Pokémon Sword and Shield Guide: How to Catch the Rare and Powerful Dreepy and Drakloak

Since the first installment of Pokémon, the game’s “pseudo-legendaries,” have always been some of the strongest a trainer can catch, and Pokémon Sword and Shield is no different. Dreepy, the pseudo-legendary Pokémon of the 8^th Generation, is one of the best new additions to the Pokédex that you can find in Galar. Dragapult, Dreepy’s final evolution who evolves from Drakloak, boasts the third-highest speed in the entire game, even beating out all three legendary Pokémon found in the region, and is actually one of the strongest Pokemon players can use in competitive play.

So just how do players catch this rare and powerful Pokémon? This guide will tell them everything they need to know to add Dreepy or Drakloak to their party. Catching Dreepy and Drakloak can be troublesome for new players, but following this walkthrough will make this an easy catch.

Location of Dreepy and Drakloak in Pokémon Sword and Shield

Dreepy and Drakloak are only found in one place, the Lake of Outrage in the Wild Area. However, players will not be able to access this part of the region without the Rotom Bike upgrade that allows them to surf across water. So, before players set their sights on Dreepy and Drakloak, they need to make sure they’ve defeated the 6^th gym (Circhester City) and explore Route 9. Once players have the modified bike, they should head on over to the Wild Area and surf to the northwest corner of the map. There, they will find Dreepy as a random encounter marked with a red exclamation point or Draklaok as an overworld spawn. Simply knowing where these Pokémon are located might not be enough. They have absurdly low encounter rates of 1%, so here are some other tips and tricks players can use to maximize their chance of catching this rare Pokémon.

How to Catch Dreepy and Drakloak in Pokémon Sword and Shield

Unlike the rest of the Galar Region, the weather conditions in the Wild Area change every 24 hours, and as a result, the encounter rates of different Pokémon also change. In thunderstorms and fog, the encounter rates of Dreepy and Drakloak increase to 2%, but how can players predict the weather? Well, they can guarantee that thunderstorms or fog occur at Lake of Outrage by changing the date of their Nintendo Switch console in the system’s settings. Set the console to November 1, 2019, and it will change the weather to a thunderstorm, doubling Dreepy and Drakloak’s encounter rates.

Now that players have maximized their chances to run into a Dreepy, they will need to make the most out of every encounter. Dreepy and Drakloak have relatively low catch rates, but there are two tricks players can do to increase their chances of catching these Pokémon. The first is: inflicting status. If players apply any status effects to the Pokémon such as burn, freeze, paralysis, poison, or sleep, then the Pokémon will be easier to catch. I suggest trying to make the Pokémon frozen, paralyzed, or asleep before throwing your Poké Ball, so they don’t run the risk of fainting.

The second is the Poké Ball type. Certain Poké Balls have effectiveness rates which increase the probability of catching a Pokémon. Two of the most effective and easily obtained Poké Balls are Ultra Balls and Dusk Balls. Both could be purchased in bulk and have high effectiveness rates (2x for the Ultra Ball and 3x for the Dusk Ball). However, while Ultra Balls are effective at any time, keep in mind that Dusk Balls are only more successful at night. With these tips and tricks, players will be able to use Dragapult in battle in no time.

Pokemon Sword & Shield is available on the Nintendo Switch.