It’s International Women’s Day, and there are plenty of female-only Pokémon in Pokémon Sword and Shield to help us celebrate! Here’s who they are, where to find them, and how to evolve them.
Milcery and Alcremie
Milcery is a Fairy-type female Pokémon that appears on Route 4 as a random encounter. Players can also find it in foggy weather in the Bridge Field and the Giant’s Mirror in the Wild Area.
Milcery has one of the most unique evolution methods in the game. Players must have it hold a Sweet and then dance with it. The Sweet it holds, the time of day, and how the player dances will all determine what Alcremie looks like after Milcery evolves into it.
Alcremie also has a Gigantamax form. Players can only get Gigantamax forms in Max Raid Battles, but certain Milcery from a past event will be able to evolve into an Alcremie that can Gigantamax.
Bounsweet, Steenee, and Tsareena
Bounsweet is fairly common in the Wild Area and can be found in East Lake Axwell, West Lake Axwell, the Stony Wilderness, the Dappled Grove, and the Watchtower Ruins. This Pokémon evolves to Steenee at level 18, which becomes Tsareena when it levels up while knowing the move “Stomp”. They are all Grass-type. Tsareena can also be found in the Overworld in the Stony Wilderness.
Hatenna, Hattrem, and Hatterene
These Psychic/Fairy-type Pokémon are new to the franchise in Pokémon Sword and Shield. Hatenna appears in Hammerlocke Hills and the Stony Wilderness in foggy weather, as well as Motostoke Outskirts in any weather. It evolves into Hattrem at level 32 and then into Hatterene at level 42. Hatterene will also appear in the Lake of Outrage, and all three will spawn in Max Raid Battles. Hatterene even has a Gigantamax form.
Vullaby and Mandibuzz
These are Dark/Flying-types that only appear in Pokémon Shield. Vullaby appears on Route 8 and in the Wild Area in the Bridge Field and in the Stony Wilderness. It evolves into Mandibuzz at level 54. Sword players will have to trade for them or transfer them from Pokémon Home.
Froslass, Salazzle, and Vespiqueen
These Pokémon all evolve from creatures that can be either male or female but must be female to evolve. Froslass evolves from female Snorunt with a Dawn Stone, Salazzle evolves from female Salandit at level 33, and Vespiqueen evolves from female Combee at level 21. They can also appear in Max Raid Battles.
There are also a number of other female-only Pokémon in the franchise that aren’t in Pokémon Sword and Shield. Which ones do you hope to see appear in the DLC?
