How to evolve Feebas in Pokémon Sword and Shield

As players travel through the Galar region in Sword and Shield, they’ll encounter a number of returning Pokémon species, including Feebas.

Feebas is a Water-type Pokémon that first appeared in the Hoenn region. The species evolves into Milotic, a serpent-like creature renowned for its beauty. Feebas is notoriously difficult to find in all the games it appears in and requires a bit of patience from anglers looking to find the fish.

Where to find Feebas in Pokémon Sword and Shield

Before players can evolve Feebas, they must obtain one either by catching it from the wild or through trade. The Water-type appears on Route 2, one of the earliest routes in the game. But players won’t be able to obtain Feebas unless they have the upgraded Rotom Bike after they defeat the sixth gym leader.

Once players have received the upgraded Rotom Bike, they can then bike out to the middle island that’s located in the center of the pond near the Professor Magnolia’s house. From there, they’ll see two fishing pools. They’ll need to fish to find Feebas, although the Pokémon is a rare encounter on the route and may take several tries.

How to evolve Feebas

When Feebas was first introduced in generation three, it had an unusual evolution style. Players had to level the Pokémon up with maxed Beauty stats. When the Pokémon franchise moved away from Pokémon Contests in generation five, Game Freak changed Feebas’ evolution requirements to a trade method.

Related: Every Pokémon that evolves through trade in Sword and Shield

To evolve Feebas, players must trade the Water-type while it’s holding a Prism Scale. In Pokémon Sword and Shield, the item can be found in the water in the lake on Route 2, where Feebas is located. Similarly, players can find a Prism Scale hidden in the water of the South Lake Miloch section of the Wild Area.