How to Evolve Snom into Frosmoth in Pokémon Sword and Shield

Snom, the adorably small and seemingly insignificant Ice/Bug-type Pokémon, holds a secret – it can evolve into the majestic Frosmoth, a powerful and beautiful Pokémon with a unique type combination. However, evolving Snom isn’t a straightforward leveling process. It requires a specific condition to be met: high friendship and evolution during nighttime. This guide provides a comprehensive, step-by-step walkthrough on how to evolve your Snom into Frosmoth in Pokémon Sword and Shield.

Understanding the Evolution Mechanics

Before diving into the steps, let’s understand the key factors involved in evolving Snom:

* **Friendship (Affection):** Snom needs to have a high friendship level with you. This is a hidden stat that represents how much your Pokémon likes and trusts you. Think of it as happiness. The higher the friendship, the better. It’s *not* the same as the Pokémon’s affection level displayed during Pokémon Camp, although using Pokémon Camp is helpful to increase friendship. It’s also *not* the same as the friendship stat that affects Return and Frustration.
* **Time of Day:** Snom can only evolve into Frosmoth during nighttime. This means you need to ensure it’s dark in the game world when you level up your Snom. The exact time frame for “nighttime” varies slightly based on the specific in-game time, but generally, it’s from around 6 PM to 6 AM.
* **Leveling Up:** Once Snom has high friendship and it’s nighttime, you simply need to level it up once, and it will evolve into Frosmoth.

Step-by-Step Guide to Evolving Snom

Follow these steps to successfully evolve your Snom into Frosmoth:

1. Obtaining Snom

The first step, of course, is to acquire a Snom. Snom can be found in the following locations in Pokémon Sword and Shield:

* **Wild Area:** Snom can be found in the Wild Area, specifically in the **Route 8** and **Route 10** areas, during **snowstorms**. Keep an eye on the weather forecast in the Wild Area, which you can access through the Town Map. Snowstorms are not very common, but they are your best bet for finding Snom.
* **Max Raid Battles:** Snom can also appear in Max Raid Battles in the Wild Area. Check the Pokémon Dens for active raids and see if Snom is featured.

Snom has a relatively low spawn rate, so be patient and persistent in your search.

2. Checking Snom’s Friendship Level

Unfortunately, Pokémon Sword and Shield don’t provide a direct numerical value for friendship. However, there are ways to gauge your Snom’s friendship level:

* **Hulbury Friendship Checker:** The most reliable method is to visit the Friendship Checker in Hulbury. This NPC is located in a house to the left of the Pokémon Center. Talk to her with Snom in your party. Her dialogue will indicate Snom’s friendship level:
* “It’s not at all friendly toward you. It’s wary of you…” – Very Low Friendship
* “It’s a little bit friendly toward you… That’s how I feel.” – Low Friendship
* “It’s quite friendly toward you! I can tell you’re good friends.” – Medium Friendship
* “It’s quite attached to you! It makes me so happy to see!” – High Friendship
* “It adores you! I can tell from here! Treasure it!” – Maximum Friendship

You need the “It adores you!” message to ensure Snom will evolve.
* **Pokémon Camp:** While not a perfect indicator, Pokémon Camp can give you a general idea of your Snom’s happiness. Pay attention to how Snom interacts with you and other Pokémon. If it seems happy and playful, its friendship is likely increasing.

3. Increasing Snom’s Friendship Level

There are several ways to increase Snom’s friendship level. Here are the most effective methods:

* **Keep Snom in Your Party:** Simply having Snom in your active party will slowly increase its friendship over time, especially as you travel around the Galar region.
* **Battling with Snom:** Using Snom in battles is a great way to boost its friendship. Let it participate in battles against wild Pokémon or trainers. Even if Snom is weak, you can switch it out immediately after sending it in to gain some friendship without risking it fainting.
* **Giving Snom Berries:** Certain berries can significantly increase friendship. The best berries for this purpose are:
* **Pomeg Berry:** Increases friendship but lowers HP EVs.
* **Kelpsy Berry:** Increases friendship but lowers Attack EVs.
* **Qualot Berry:** Increases friendship but lowers Defense EVs.
* **Hondew Berry:** Increases friendship but lowers Special Attack EVs.
* **Grepa Berry:** Increases friendship but lowers Special Defense EVs.

These berries are easily obtainable from berry trees in the Wild Area. Since Snom likely doesn’t have any EVs trained, you can use these berries without worrying about messing up its stats. The EV reduction only matters if you’re competitive battling. Using multiple of these berries will quickly raise friendship.
* **Cooking Curry in Pokémon Camp:** Cooking curry with Snom in your Pokémon Camp is another excellent way to increase friendship. Choose ingredients that Snom likes (experiment to find the perfect combinations!). A higher-quality curry (e.g., Copperajah Class or Charizard Class) will provide a greater friendship boost.
* **Playing with Snom in Pokémon Camp:** Engage with Snom in Pokémon Camp by throwing a ball or talking to it. These interactions will slightly increase its friendship.
* **Giving Snom Vitamins:** While more expensive, vitamins like HP Up, Protein, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, and Carbos will also give a small boost to friendship.
* **Avoid Fainting:** Allowing Snom to faint in battle will decrease its friendship. Keep it healthy and use items like Potions or Revives to prevent it from fainting.
* **Avoid Using Bitter Herbs:** Items like Energy Powder, Energy Root, and Revival Herb will decrease friendship. Use Potions and Max Revives instead.

4. Leveling Up Snom at Night

Once you’ve confirmed that Snom has maximum friendship (the Hulbury Friendship Checker says “It adores you!”), it’s time to evolve it. Make sure it is nighttime in the game.

* **Check the Time:** Look at the in-game clock (visible on your Rotom Phone) or observe the environment to ensure it’s nighttime. The sky should be dark.
* **Level Up Snom:** There are several ways to level up Snom:
* **Rare Candies:** The quickest and easiest method is to use a Rare Candy. Rare Candies instantly level up a Pokémon by one level. You can find Rare Candies scattered throughout the game world or earn them through Max Raid Battles.
* **Experience Candies:** Experience Candies (e.g., Exp. Candy S, Exp. Candy M, Exp. Candy L, Exp. Candy XL) provide a significant amount of experience points, making it easy to level up Snom. These candies can be obtained through Max Raid Battles.
* **Battling:** You can also level up Snom by battling wild Pokémon or trainers. This method is slower but allows you to gain additional experience and potentially EV train Snom.

As soon as Snom levels up during nighttime with high friendship, it will evolve into Frosmoth!

Tips and Tricks for Faster Evolution

* **Utilize Pokémon Camp Frequently:** Regularly visit Pokémon Camp and cook curry with Snom. This is one of the most effective ways to increase friendship quickly.
* **Farm Berries:** Spend some time collecting friendship-boosting berries in the Wild Area. Berry trees respawn regularly, so you can return to them later to gather more.
* **Take Advantage of Max Raid Battles:** Max Raid Battles offer a wealth of rewards, including Rare Candies and Experience Candies. Participating in these battles will accelerate the leveling process.
* **Keep Snom in Your Party While Exploring:** Even if you’re not actively battling with Snom, having it in your party while you explore the Galar region will gradually increase its friendship.
* **Check Friendship Regularly:** Visit the Hulbury Friendship Checker frequently to monitor Snom’s progress. This will help you determine when it’s ready to evolve.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

* **Snom Isn’t Evolving:** If Snom isn’t evolving despite leveling up at night, double-check its friendship level with the Hulbury Friendship Checker. Make sure she says “It adores you!”. Also, ensure it is actually nighttime in the game.
* **Friendship Isn’t Increasing:** If you’re struggling to raise Snom’s friendship, try varying your methods. Combine battling, berry feeding, and Pokémon Camp interactions for the best results. Also, make sure you’re not accidentally decreasing friendship by letting Snom faint or using bitter herbs.
* **Can’t Find Snom:** Snom can be difficult to find in the Wild Area due to its low spawn rate. Check the weather forecast and focus on areas where snowstorms are occurring. You can also try participating in Max Raid Battles to increase your chances of encountering Snom.

Frosmoth: Stats, Abilities, and Movesets

Once you’ve successfully evolved Snom into Frosmoth, you’ll have a powerful and beautiful Pokémon on your team. Here’s a brief overview of Frosmoth:

* **Type:** Ice/Bug
* **Base Stats:**
* HP: 70
* Attack: 65
* Defense: 60
* Special Attack: 125
* Special Defense: 90
* Speed: 65
* **Abilities:**
* **Shield Dust:** Prevents the effects of moves that cause additional effects (e.g., burns, paralysis).
* **Ice Scales (Hidden Ability):** Halves damage taken from special moves. This makes Frosmoth incredibly resilient to special attacks.
* **Notable Moves:**
* **Bug Buzz:** A powerful Bug-type special attack.
* **Ice Beam:** A reliable Ice-type special attack.
* **Quiver Dance:** Raises Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed by one stage. This can turn Frosmoth into a formidable sweeper.
* **Giga Drain:** A Grass-type special attack that heals Frosmoth.
* **Hurricane:** A Flying-type special attack with high power but low accuracy.

Frosmoth’s high Special Attack and access to Quiver Dance make it a potent special sweeper. Its Ice/Bug typing gives it some useful resistances, but it’s also weak to common types like Fire, Rock, and Flying. With proper training and strategic use, Frosmoth can be a valuable asset to your Pokémon team.

Conclusion

Evolving Snom into Frosmoth requires patience and attention to detail, but the reward is well worth the effort. By following these steps and understanding the mechanics of friendship and time-based evolution, you can add this beautiful and powerful Pokémon to your collection. Happy evolving!