While Pokemon Sword and Shield may not have all of the franchise’s 800+ Pokemon available, it still offers a pretty solid selection of creatures from which players can put together a diverse and dynamic team. But why should they bother with a team of six when they can complete all of Sword and Shield with just a single Pokemon, as one bold player did.
This impressive feat was achieved by a player who goes by Celvx online, and to do this they needed a Pokemon they could get at the beginning of Sword and Shield, one with the potential to grow into an unstoppable powerhouse with enough time and patience. And the Pokemon they chose to be their sole partner in their adventure across the Galar region? The fluffy sheep Wooloo.
In explaining their choice to Polygon, Celvx said, “I choose Wooloo because it was available from the start of the game and had almost become a sort of psuedo-mascot for the game, with a lot of fan art for Sword and Shield featuring Wooloo. I chose Scorbunny [for my starter] and threw it in the PC boxes as soon as I could.”
In detailing their roughly 20-hour challenge run on Reddit, Celvx showed off their Wooloo, Ares, and revealed that they got him all the way to level 100, with a grand total of 217 HP. Through their perseverance, he managed to defeat every trainer and gym leader on their way to eventually beating the Galar Pokemon League champion Leon. What makes this especially impressive is that, as Celvx found out on Reddit, Ares has a negative attack Nature, meaning his attacks are decreased to make way for higher stats elsewhere. On the bright side, Celvx thinks “in the end, not having extra vulnerabilities to fire is what allowed me to take down Leon’s Charizard.”
Naturally, going at it with just Pokemon Sword and Shield’s adorable sheep came with a fair amount of trial and error, especially with the final gym leader, Raihan. This was the hardest part of the run, Celvx said, as the fight is a 2-vs-2 battle (they met the team requirement with a Magikarp, a Pokemon that has no useful moves until it evolves) that required around eight attempts to finally beat. The key to success was leveling Ares to level 90, an item called Eviolite that boosts the defense and special defense of any unevolved Pokemon holding it, and lots of potions.
With this run under their belt, Celvx has plenty of advice to share with anyone interested in attempting a solo-Pokemon run through Sword and Shield. Namely, get as many potions as possible and use items like Guard Spec that limit stat reductions. But above all, they advise players, “Get creative with it, push your boundaries, and most importantly, play the game in a way that’s fun to you!”
Pokemon Sword and Shield are out for the Switch.