The first of Pokémon Sword and Shield‘s two DLC expansions, Isle of Armor, is now available to download for owners of the base game, bringing with it adventures aplenty and entire landmass to explore. The main attraction, however, is the influx of new and returning Pokémon for Trainers to catch and add to their Pokédex, the latter of which caused quite a stir last year when it emerged that Game Freak had opted to cut hundreds of existing Pokémon from the Gen 8 games in order to focus on adding unique gameplay features.
One brand new Pokémon, on the other hand, that calls this Eastern-themed island home is Galarian Slowpoke. Similarly to all regional variants, this redesigned Gen 1 critter has actually been obtainable in-game as part of an event added to Sword and Shield back in early January, though only now is it able to evolve. As for how one goes about achieving that objective, well, Game Freak expects you to jump through a few hoops before you can add Galarian Slowbro to your team.
With Sword and Shield‘s expansion pass installed, take the train from Windhurst Station to Isle of Armor. Here, you’ll be greeted by an NPC (their identity differs depending on which version you own) and sent on your merry way into the Wild Area. Instead of pushing forward towards the dojo visible in the distance though, you’ll want to pay a personal visit to every tree you lay eyes upon. On rare occasion, you’ll receive Galarica Twigs by rummaging through the evergreen’s undergrowth, of which you’ll need eight before proceeding on your quest.
Assuming you have the required number, head back to the train station but don’t go inside. Instead, hook a left and head in a straight line (you’ll be traversing open water) until you reach an island home to a single NPC, who will hand you a Galarica Cuff as payment for the aforementioned Twigs. Give the key item to a Slowpoke of your choice to trigger the evolution process. Voila!
Pokémon Sword and Shield‘s Isle of Armor DLC will be followed later this year with a second add-on, Crown Tundra. See here for everything we know so far about the latter.
