Players are able to capture Spiritomb in the new Crown Tundra DLC of Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield, but catching the rare Pokemon isn't easy. First, there are several steps to be taken to encounter Spiritomb, but catching it will be worthwhile. Keep in mind that Nintendo Switch Online is needed to catch Spiritomb.
Spiritomb is a rare Ghost and Dark-type Pokemon that was introduced back in Generation 4 with Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. It's said to be a very dangerous Pokemon that holds the 108 spirits of others trapped in an Odd Keystone for doing misdeeds. Catching it in Pokemon Sword and Shield's Crown Tundra DLC is very similar to how it was caught in the 4th generation games. Spiritomb is part of the Crown Tundra-specific Pokedex and will need to be caught to complete it.
Step 1: Find the Tombstone
To encounter Spiritomb in Crown Tundra, a quest will be initiated by clicking on a tombstone. Starting from the fast-travel point is Ballimere Lake, turn right, heading towards the cliff edge, and go down the small slope on the left getting even closer to the ocean. Turn left and continue to hug the cliff edge to avoid the large patches of grass and continue straight down this path towards the back of this area.
Up ahead will be a rock with a yellow Pokeball next to it. Grab it to get TR20 Substitute and turn right. The path will shortly end and there will be a tombstone sitting underneath a tree. There are words carved into the headstone that say "Spread my voice."
Step 2: Spread Spiritomb's Voice
This is the part of the quest that is an ode to Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum because the requirement to encounter Spiritomb is the same as the Generation 4 games. Here, the player will need to connect to the internet, which requires Nintendo Switch Online to interact with other players. While they don't need to be on the player's friends list, those attempting to encounter Spiritomb will need to interact with 32 other trainers in this area.
There are a couple of points to keep in mind. Firstly, there's no in-game counter, so the player will need to do this themselves. Secondly, it's unclear whether or not the player can fly away in the middle of this quest without resetting this counter.
Step 3: Revisit the Tombstone
After speaking to 32 other Crown Tundra players, new words will be etched into the tombstone to signify that the requirement has been met: "My voice has been heard." At this point, it looks like the player must refly back into the area to trigger Spiritomb's arrival. After doing so, Spiritomb should be sitting in front of the tombstone. Spiritomb has a high catch rate, so it should be fairly easy to snag, possibly even simply tossing a Pokeball at the start of battle if the player is using a high-level Pokemon to combat the Ghost-type.
Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield are out now for Nintendo Switch.