Pokemon That Only Evolve by Trading Can Now Be Caught in Pokemon Sword and Shield

Fan-favorite Pokemon like Machamp and Gengar can now be caught in the wild in Pokemon Sword and Shield. Growing up as the only Pokemon fan in my group of friends, one frustration I often experienced was not having access to certain Pokemon like Gengar or Machamp. These Pokemon would only evolve when traded, which meant that players like me (who had no one to trade with) lacked any viable way to collect these Pokemon. Game Freak never made these Pokemon available to catch in the wild, supposedly to encourage players to trade with their friends. Over the years, Game Freak has added over 20 Pokemon species that could only be evolved through trading, leaving some big holes in the collections of anyone who couldn't find a trade partner.

However, in Pokemon Sword and Shield, Game Freak has made some of these evolved Pokemon available to catch in the wild for the very first time. Ten different Pokemon species that evolve through a trade can now be caught either through Max Raid Battles or by searching for them in the Wild Area. Eight of these ten species (including Machamp and Rhyperior) can now be caught in a Pokemon game for the first time ever. The ten Pokemon species are:

• Machamp
• Gengar
• Gigalith
• Gourgeist
• Trevenant
• Steelix
• Rhyperior
• Dusknoir
• Slurpuff
• Aromatisse

Players can find these Pokemon either as random "Strong Spawns" that appear in the Wild Area outside of tall grass or in Max Raid Battles. While this isn't a huge change to the Pokemon games, it's a very welcome one for players (like me) who struggle to find good trade partners. With the loss of the Global Trade System, it seems that Game Freak wanted to make sure players had the opportunity to get these Pokemon, even if a trade partner wasn't available.

Are you happy that you can finally catch a Machamp in the wild? Let us know in the comment section or find me on Twitter at @CHofferCBus to chat all things Pokemon!