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Pokémon Sword and Shield: Evolution Items, Uses, and Locations

A guide to Sword and Shield evolution stones and special items: what each evolves, whether to use, hold, trade, level up, or spin, and where sources report finding them.
Length4 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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In Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, evolution items work in different ways: stones and some special items are used from the Bag, trade items must be held during a trade, and Milcery must hold a Sweet before you spin. Below is what each item evolves, the condition to trigger it, and where the cited guides report finding it. Locations include the base games and, where marked, expansion content.

How evolution items work

Evolutionary items are one-use items, so you need another copy for each evolution. The main item types differ in how they trigger evolution:

  • Use from the Bag: Select the eligible Pokémon and use an Evolution Stone or a direct-use item such as an apple or pot.
  • Hold during a trade: Give the item to the Pokémon, then trade it. Trading back is a separate step if you want to keep the evolved Pokémon.
  • Hold while leveling up: Happiny must hold an Oval Stone and gain a level during the day.
  • Hold before a spin: Give Milcery a Sweet, then rotate the control stick to trigger its evolution.

For item-location details, Serebii’s Sword and Shield item list covers sources across the games and expansions; the RPG Site evolution-stone guide reports stone locations and additional item methods.

Evolution Stones: use directly on a Pokémon

Use the named stone from the Bag on a compatible Pokémon. These are the stone evolutions covered by the cited guides; expansion-only Alolan forms are marked.

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Stone Eligible Pokémon and evolution Reported locations
Dawn Stone Male Kirlia → Gallade; female Snorunt → Froslass Giant’s Cap, Lake of Outrage, and Digging Duo
Dusk Stone Lampent → Chandelure; Doublade → Aegislash Stow-on-Side, Lake of Outrage, and Digging Duo
Fire Stone Eevee → Flareon; Growlithe → Arcanine; Vulpix → Ninetales Motostoke Riverbank and Lake of Outrage
Ice Stone Eevee → Glaceon; Galarian Darumaka → Galarian Darmanitan; Alolan Vulpix → Alolan Ninetales and Alolan Sandshrew → Alolan Sandslash (expansion content) Route 9 and Lake of Outrage
Leaf Stone Eevee → Leafeon; Gloom → Vileplume; Nuzleaf → Shiftry Turffield and Lake of Outrage
Moon Stone Clefairy → Clefable; Munna → Musharna; Jigglypuff → Wigglytuff Dusty Bowl
Shiny Stone Togetic → Togekiss; Roselia → Roserade; Minccino → Cinccino Route 8 and Lake of Outrage
Sun Stone Gloom → Bellossom; Cottonee → Whimsicott; Helioptile → Heliolisk; Petilil → Lilligant Dusty Bowl
Thunder Stone Magneton → Magnezone; Charjabug → Vikavolt Location details not stated in the cited guide

Stone locations above are reported by RPG Site. A listed area may contain a pickup or a repeatable source; check the item entry for the specific source rather than assuming every location works the same way. The source also reports Isle of Armor locations for some stones.

Other items used directly

These items are used from the Bag rather than held for a trade or level-up.

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  • Continue your Pokémon Sword or Pokémon Shield adventure in The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra, two new areas to explore that will be added to the Galar region as part of the Pokémon Shield Expansion Pass or Pokémon Sword Expansion Pass
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Item Evolution and condition Reported availability
Sweet Apple Applin → Appletun; version-specific to Shield in the cited guide See Serebii’s item list for sources across base game and expansion content
Tart Apple Applin → Flapple; version-specific to Sword in the cited guide See Serebii’s item list for sources across base game and expansion content
Galarica Cuff Galarian Slowpoke → Galarian Slowbro Expansion content; see Serebii’s item list for sources
Galarica Wreath Galarian Slowpoke → Galarian Slowking Expansion content; see Serebii’s item list for sources
Cracked Pot Sinistea → Polteageist See Serebii’s item list for sources
Chipped Pot Rare-form Sinistea → Polteageist See Serebii’s item list for sources

For the Sinistea branch, the chipped pot entry applies to the rare-form Sinistea; use the pot matching the form you have.

Items held during a trade

Give the item to the first Pokémon, then trade it to trigger evolution. For Porygon’s two-stage path, trade Porygon holding an Up-Grade first, then trade the resulting Porygon2 holding a Dubious Disc.

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Pokemon Shield - Nintendo Switch (European Version)
  • New entries in the main series of Pokémon RPGs arrive on Nintendo Switch simultaneously in late 2019
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Held item Pokémon → evolution
Metal Coat Onix → Steelix; Scyther → Scizor
King’s Rock Slowpoke → Slowking; Poliwhirl → Politoed
Prism Scale Feebas → Milotic
Protector Rhydon → Rhyperior
Reaper Cloth Dusclops → Dusknoir
Sachet Spritzee → Aromatisse
Up-Grade Porygon → Porygon2
Dubious Disc Porygon2 → Porygon-Z
Whipped Dream Swirlix → Slurpuff

Oval Stone: level up Happiny in daytime

Give Happiny an Oval Stone to hold, then level it up during the day. It evolves into Chansey. The item is not used directly from the Bag, and the day condition matters.

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Sweets: evolve Milcery by spinning

Give Milcery one of these seven Sweets to hold, then rotate the control stick to spin: Berry Sweet, Clover Sweet, Flower Sweet, Love Sweet, Ribbon Sweet, Star Sweet, or Strawberry Sweet. Milcery evolves into Alcremie. The spin’s direction, speed, duration, and time of day affect Alcremie’s appearance; the Sweet is a held item, not a directly used stone.

Rank #4
Pokémon Sword - Nintendo Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]
  • Catch, battle, and trade Pokémon on an all-new adventure in the Galar region
  • Choose from three new partner Pokémon and encounter never-before-seen Pokémon
  • Unravel the mystery behind the Legendary Pokémon Zacian and Zamazenta!
  • Team up with other Trainers to participate in Max Raid Battles
  • Battle wild Dynamax Pokémon in Max Raid Battles and try catching them

Serebii’s item database lists Sweet availability through shops and area sources, while its evolution-method reference describes the spin conditions. See the item catalogue for item sources.

Where to look for more copies

The base-game sources reported by the cited guides include fixed ground pickups, shops, the Digging Duo, Poké Jobs, wild Pokémon holding items, and other sources. Some are repeatable or randomized rather than guaranteed pickups. The Isle of Armor adds Cram-o-Matic routes for evolution items; the catalogue also includes Crown Tundra and other expansion sources. Confirm that you have the relevant expansion before following an expansion-specific location or method. The official Pokémon Sword and Shield website provides game context, but not a complete item-location reference.

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