Pokemon Sword and Shield
Pokemon Sword and Shield

Move Tutors & Important NPCs

Locate Move Tutors and important NPCs in Pokemon Sword and Shield. Learn to teach new moves and gain advantages for competitive play in the Galar region.

·Multi-source verified (89/89)

Move Tutors & Important NPCs

Beyond the main story and Gym Challenges, Galar is teeming with helpful individuals who can fine-tune your Pokémon's abilities, teach them new moves, or provide invaluable items. Mastering these interactions is crucial for competitive play and completing your Pokédex. This detailed guide will walk you through locating and using Galar's most significant Move Tutors and NPCs.

Move Tutors: Mastering Your Pokémon's Arsenal

Move Tutors offer specialized services that go beyond what TMs and TRs can provide. These unique moves can often turn the tide in battle, offering coverage, status effects, or powerful offensive options not available elsewhere.

The Move Reminder

The Move Reminder is arguably the most frequently visited Move Tutor. This NPC allows your Pokémon to remember any move they previously learned, including level-up moves, Egg Moves (if applicable), and even some event-exclusive moves. This is incredibly useful for adjusting your team's strategy or correcting accidental move deletions.

  • Location: You'll find the Move Reminder inside every Pokémon Center, standing near the left counter.
  • Cost: Free! You can change your Pokémon's moves as often as you like without any cost.
  • Strategy: Don't be afraid to experiment with different move sets. The Move Reminder makes it easy to revert to previous configurations if a new strategy doesn't pan out. Consider moves that offer type coverage against common threats or provide utility like status conditions or entry hazards.

The Name Rater

Want to give your beloved Pokémon a more personal touch? The Name Rater is your go-to NPC for changing your Pokémon's nicknames. While not a Move Tutor, this service is essential for personalizing your team.

  • Location: The Name Rater is located in the city of Hammerlocke. Enter the house immediately to the left of the Pokémon Center. He's the man sitting at the table.
  • Cost: Free!
  • Strategy: Choose names that are meaningful to you, or that reflect your Pokémon's personality or battle style. Remember, you can only rename Pokémon you are the original trainer of.

The IV Judge

For trainers serious about competitive battling, understanding Individual Values (IVs) is paramount. The IV Judge function, unlocked by reaching a certain point in the game, allows you to assess your Pokémon's potential in each stat.

  • Unlock Condition: To unlock the IV Judge, you must first defeat Leon and become the Champion of the Galar region. After that, head to the Battle Tower in Wyndon and win 6 battles. After your 6th victory, the IV Judge function will be added to your PC boxes.
  • Location: Once unlocked, the IV Judge function is accessible directly from any PC box. Simply select a Pokémon and press the '+' button to toggle the summary view, which will now include the "Judge" option.
  • Interpretation:
    • Best: Perfect IVs (31)
    • Fantastic: Very high IVs (30)
    • Very Good: High IVs (26-29)
    • Pretty Good: Decent IVs (16-25)
    • Decent: Average IVs (1-15)
    • No Good: Zero IVs (0)
  • Strategy: Aim for "Best" in crucial stats for competitive Pokémon. For example, a fast attacker wants "Best" in Attack/Special Attack and Speed. Sometimes, a "No Good" in Attack is desired for special attackers to minimize Foul Play damage, or "No Good" in Speed for Trick Room teams.

Important NPCs: Beyond Battle

Galar is also home to many other NPCs who offer valuable items, services, or even Pokémon. Don't overlook these encounters!

The Digging Duo

These two brothers in the Wild Area are a fantastic source of rare items, particularly valuable for competitive training and evolution.

  • Location: You'll find the Digging Duo near the nursery in the Bridge Field section of the Wild Area.
  • Service: For 500 Watts per dig, they will excavate items for you. The brother on the left (Skill Brother) focuses on finding rarer items, while the brother on the right (Stamina Brother) digs more times but often yields common items.
  • Notable Items:
    • Fossils: Used to revive Fossil Pokémon.
    • Evolution Stones: Fire Stone, Water Stone, Thunder Stone, Leaf Stone, Moon Stone, Sun Stone, Dusk Stone, Dawn Stone, Shiny Stone.
    • Bottle Caps: Used for Hyper Training (see below).
    • Rare Candies, Exp. Candies: For quick leveling.
    • TRs: Technical Records, single-use TMs for powerful moves.
  • Strategy: If you're hunting for specific rare items like Bottle Caps or evolution stones, the Skill Brother is generally your better bet, despite his higher chance of stopping early. If you need a large quantity of common items or just want to burn Watts, the Stamina Brother is good.

The Hyper Trainer

Once your Pokémon reaches Level 100, the Hyper Trainer can maximize their Individual Values (IVs) using Bottle Caps or Gold Bottle Caps. This is crucial for making a Pokémon competitively viable even if its natural IVs aren't perfect.

  • Location: The Hyper Trainer is located inside the Battle Tower in Wyndon, standing behind the counter to the right.
  • Service: For one Bottle Cap, he will maximize one chosen stat's IVs to "Best." For one Gold Bottle Cap, he will maximize all six stats' IVs to "Best."
  • Requirements: The Pokémon must be Level 100.
  • Strategy: Save your Bottle Caps for Pokémon you intend to use in serious competitive battles. Gold Bottle Caps are extremely rare, so use them wisely on Pokémon that need multiple stats maximized. Remember, Hyper Training only affects a Pokémon's stats in battle; it does not change their underlying genetic IVs for breeding purposes.

Watt Traders

These helpful individuals are scattered throughout the Wild Area and offer several useful items in exchange for Watts.

  • Location: Watt Traders are found at various points across the Wild Area, usually near the entrances to different zones or at prominent landmarks. They are easily identifiable by their unique uniform.
  • Notable Items:
    • Wishing Pieces: Used to summon Dynamax Pokémon to empty Raid Dens.
    • Technical Records (TRs): A rotating stock of powerful, single-use moves. Their inventory changes daily, so check back often!
    • Luxury Balls, Dive Balls, Net Balls, etc.: A selection of specialized Poké Balls.
    • Exp. Candies: For leveling up your Pokémon quickly.
  • Strategy: Always keep a healthy supply of Watts. Prioritize buying Wishing Pieces if you're actively hunting for specific Gigantamax Pokémon or farming Exp. Candies. Check their TR stock daily for moves you might need for your team.

By regularly interacting with these Move Tutors and Important NPCs, you'll ensure your Pokémon are always at their peak performance, ready to tackle any challenge Galar throws your way!