In Pokemon Sword and Shield, every Pokemon you catch will have different stats. The higher the stats, the more effective your Pokemon are in battle. To compare Pokemon you’ve caught, you’ll need an IV Judge. Wondering where this tool is at? Read on to find out where to get the IV Judge in Pokemon Sword and Shield!
Where to get the IV Judge in Pokemon Sword and Shield
© Game Freak
- To get the IV Judge, you’ll need to beat the main campaign.
- Challenge the Battle Tower.
- Earn at least six Battle Tower victories.
- Beat Leon in the Battle Tower.
- Earn Rank 4 in the Battle Tower.
- Then, look for a notification that the IV Judge has been sent to your Pokemon Box.
Unlike Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu and Eevee (where you’re able to earn the IV Checker relatively fast), you’ll need to run through most of the core game in order to get the IV Judge in Pokemon Sword and Shield. First, you’ll need to beat the main story in Pokemon Sword and Shield.
Depending on how long you spend in the Wild Area catching Pokemon – especially if you’re hunting for shiny Pokemon – this can take quite a bit of time. After you beat the campaign, you’ll need to visit the Battle Tower and challenge it, kind of like an Elite Four run. Note that you’ll need to rack up at least six victories at the Battle Tower. You’ll also need to beat Leon.
By beating Leon, your Battle Tower rank should bump up to Rank 4. Once you’re at Rank 4, you should get a notification that the IV Judge has been sent to your Pokemon Box. To use the IV Judge, open up your Pokemon Box, select a Pokemon, then press the + button on your Joy-Con to expand the Individual Values (IVs) of that Pokemon.
The higher the IVs, the more efficient that Pokemon will be in battle. If you don’t have an IV Judge, there is a “workaround” to get Pokemon with better IVs than normal without viewing and comparing stats. Essentially, any Pokemon you encounter with a Brilliant Aura (gold light surrounding them) is guaranteed to have at least three “best stats” and may also come with an Egg Move.
As such, it’s worth catching a Pokemon with a Brilliant Aura whenever you spot them.
Once you get the IV Judge, you can really take the time to hunt down Pokemon with the best possible IVs across the board, and it’s something that can honestly be quite fun. Again, you’ll need to beat the story in Pokemon Sword and Shield, challenge the Battle Tower, earn at least six victories, beat Leon, and earn Rank 4 in the Battle Tower to get the IV Judge in Pokemon Sword and Shield.
Now that you know where to get the IV Judge in Pokemon Sword and Shield, be sure to check out some of our other guides including all supported controllers in Pokemon Sword and Shield, whether you can visit other regions in Pokemon Sword and Shield, and what the Max Level Cap is in Pokemon Sword and Shield.