One of them is No. 47 Spiritomb has arrived in Pokémon Sword and Shield, but it’s one of the most difficult new Pokémon to find.
Spiritomb, who is No. 442 in the National Pokédex, was first brought into the Pokémon world with Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. This unique Dark and Ghost Type Pokémon is one of the game’s toughest, as it only has one single weakness.
Spiritomb actually had zero weaknesses for its first two generations, as Fairy Type, the one current weakness of Spiritomb, didn’t get introduced as a type until Generation VI with Pokémon X and Y.
While one of the game’s more unique Pokémon and usually one that’s difficult to acquire, Spiritomb is not actually a Legendary Pokémon and can be hatched and bred like most Pokémon. If you’re looking to complete the Crown Tundra Pokédex, though, you’re still going to need to catch No. 47 Spiritomb.
How to find and encounter Spiritomb
You’ll need to be far enough in Pokémon Sword and Shield that you can ride your Rotom Bike on water to get to Spiritomb, but you’ll probably want to finish out the game’s main story to have a party that’s properly equipped for the battle.
Once you feel you’re ready, you’ll want to head to Ballimere Lake. You can first travel to Dyna Tree Hill, which is a good starting point to navigate to Spiritomb’s location.
Once you’ve arrived at Dyna Tree Hill, head forward and take a right. Go a little ways until you see a ramp down to the left that leads to a lower area. Take the ramp and turn left again.
Follow this area to the back, and you’ll find a single tree with a tombstone beneath if. If you interact with the tombstone, you’ll notice it is carved with the words “Spread my voice.”
“Spread my voice.”
These carved words are the key to finding Spiritomb. In order to trigger the encounter, you’ll need to activate the game’s online features and walk around to speak to other trainers visible on the overworld.
The exact amount of trainers you need to speak to seems to vary, as some have reported as few as thirty or as many as forty. Personally, it’s easy to lose track of how many you’ve talked to, so don’t fret too much over keeping count.
You’ll know you’ve spoken to a new trainer if they give you an item. Speak to as many trainers as you can find, then head back to the tombstone under the tree to see if Spiritomb has appeared. If it hasn’t, just head back out and talk to more trainers.
If you’re having trouble finding them, you’ll often see trainers pop up near Pokémon Dens where you’d do a Max Raid battle. When you’ve finally spread Spiritomb’s voice enough, you’ll find it in front of the tombstone waiting to be encountered.
Tips to battle and capture Spiritomb
When you start the encounter, you’ll be up against a Spiritomb that’s Level 72. With the unique combo of Ghost and Dark Type, it’ll be immune to Fighting Type, Normal Type, and Psychic Type moves.
This serves as an extra troubling factor when it comes to catching Spiritomb, as the usually excellent Pokémon catching machine Gallade is rendered pretty much useless. False Swipe, and any Psychic or Fighting Type moves Gallade knows, will have no effect on Spiritomb.
However, this is a way around this immunity. If you want to use Gallade, you’ll also want to bring a Pelipper with you that knows the move Soak. Fortunately, Pelipper isn’t too difficult to find in Pokémon Sword and Shield.
If the Pelipper you have doesn’t already know Soak, just head to a Pokémon Center and speak to the man on the left to help it remember the move. Soak will turn an opposing Pokémon into Water Type, making moves like False Swipe usable once again.
You’ll need Pelipper to be strong, but it only has to get off one move, so it doesn’t need to be a perfect specimen. Either way, whittle down Spiritomb’s health until the right moment and throw an Ultra Ball or Timer Ball to catch it.
If you want, try opening the battle with the toss of a Quick Ball. It may seem unlikely, but I actually caught my Spiritomb on turn one with a Quick Ball. Give it a shot, and continue the battle if it fails.
If you are looking for Rockruff next, check out our complete Rockruff guide!