Breed Pokemon, then do this to Gigantamax in Sword and Shield

Logically speaking Pokemon Sword and Shield players should be able to breed Gigantamax Pokemon, but that’s not actually the case. There is still a way to bestow Gigantamax powers to an applicable Pokemon, though.

Anyone that has touched ranked Pokemon battling has spent dozens of hours breeding Pokemon to have the best IVs, nature, moves, and ability. From there, players need to train them to get the perfect EVs. The final step in Pokemon Sword and Shield is getting certain Pokemon to Gigantamax.

The trouble with that is that unless a player happens to catch the absolute perfect Gigantamax Pokemon from a Max Raid battle, they’re not going to have an optimal Pokemon. So if players can’t breed a Gigantamax Pokemon, how can they get a perfect one for battle? Here’s how.

How to get the strongest Pokémon in Sword & Shield

Players cannot breed Gigantamax Pokemon in Sword and Shield

If a player breeds two Gigantamax Pokemon together, it will not yield a baby Pokemon with Gigantamax capabilities. However, players are still capable of giving a Pokemon the ability to Gigantamax.

This requires the player to own the Isle of Armor DLC, which added new Pokemon and new Gigantamax forms. The main questline of the DLC has players raising a Kubfu and turning it into a Gigantamax Urshifu. This opens up the ability to create Max Soup.

Max Soup is made at the Mustard Dojo on the Isle of Armor. Players can make Max Soup by finding Max Mushrooms around the island. These mushrooms spawn in one of several locations on the map and respawn by winning Max Raid battles.

By feeding a Pokemon Max Soup, it switches whether the Pokemon will Gigantamax or Dynamax in battle. If a Gigantamax-ready Pokemon is given Max Soup, they will lose the ability to Gigantamax after eating Max Soup. Players can breed a Pokemon that is capable of using Gigantamax and then give it Max Soup in order to let it use this ability.

Which Pokemon can Gigantamax in Sword and Shield?

Not all Pokemon can Gigantamax. Here is each one that can.

• Venusaur
• Charizard
• Blastoise
• Butterfree
• Pikachu
• Meowth
• Machamp
• Gengar
• Kingler
• Lapras
• Eevee
• Garbodor
• Melmetal
• Rillaboom
• Cinderace
• Inteleon
• Corviknight
• Orbeetle
• Drednaw
• Coalossal
• Flapple
• Appletun
• Sandaconda
• Toxtricity
• Centiskorch
• Hatterene
• Grimmsnarl
• Alcremie
• Copperajah
• Duraludon
• Urshifu

Every Pokemon is capable of using Dynamax, but only these ones can use Gigantamax. Each Gigantamax Pokemon has a unique move in Gigantamax form that only it can use. These moves tend to be very powerful, but there is a handful of Pokemon that are actually better off in their Dynamax form instead of Gigantamax. Others like Cinderace are better off with their Gigantamax form.