ll mostly stay in the air and will hit full speed incredibly fast. Fast flyers like Talonflame and Braviary do this quite well, but Skarmory might be one of the best as it pointedly glides like a javelin through the wind.
It might be more simplistic than these others, but having too much movement can become additionally disappointing when you’re moving using your Rotom Bike’s boost. Skarmory moves exactly as fast as you think it would, and its stable animation makes for a smooth travel partner.
5 Alolan Raichu
Alolan Raichu might have been able to follow you in the Pokémon Let’s Go games, but the Kanto environment isn't the most ideal space for this adorable surfer. With the beaches and rivers with this DLC, this Pokémon can be one of the most fun to have beside you as it rides its tail over both land and sea.
Since there was never a way to have Pokémon out of their Pokéballs in Pokémon Sun & Moon, this version of Raichu didn’t get to shine outside of battle too much. If you happen to have this particular version of Pikachu’s evolution, you’ll quickly find it suits this Isle of Armor just as well as the islands of Alola.
4 Eternatus
While it might not be the cover legendary, Eternatus is undoubtedly one of the best legendaries of Pokémon Sword & Shield. It’s one of the largest in the entire series even before it takes its Gigantamax form, so the idea of having one walking behind you seems like it’d make you intimidating.
In the end, it’s much funnier than it is scary, since its size is not too massive and it can be easily pushed back as you walk into it. Some might find this underwhelming, but pushing into this titanic ancient dragon and having it follow you like a pet is much more entertaining and silly than most other walking partners.
3 Goomy
While some Pokémon are working hard to keep up with you, many species simply don’t care about how fast you walk. Some simply don’t care enough to match your speed, but others are physically incapable and just calmly take their time.
One of the best of these is Goomy, the tiny ball of slime that eventually evolves into the much stronger and faster Goodra. You would never expect it to move fast, but it would be much more unsettling to see it moving as fast as you. With its kind face and small size, it’s perfectly fitting to watch it ooze across the grass.
2 Kubfu
The actual movement of Kubfu isn’t too impressive, but this powerful bear is the first walking partner you get before being able to have all your Pokémon follow you. Thanks to this, you get far more impressive situations with it outside of its Pokéball as you travel to gorgeous viewpoints across the Isle of Armor.
These cutscenes aren’t impressive, but they make great opportunities for screenshots and would have been spectacular to do with any Pokémon. It’s great to have your partners walk beside you, but these experiences make Kubfu one of the most memorable partners to explore with.
1 Charizard
Charizards will take some lumbering steps on the ground while it walks, but move a little faster or farther and it’ll immediately flap its wings over to you quicker. This makes it one of the only Pokémon in the game with two types of movement, and both of them are smooth and detailed in a way that other Pokémon envy.
With Leon having his signature Charizard out of its Pokéball through most of the game’s main story, it’s extremely satisfying to have your own behind you. Since you already took the title of Champion from him, it’s only right that you should have a turn with a Charizard flying with you.