Pokemon Sword and Shield bring back many iconic elements of the series. This includes catching Pokemon, raising them, and eventually evolving them. However, some Pokemon will not simply evolve through leveling, requiring an additional or different step in some cases. In Generation 8, this case applies to many familiar faces from previous games. To aid these alternative methods, evolutionary stones used to evolve specific Pokemon make their return in the Galar region.
Evolution stones have been part of the game since Generation 1 where the Fire, Water, Thunder, Leaf, and Moon stones debuted. Stones contain the crystallized power of a specific element, allowing Pokemon that hold them to evolve into their final forms. As new regions were added, the number of stones have increased to include types like the Ice stone. Throughout the series, trainers have been able to buy these stones in addition to finding them while adventuring. However, in Pokemon Sword and Shield, there is no store to buy stones from so this guide will detail where to find all ten stones.
Evolution Stone Locations
Fire Stone: Located in the Lake Miloch section of the Wild Area. Head to the northern part of Lake Miloch and cross the river via a bridge. After crossing the bridge, the Fire Stone will be sitting at the base of the large wall on the left.
Water Stone: Located in the Bridge Field section of the Wild Area. Look for a large wall surrounding Motostoke, then an energy well near the base of the wall; the Water Stone will be a few feet from the well.
Leaf Stone: Located near Turffield, the first major city encountered in-game. Take the slope leading out of Turffield to the right and come across a female NPC. The Leaf Stone will be on the short path to her right.
Thunder Stone: Located in the Lake of Outrage section of the Wild Area. The Thunder Stone is found on a small area on the opposite site of the lake, reachable only once trainers have acquired the water mode for their Rotom Bike.
Moon Stone: Located in the Dusty Bowl section of the Wild Area. The Moon Stone will be found in a crevice, near some grass in the western part of the area.
Sun Stone: Located in the Dusty Bowl. In the northern part of the Dusty Bowl, past the Motostoke, trainers can find the Sun Stone on the ground.
Shiny Stone: Located on Route 8. Climb down a ladder and defeat Doctor Joanna in a trainer battle. Take the ladder to her right, then head down the path on the right, leading south. The Shiny Stone will be along the end of this path.
Dusk Stone: Located in Stow-on-Side. Walk behind the back of the Poke Mart and the Dusk Stone will be lying there on the ground.
Dawn Stone: Located in the Giant's Cap section of the Wild Area. Head to the southern end of the western part in Giant's Cap. The Dawn Stone will be in an area overlooking the nearby Dusty Bowl.
Ice Stone: Located on Route 9. Immediately after obtaining the water mode upgrade, bike into the water toward the upper right corner, near the iceberg. The Ice Stone will be sparkling in the water.
An Alternative Method
Trainers can also acquire all Evolution Stones from the Lake of Outrage section in the Wild Area. Near Hammerlocke Hills, players can bike across the lake into a circle of large stones. The first time around, trainers will see a sparkle at each stone and can inspect them to receive an Evolution Stone, up to eight in total. Afterwards, the Evolution Stones will occasionally respawn, so trainers can keep farming up over time. Note that the respawn is random, so this method might not give trainers the stone they need immediately.
In the end, these Evolution Stones can be used to evolve dozens of familiar Pokemon in the Galar region, even into new forms and regional variants.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are out now exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
Source: SegmentNext