Why are trainers so desperate to find Ditto in Pokemon Sword and Shield?

Trainers are desperately trying to find Ditto in Pokemon Sword and Shield, but it isn’t just to complete the Galar Pokedex. Ditto is extremely useful when breeding Pokemon.

The Transform Pokemon is quite the enigma whereby its sole move is Transform, a move which copies the genetic code of the Pokemon it is battling. It will copy its type, moveset and physical appearance but will stay at the same level.

Transform, at least with Ditto, has never been particularly effective. This is because you have to sacrifice a turn without dealing any damage and Ditto has relatively weak base stats. Interestingly, the only other Pokemon capable of learning Transform is Mew.

Ditto spawn location

With that said Ditto is a fun addition to any Pokemon team and you’ll have to find it at some point if you’re to complete the Sword and Shield Pokedex. Unfortunately the iconic Gen 1 Pokemon can only be found in one location — The Lake of Outrage. The details are as follows:

• Lake of Outrage, All Weather, Level 55-58, 10% (Overworld)
• Lake of Outrage, Normal Weather, Level 50-52, 2% (Non-overworld)

It is five times more likely to spawn in the overworld, so for the sake of saving you time it will be better to wait until you see one, instead of having to encounter Pokemon at random in the long grass.

Best breeding Pokemon?

It’s not just its transforming ability that’s so appealing to trainers, though. It’s an excellent Pokemon to breed with.

• Read More: Where to find Pikachu and Eevee in Pokemon Sword and Shield

Firstly, Ditto can breed with any other species, which naturally makes it perfectly flexible when going to the Pokemon Nursery. Secondly, due to its unique genetics, you can guarantee yourself a particular species when breeding with Ditto.

For example, if you breed Ditto with Charmander then you’re guaranteed to get an egg containing Charmander. Of course you can just find a male and female of the same species but having a Ditto will bail you out when you don’t.

Trade for shinies?

There seems to be an unwritten agreement between Pokemon trainers to trade Dittos between one another. The purpose of this is to get one that’s assigned a different language to your own.

The benefit of this is when you breed Pokemon of different languages, you greatly increase the chances of hatching a shiny. In fact the odds get 6x better, although they can still be as long as 1 in 682.7.

• Read More: What’s the difference between square and star shinies in Pokemon Sword and Shield?

Ditto might not be the most powerful species in Pokemon Sword and Shield but it will add a new dynamic to battles and can prove very useful in other ways. It’s well worth a trip to the Lake of Outrage.