In Pokémon Sword and Shield there was a great revolution: in the eighth generation games it is It is possible to change the nature of a Pokémon, that feature that goes to increase and decrease a statistic. Until now, nature was blocked and the only way to get a Pokémon with its ideal nature was to catch another one or lay an egg at the Pokémon Day Care until the perfect one hatched. On Nintendo Switch, things have been changed and simplified: let's see how.
What are natures
Introduced in Generation III with Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, nature is an intrinsic trait of every Pokémon - that until the eighth generation with Sword and Shield it was not possible to modify in any way. Its main effect, depending on the nature, is increase one stat by 10% and decrease another by 10%. For example, a Pokémon that has a Dodge nature will have 10% more Attack and 10% less Defense.
The nature of the Pokémon is decided by the RNG (Random Number Generator): to put it simply, it is the game that decides, at random, what nature to give to the Pokémon when it is encountered. Having the right nature is key, along with IVs and EVs, to building a competitive Pokémon.
To give an example, let's take Roserade, who is a special attacker: the Attack is of no use to him, because he will never be taught physical attacks. Here, therefore, that to have a perfect Roserade the first step will be nature, in her case Modest or Shy, which respectively increase the Special Attack or Speed statistics by 10% at the expense of Attack.
What are natures? The list
In all there are twenty-five natures but five of them are neutral, that is, they do not make any changes to the statistics. Below is the complete list of natures in alphabetical order with their English name in parentheses and their attributes:
- Allegra (Jolly): + Speed - Special Attack;
- Fiery (Rash): + Special Attack - Special Defense;
- Ardita (Hardy): Neutral;
- Bold (Brave): + Attack -Speed;
- Birbona (Naughty): + Attack -Special Defense;
- Calm (Calm): + Special Defense - Attack;
- Careful: + Special Defense - Special Attack;
- Decided (Adamant): + Attack -Special Attack;
- Docile (Docile): Neutral;
- Lazy (Lax): + Defense -Special Defense;
- Smart (Quirky): Neutral;
- Gentile (Gentle): + Special Defense - Defense;
- Naive: + Speed - Special Defense;
- Lesta (Hasty): + Speed - Defense;
- Mild (Mild): + Special Attack - Defense;
- Modest (Modest): + Special Attack - Attack;
- Placid (Relaxed): + Defense -Speed;
- Quiet: + Special Attack - Speed;
- Backward (Bashful): Neutral;
- Cunning (Impish): + Defense -Special Attack;
- Avoid (Lonely): + Attack - Defense;
- Serious (Serious): Neutral;
- Safe (Bold): + Defense -Attack;
- Shy (Timid): + Speed - Attack;
- Lively (Sassy): + Special Defense -Speed.
How to change nature in Pokémon Sword and Shield
To change the nature of a Pokémon, you must become a Pokémon League Champion by defeating Dandel and then finish the main adventure. After the credits, Goalwick's Rose Tower will have been refurbished in Torre Lotta. This is where we can change the nature of a Pokémon.
Once inside the Battle Tower, just go to the girl on the left who will sell items in exchange for Battle Points (LP). These objects are called Mind and they are nothing more than herbs that have the power to change the nature of the Pokémon depending on the name.
To earn PL you will need to win battles in the Battle Tower. Each victory grants 2 PL plus a bonus of points achieved in particular steps. Each mint costs a whopping 50 PL, so choose carefully the best nature for your friend. To return to the original example for a Roserade, the ideal mints are Shy Mint or Modesta Mint.
A necessary clarification to make concerns the breeding: an egg that is born from a Pokémon that holds the Stone Stone (tool that passes nature 100% to its child) its original nature will pass and not the modified one with the mind, relegated almost exclusively to the competitive.
That's all for this guide on how to change nature in Pokémon Sword and Shield too. Things have been greatly simplified, opening their arms to all those who want to fight and have an edge.
► Pokémon Sword and Shield is an RPG type game developed by Game Freak and published by Game Freak Nintendo for Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 15/11/2019
