Pokémon fans all across the world were recently shocked when Ash Ketchum became the first Champion of the Alola Pokémon League, seemingly ending a journey that has been going on for twenty-two years.
It seems that the Pokémon franchise isn't done shocking its fans, though, as a new evolution for Farfetch'd was announced today. Farfetch'd can now evolve into a Fighting-type Pokémon called Sirfetch'd in Pokémon Sword, which might mean Farfetch'd's is no longer useless in battle.
The existence of Sirfetch'd means that retro fans can accomplish something that they have wanted to do since 1998 by transferring DUX into a modern Pokémon game and finally turn it into a useful Pokémon in battle.
What Is DUX?
In Pokémon Red & Blue, the only way to acquire a Farfetch'd was through an in-game trade with a person in Vermillion City. Players needed to catch a Spearow and trade it for a Farfetch'd, which was always named DUX. The lack of any breeding mechanic meant that many gamers were stuck with a Farfetch'd called DUX if they wanted to use it on their team.
Pokémon Yellow allowed players to catch Farfetch'd on Route 12 and Route 13, which could be traded to Pokémon Red & Blue, but players had to wait a year for this to happen. The people who played Pokémon Red & Blue on an emulator were also prevented from trading, so they were stuck with DUX.
The Virtual Console Can Trade To Pokémon Bank
The Pokémon in Pokémon Red & Blue could be traded to Pokémon Gold & Silver, but that was the extent of the trading process, as those games were unable to trade forward to Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire.
It became possible to trade Pokémon forward in 2016, as Pokémon Red, Blue, & Yellow were released for the Virtual Console on Nintendo 3DS. It was also possible to use the Poké Transporter app to transfer Pokémon from the Virtual Console games into Pokémon Bank, which could then be used to transfer them into Pokémon Sun & Moon.
Pokémon Home To Pokémon Sword To Sirfetch'd
It won't be necessary to use Pokémon Sun & Moon to bring DUX forward, as the upcoming Pokémon HOME service is supposed to allow transfers from Pokémon Bank into Pokémon Sword & Shield.
With all of this in mind, it will be possible to send DUX to Pokémon Sword when Pokémon HOME launches in 2020. Players can use the Poké Transporter to send it to Pokémon Bank, then to Pokémon HOME, then to Pokémon Sword, where it can be evolved into a Sirfetch'd and finally become the fearsome Pokémon it was always destined to be.