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Pokémon: Sword & Shield

Useful NPCs

By
Ben Chard
&
Vincent Lau

While exploring the Isle of Armor, you may run into some friendly faces. Let’s take a look at what they do and what makes them tick!

Diglett Trainer

You can receive original and Alolan form Pokémon, depending on the number of Diglett rescued.

This fella is standing by the bridge to the Master Dojo, in the Fields of Honor. It’s almost impossible to miss him, unless you take the looooong way round. He’s part of a big sidequest, where you’re tasked with finding 150 missing "Diglett" IconDiglett. We have a whole section for that…

Marketplace

Once you’ve visited the Master Dojo, a bunch of NPCs will appear to the right of the entrance (to the left when exiting the dojo). These are all NPCs found in the Wild Area in the main game, so you don’t need to go back. They include the Berry Grocer (sells common berries), Ingredients Seller (sells cooking items for camping) and Watt Trader (exchange Watts for items).

Bike Lady

She’s standing near the Master Dojo, along the way to the Soothing Wetlands. You’ll probably pass by her when the first trial begins. If you have a "Rotom" IconRotom Bike that can traverse across water, she’ll provide two new customisation options. Plus the standard options. She’ll also increase your charge speed, if it’s not already at max.

Digging Ma

You could have something or you could have nothing.

This lady with a hardhat can be found in the Forest of Focus, near the Soothing Wetlands entrance. If you say “hi”, she’ll gift you an Armorite Ore, which is a valuable currency on the Isle of Armor. However, she’ll also offer to use that ore to gamble for more ore.

Agree and she’ll start digging. However, each time she digs, there’s a chance her shovel will break and she’ll somehow lose all the ore she’s found, including the one you gave her. This can even happen on the very first attempt, so you could lose your ore straightaway… After each successful dig, you can cancel to claim the ore she’s found. Later on, you can find her randomly across the Isle of Armor.

Digging Pa

This bloke with a hardhat is always standing in front of the Warm-Up Tunnel entrance in the Training Lowlands. In exchange for 7 Armorite Ore, he’ll offer to dig up Watts for you. He works more like the Digging Duo in the base game, rather than Digging Ma, so it’s not possible to lose Watts. Thankfully!

Regina, the Traveling Trader

Occasionally, you may bump into a woman with a blonde ponytail. She’ll ask for a specific Pokémon and offer to trade the original form (if she asks for a Galarian form) or Alolan form (if she asks for a regular Pokémon) of the same Pokémon. For example, she may trade her regular "Weezing" IconWeezing for your Galarian Weezing. Afterwards, she’ll disappear, but she may reappear elsewhere on the island.

Pokédex Fanatic

The Pokédex pages may be empty, but you can check the Habitat info using them.

Similarly, there’s a woman with a brown ponytail who pops up in various places. In exchange for 100 Watts, she’ll show you the empty Pokédex page for a Pokémon you haven’t seen yet. Only Pokémon with Habitat info are eligible. After that, she’ll leave, but you may see her again. Note that Hop at the Master Dojo provides a similar service, but only once a day. Or you could use our Pokédex.

Apricorn Lover

Once there are no more empty Pokédex pages to show you, the same woman with a brown ponytail will continue to show up (at least we think it’s her). But she’ll give you 4 random Apricorn items for 100 Watts instead. The only other way to obtain Apricorns is by shaking certain berry trees–and those are limited to once a day, so this can be a useful way to boost your yield.

Galarica Cuff Lady

At the far end of Workout Sea, near the transition to Stepping-Stone sea, there’s an island with an archway, where this lady resides. She’ll combine 8 Galarica Twigs, found by searching the Isle of Armor, into a Galarica Cuff, used to evolve Galarian "Slowpoke" IconSlowpoke. Also, be sure to show her Galarian Slowpoke or "Slowbro" IconSlowbro for a souvenir (or two).

Lady Clear

After progressing the Isle of Armor storyline, you’ll find this lady on one of the islets in Workout Sea, by traveling left from the shore opposite Armor Station. If you pay her 10 Armorite Ore, she’ll erase all EVs from a Pokémon. This is useful if you messed up the EV distribution or want to train a Pokémon used during the story.

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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    Pokemon Company International
  • Platforms,
    Switch
  • Genre
    RPG
  • Guide Release
    15 November 2019
  • Last Updated
    21 March 2024
    Version History
  • Guide Author

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Welcome to our comprehensive strategy guide for Pokémon: Sword and Shield, the latest entries in the Pokémon video game franchise. Our guide also incorporates all the DLC, including the Isle of Armor and brand new Crown Tundra DLC.

In Sword and Shield, you explore the Galar region, based on the United Kingdom, alongside rivals Hop, Bede and Marnie, with the aim to dethrone the Pokémon League Champion.

The games introduce several new features such as Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing, functions that increase size and change forms of certain Pokémon; the Wild Area, a large open world with free camera movement; and raids with co-op battling. They also reintroduce features previously seen in Sun and Moon and Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!, such as regional variants and roaming Pokémon depicted in the overworld.

Brand New October 2020:

Version 1.2

  • A Complete Walkthrough of the Isle of Armor.
  • Details of all 16 new Wild Areas, including Pokémon encounter rates.
  • All the new Max Raid Dens: Locations and Featured Pokémon.
  • Images and Locations of All 150 of the Missing Diglett.
  • The Isle of Armor Pokédex (featuring 100 Returning Pokémon).
  • Recipes for the Cram-o-matic.
  • A Full Walkthrough featuring Pokémon encounter rates.
  • All Gym Encounters and Strategies.
  • New Items: Mints & Natures Explained.
  • Post Game content including Champion Cup.
  • Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing.
  • The Galar Region Pokédex (featuring 400 Pokemon).

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