Useful Characters

Like with Pokémon's previous iterations, this game has various people dotted around the region who have the ability to aid you in various ways. This page is to detail those characters

Name Rater

Location: Pokémon Centers

Within the Pokémon Centers across Galar, you now can find the Name Rater, a man who will change the nickname of any of your Pokémon. In a change from previous games, he will now also nickname any traded Pokémon that don't presently have a nickname

Move Reminder

Location: Pokémon Centers

Details:
The Move Reminder is possibly one of the most important Move Tutors in the game. In Pokémon Sword & Shield, the Move Reminder is in every single Pokémon Center in the lefthand counter. He will teach your Pokémon a move that it was in its level up or it hatched with up until its current level.

In a change from prior games, this does not require any payment in order to be done.

Happiness Checker

Location: Hammerlocke

In the house east of the Pokémon Center you will find a small child who will check your Pokémon's Happiness. This person will give you a phrase to denote your Pokémon's happiness. If your Pokémon is completely happy, you will be given the Best Friends Ribbon

Statement Values
Oh wow, you're best buddies! I can tell you're so happy to be together! 255
You two are almost best friends! I can see you really care about each other! 230+
You two get along great! Together is always better—am I right? 200-229
Seems like you're pretty good friends! Still, I bet you could become even closer! 150-199
Wow, I think you're on your way to becoming real good friends! 100-149
Seems like it likes you an average amount! Don't worry—you two will get closer as time passes! 50-89
I guess you two just met? It's still getting used to things. 1-49
Maybe you're a bit too strict? It doesn't seem like you're friends at all... 0

Effort Ribbon

Location: Hammerlocke

In the house east of the Pokémon Center you will find a small child who will check your Pokémon's Effort Values. Even though you can check the values yourself in the status screen by pressing the X button to see the graph, you can check with this character to see if you have maxed it. If you have, she will give you an Effort Ribbon.

IV Judge

Location: Battle Tower - PCs

The IV Judge has always been one of the more important characters in the game but in Sword & Shield they have been replaced with the Rotomi PC. After you have beaten Leon in the Battle Tower and moved up to the Poké Ball Rank, you'll be able to check the IV Judge function. Simply press Start when on your box and it'll bring up the data for each of your Pokémon's stats as well as its overall potential

Specific IVs
IV Total Statement
31Best
30Fantastic
26 to 29Very Good
16 to 25Pretty Good
1 to 15Decent
0No Good
IV Total
IV Total Statement
151 to 186Amazing stats!
121 to 150Great stats
91 to 120Good stats
0 to 90OK stats

Hyper Training

Location: Battle Tower

Located in the Battle Tower is where you'd find the man who will Hyper Train your Pokémon. if your Pokémon are Level 100, then in exchange for Bottle Caps he will make your Pokémon's IVs act like their maximum. You can do them in individual stats or do all stats at once with a Gold Bottle Cap

Battle Ready Trainer

Location: Battle Tower

Introduced in Version 1.2, a man in the Battle Tower has a new function. This man will allow for you to make it so a Pokémon you have transferred from past games can be used in Ranked Battles. To do this, a Pokémon must delete all moves it currently has and will be set to the current learnset for the games

  Before Mark After Mark
  Before After

Max Soup

Location: Master Dojo

In the Isle of Armor, inside the Master Dojo, after you have completed the trials set by Mustard, you will have the ability to bring various Max Mushroom and Max Honey in order to make Max Soup. This will allow for you to give the Gigantamax Factor to any Gigantamax capable Pokémon aside from Melmetal

Effort Value Remover

Location: Workout Sea

In the Isle of Armor, on a small island in the Workout Sea, you'll find a girl who, in exchange for 10 Armorite Ore, she will remove all Effort Values from your Pokémon

Digging Pa

Location: Training Lowlands

In the Isle of Armor, in the Training Lowlands you will find the father of the Digging Duo, the Digging Pa. In exchange for Armorite Ore, he will give you Watts. The amount he gives you is random

Digging Ma

Location: Isle of Armor

In the Isle of Armor, in random locations nicluding the front of the Forest of Focus you will find the mother of the Digging Duo, the Digging Ma. In exchange for an Armorite Ore, she will continue to dig for further Armorite Ore. If you stop before the shovel breaks, then you will get multiple Ore but if the shovel breaks, you get nothing