How to Get Blue-Striped Basculin in Pokémon Sword

The direct answer to how you obtain a blue-striped Basculin in Pokémon Sword is straightforward: you cannot directly catch a blue-striped Basculin within the Pokémon Sword game itself. While the game does feature Basculin, it exclusively spawns the red-striped form. To acquire a blue-striped Basculin, you must trade with another player who owns Pokémon Shield. In Pokémon Shield, the blue-striped form is the common variant found in the wild. This means that the method to obtain a blue-striped Basculin in Pokémon Sword involves relying on the game’s trading mechanics and the community. Let’s delve deeper into this and related questions.

Obtaining a Blue-Striped Basculin: A Trading Affair

As previously mentioned, Pokémon Sword exclusively features the red-striped Basculin. You can encounter and catch this variant at locations such as Hulbury, Motostoke Riverbank, and North Lake Miloch. These are all fairly early game locations, making red-striped Basculin quite accessible.

However, if you desire a blue-striped Basculin for your collection, you’ll need to find a trading partner with Pokémon Shield who is willing to part with one. This highlights the importance of the game’s social aspect, and it is one of the major methods used to complete the Pokedex. Engaging in online communities and forums dedicated to Pokémon trading is highly recommended to find trainers with the specific Pokémon you need. If you have a friend who has Shield this makes trading significantly easier as well.

Why are different Basculin found in each game?

The difference in Basculin variants between Sword and Shield is an intentional design choice, encouraging players to interact and trade with each other. This mechanic provides the need for social interaction with others playing the game. It also helps to increase replayability of the game as well, since you are encouraged to obtain the other version of the game at some point as well to gain all pokemon. It also promotes discussion within the community and can be a good reason to engage with online forums and dedicated trading channels.

How Do I Trade for a Blue-Striped Basculin?

Trading in Pokémon Sword and Shield is a simple process. You can use local wireless trading if you’re nearby a friend who owns Pokémon Shield, or you can engage in online trading with any player around the world with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. To initiate a trade, you need to access the Y-Comm menu, select “Link Trade,” and set a link code if trading with a specific player. Once the trade has been completed, your desired Basculin is ready for adventures.

Frequently Asked Questions about Basculin

Here are some frequently asked questions about Basculin, its forms, and evolution, to expand your understanding of this interesting Pokémon:

1. Where Can I Find Blue-Striped Basculin in the Wild?

As explicitly stated before, blue-striped Basculin are NOT available in the wild in Pokémon Sword. You can only obtain them through trading from a copy of Pokémon Shield. They are commonly found in bodies of water within Shield, similar to the areas the red version are found in Sword.

2. What are the Differences Between Red and Blue-Striped Basculin?

Beyond the color of their stripes, there are minor differences. Red-Striped Basculin have circular, red eyes and jagged fin edges, while Blue-Striped Basculin have narrower blue eyes and smooth fin edges. Red-striped Basculin in the wild also have a 5% chance of holding a DeepSeaTooth. There is, however, no difference in type or stats.

3. How Many Different Forms of Basculin Exist?

Basculin has three distinct forms: Red-Striped, Blue-Striped, and White-Striped. These forms have different habitats and some have different evolutionary capabilities as well.

4. Can Red or Blue-Striped Basculin Evolve?

Neither Red nor Blue-Striped Basculin can evolve in any game. Only the White-Striped form can evolve into Basculegion. This means that any red or blue Basculin you trade up through Pokémon Home will also never evolve.

5. Where Can I Find White-Striped Basculin?

White-Striped Basculin are found in the Kitakami region, specifically in the lake southwest of Timeless Woods. This is exclusive to the Scarlet and Violet DLC, so you can’t obtain these in Sword and Shield.

6. Can Basculin Evolve in Pokémon Sword?

No, Basculin itself does not evolve in Pokémon Sword. It is one of the few single stage pokemon that does not have an evolution or pre-evolution in the main series. However, it should be noted that in later titles such as Pokemon Legends Arceus, it does have an evolution.

7. What Does Basculin Evolve Into?

Only White-Striped Basculin evolves into Basculegion. Red and blue forms are not capable of evolution.

8. How Does White-Striped Basculin Evolve into Basculegion?

To evolve White-Striped Basculin into Basculegion, the Basculin must take 294 points of cumulative recoil damage from its own moves without fainting, then leveling up. Healing is fine but fainting will reset the counter.

9. Why Does my Basculin Have Blue Eyes?

A Basculin with blue eyes is the Blue-Striped Form of Basculin. It is a visual indicator to distinguish this form from the Red-Striped form.

10. What if Basculin Faints While Trying to Evolve?

If Basculin faints while accumulating the required 294 points of recoil damage, the damage count will reset to zero. You can keep track of this in Pokemon Legends Arceus, but there is no indicator of progress in Scarlet and Violet.

11. Are All Basculin forms the same?

The forms of Basculin do not share the same stats or typing, but the red and blue striped versions do. The typing and stats are identical in both the red and blue striped versions but the white striped version differs. The white striped version is also the only version that evolves and it also differs visually by having a slightly more slender body.

12. Is White-Striped Basculin a Hisuian Form?

While the White-Striped Basculin is found in Hisui (Pokémon Legends: Arceus) and is often associated with Hisuian Pokémon, it does not have the same stat changes that a normal regional variant would have. The TCG labels it as “Hisuian,” primarily for clarity to prevent Red or Blue-Striped forms from evolving into Basculegion.

13. How do I breed white-striped Basculin?

Yes, white striped Basculin is able to be bred, and breeding a white-striped Basculin will result in another white-striped Basculin. It is not a regional variant, but a distinct form of its own.

14. Is there a difference between Red and Blue striped Basculin beyond their colors?

Yes, Red-Striped Basculin have fins with jagged edges, while Blue-Striped Basculin have smooth edges. Also, red-striped Basculin in the wild have a small chance of holding a DeepSeaTooth. The main difference though is that you can obtain the red version in Sword, and the blue version in Shield.

15. What Pokedex Number is Basculin?

Basculin is #550 in the National Pokédex.

Conclusion

To get a blue-striped Basculin in Pokémon Sword, you must trade with a player who owns Pokémon Shield. This is due to the game-specific exclusive spawns. While it might require a little effort to find a trade partner, acquiring the blue variant to complete your Pokédex is a worthwhile endeavor. By understanding the differences between the forms of Basculin and how to acquire them, you can become a more knowledgeable and skilled Pokémon trainer. Happy trading, and good luck with your journey!