How To Evolve All Three Pokémon Forms

Rockruff's evolutions in Pokémon Sword and Shield's Isle of Armor are unique and complicated. Here's how to evolve it into all three Lycanroc forms.

Pokémon Sword and Shield's first expansion, The Isle of Armor, brought many fan favorites back to Galar, including Rockruff, an adorable Rock type that can evolve into one of the three distinct forms of the Pokémon Lycanroc. To secure Rockruff's evolution in Sword and Shield, Trainers will need to level it up under very specific conditions. This guide will help players choose which form of Lycanroc to get - and how to get it.

Along with introducing a few new forms of older-generation Pokémon, The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tunda reintroduced Pokémon originally cut from Sword and Shield in the infamous "Dexit" decision, which saw the removal of the full National Pokédex from the games. Along with Rockruff and Lycanroc, the Expansion Pass brought back missing Pokémon like Heracross, Alakazam, Kingdra, Luxray, Magnezone, and Scizor, but of all its additions, Rockruff has the most unique evolution requirements.

How To Evolve Rockruff In Pokémon Sword & Shield (Midday, Dusk, & Midnight Lycanroc)

Unlike Pokémon such as Eevee and Gloom, each of Rockruff's evolutions is still called Lycanroc. Though they are all considered the same Pokémon, the forms differ in appearances, stats, and movesets.

• Midday Form Lycanroc: To evolve Rockruff into this form, players must get it to level 25 or above while the sun is up. Midday Lycanroc has the highest base speed of all three forms, but only by two points above Dusk Form. It and Dusk Form get access to the signature Pokémon move Accelerock, and it can have the Keen Eye, Sand Rush, or Steadfast Ability.
• Midnight Form Lycanroc: Evolving Rockruff to Lycanroc's Midnight Form requires players to level it up to level 25 or higher while the sun is down. It is significantly slower than the other forms but has higher HP, Defense, and Special Defense, and it can have the Keen Eye, Vital Spirit, and No Guard Ability.
• Dusk Form Lycanroc: To get Lycanroc's Dusk Form, a player's Rockruff must have its Hidden Ability, Own Tempo. A Rockruff with Own Tempo can be obtained by luck in Max Raid Battles or through breeding, but using the Ability Patch item on a non-Own Tempo Rockruff will also do the trick. This item is exclusive to Sword and Shield's The Crown Tundra and can be obtained from the Max Lair Dynite Ore trader for 200 Dynite Ore. Once players finally have an Own Tempo Rockruff, they'll need to level it to 25 or above between 7 PM to 7:59 PM. Dusk Form Lycanroc's stats are almost identical to Midday Form's, but it gets the Tough Claws Ability.

Pokémon Sword and Shield's lack of a traditional day-night cycle makes evolving Rockruff into Midday Form and Dusk Form Lycanroc slightly more complicated. Before beating Galar Champion Leon, the games' routes and towns are locked to specific times of day, depending on the point players are at in the story. In the Wild Areas and after the main story, the time changes based on the Nintendo Switch's clock. According to Bulbapedia, the games follow this schedule:

Morning: 6:00 AM - 9:59 AM

Day: 10:00 AM - 6:59 PM

Evening: 7:00 PM - 7:59 PM

Night: 8:00 PM - 5:59 AM

Players looking to get all three Rockruff evolutions in Sword and Shield will need to level it up between 6 AM and 7 PM for Midday, between 7 PM and 8 PM for Dusk, and between 8 PM and 6 AM for Midnight.

Next: The Worst Possible Pokémon Team In Every Generation

Pokémon Sword and Shield and their expansions are available now on Nintendo Switch.