Grapploct is our last 8th generation Pokémon on the list because its evolutionary method is not all too weird if you’ve played any Pokémon game after generation 4. To evolve Grapploct you first need to catch a Clobbopus. Once Clobbopus is in your party, you must make sure this Pokémon knows the ability Taunt. Clobbopus learns Taunt on its own by leveling up to 35 and if you teach your Pokémon Taunt, it will automatically evolve into Grapploct at that level. Another way would be teaching Taunt to Clobbopus at any level using a TM, this will cause your Clobbopus to evolve into Grapploct in its next level.

We’re aware that Flapple and Appletun are two separate Pokémon, however, they need to share the fourth spot on our list because they both come from the same pre-evolution Pokémon: Applin. Evolving an Applin is fairly easy with the correct item, as you will not need to level it nor make it hold an item while leveling in order for it to evolve. You simply need to “expose” Applin to an item for it to trigger the evolution and to do so, just make Applin hold a Sweet Apple or a Tart Apple and that should automatically start the evolution into Flapple or Appletun. Although other 8th generation Pokémon—like Sinistea—share this ‘expose to item’ evolution method, Applin is the only 8th generation Pokémon to have two evolution options this way. Exposing Applin to a Tart Apple will make it evolve into Flapple and exposing it to a Sweet Apple will make it evolve into Appletun.

It only took eight Pokémon generations for our old friend Farfetch'd to be able to evolve into the intriguing Sirfetch'd. Evolving a Galarian Farfetch'd takes a little research, and once you find out how to do it, you’ll agree with us it’s a little tricky and a little weird. To evolve Galarian Farfetch'd into Sirfetch'd in Pokémon Sword and Shield you first need to find and catch Farfetch'd either in Route 5 or try your luck in Giant's Mirror inside the Wild Area while keeping in mind it’s a rare spawn. After you get your hands on one, it’s time to use it in battle as Farfetch'd will only evolve after landing three critical hits in one single battle.

To make your life easier, make sure to catch a Galarian Farfetch'd that is holding the item Leek (there’s a 50% chance for it to be holding it from the wild) as this item greatly increases the chances of landing critical hits. Now, go fight an opponent with enough HP to withstand 3 critical attacks after 3 charges of Focus Energy. You could also teach Farfetch'd the attack Leaf Blade by using the TR50 or by leveling it up to 55, then getting yourself into a lengthy battle like a Max Raid Battle or Double Battles to increase your chances of landing critical hits with your Farfetch'd in one encounter.

If you’re asking yourself how to evolve Yamask into Runerigus, be ready to go through one of the weirdest methods of evolution in Pokémon Sword and Shield. First, catch a Gallarian Yamask from Route 6, then get ready for a pretty weird ritual. Use the Flying Taxi to land near any entry point to the Wild Area with Yamask in your party. Equip a Focus Sash on Yamask to be safe, then head out to a desert looking spot inside the Wild Area called the Dusty Bowl. Once there, put Yamask first in your Pokémon party list and trigger an encounter with any wild Pokémon in the area, especially one that can land a super-effective attack on your Yamask, like Nickit, for example. Or any other significantly stronger Pokémon than your Yamask.

Once the battle starts, make sure your Yamask takes at least 49 damage without fainting in this one encounter, then, flee from the battle using a Poké Doll to make sure you succeed. Once back in the overworld, DO NOT heal your Yamask; with it damaged and in any position in your party, locate a big stone structure within the Dusty Bowl and simply walk UNDER the stone structure to trigger Yamask’s evolution into Runerigus.

Although Runerigus has weirder ways to evolve compared to Alcremie, this Pokémon takes the lead due to the ridiculous amount of versions you can obtain from this Pokémon. To evolve Alcremie you must have two things on your trainer: a Milcery and a sweet item. Let’s start with getting Milcery from Route 4, you’ll only be able to find this Pokémon by triggering exclamation icons that pop out of the yellow grass while walking on it. Now, …this is where it gets weird…if you don’t already have a sweet item from battling in any of the Pokémon Battle Cafés around Galar, head out to either the Motostoke, Hammerlocke or Wyndon Café. After winning the battle you will be awarded a random food item from a large list, and a sweet item is not always guaranteed. Remember that you can only challenge each Café once a day, so if you’re lucky, you’ll obtain a certain sweet that Milcery will happily hold and spin around with. On the note of spinning, you must make your Milcery hold the sweet item, then you must spin your character until it triggers the victory pose. To do this, just run in very little circles with your character until it locks into the animation of the victory pose. Uhm… weird, right? Yeah… that’s the short version.

In reality, Alcremie has 63 alternate forms to choose from… Yeah… You read that right: 63.

We’re not going to go through every single form, but we can tell you the gist of it. The sweet items you will need to evolve Milcery are Berry Sweet, Clover Sweet, Flower Sweet, Love Sweet, Ribbon Sweet, Star Sweet or Strawberry Sweet. Each sweet combined with a different time of day, different duration of spinning, different speeds of spinning and a different spin direction will all trigger a different version of Alcremie… That’s… That’s just insane… Right? Let’s just list a few forms to give you an example:

• Vanilla Cream Hearts topping Alcremie: Hold a Love Sweet then quickly spin clockwise during the day.
• Mint Cream Blueberry topping Alcremie: Hold a Berry Sweet then spin counter-clockwise for more than 5 seconds during the night.
• Rainbow Swirl Strawberry topping Alcremie: Hold a Strawberry Sweet then spin counter-clockwise for over 10 seconds at dusk.