How to catch Dragonite easily in Pokemon Sword & Shield Crown Tundra

Info

One of the most popular Pokemon of all time, Dragonite, can now be caught in Sword & Shield. The lovable orange dragon was added to the RPG in its second DLC, The Crown Tundra. Here is how you can catch the majestic beast fast. 

In a first for the franchise, Game Freak opted out of a third game for its eighth generation release, Sword & Shield, in favor of an Expansion Pass. And on October 22, the Nintendo Switch title got its second DLC, The Crown Tundra.

The massive update brought a host of past gen favorites to Galar, including the beloved ‘mon Dragonite. The majestic beast has an incredibly low spawn rate, however a new method will have you catching it in literally no time at all.

Dragonite can now be caught in Sword & Shield.

How to catch Dragonite quickly in Pokemon Crown Tundra

Introduced in 1996, Dragonite has been one of the most beloved Pokemon for decades. According to its Pokedex entry, the creature is “kindhearted, and if it spots a drowning person or Pokémon, Dragonite simply must help them.”

While not a Legendary, the character is a fan favorite. Unfortunately for Sword & Shield owners, it also has one of the lowest spawn rates in the Crown Tundra DLC, with its lower evolutions having a 5% chance of showing up.

Thankfully, a method has been discovered that forces the monster to spawn. We will cover the steps below on how to find the Dragon-type, and it’ll have you adding it to your team in the quickest way possible.

Dragonite can easily be found at Ballimere Lake near the Dyna Tree.

Steps to quickly catching Dragonite

  • Step 1: Hit the Home button on your Switch, and go to System Settings. Next, scroll down to the very bottom and click System. Go to Date and Time and set Synchronize Clock via Internet to OFF. Lastly, set your date to September 3, 2020.
  • Step 2: Fast travel to the Dyna Tree location. If step 1 was performed correctly, it should be thunderstorm weather. After spawning in front of the tree, immediately take a right, then a second right looping backwards. Cut across the grass and take the ramp down to the lower level.
  • Step 3: Due to the thunder, Dragonite will spawn in this location. You will see the lovable orange dragon walking around the overworld. Save your game first, then run into it and engage in a battle.
  • Step 4: We recommend using a Pokemon with False Swipe, or a sleep move. Using an Ultra Ball or higher will increase your odds. Should you accidentally knock it out or run out of items, reload your save and the monster will be in the exact same spot.
Dragonite walks around the overworld only during thunderstorms.

Dragonite in Pokemon Max Raid dens

Another method to securing Dragonite is through Max Raid dens. According to popular Pokemon outlet Serebii, there are five raid dens that the monster shows up in.

Based on tests we ran though, the weather method at Ballimere Lake is infinitely faster. However, those that want to catch the character this way can do so at the locations below.

  • Giant’s Bed
  • Path to the Peak
  • Frigid Sea
  • Three-Point Pass
  • Ballimere Lake
The Dragon can also be found in Raid dens.

There are two other methods to get the orange Dragon, and that is either capturing its lower evolution Dratini in Dynamax Adventures, or finding it at Ballimere Lake at a 5% spawn rate. However the thunderstorm method is almost instant.

The Crown Tundra has given Sword & Shield players hours of new gameplay with the host of Legendaries and new monsters they can catch. Thankfully, Dragonite is fairly easy to secure.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pbHXnqmtp16YvK57z6iinqWfo3ypu9Zmq6hlk5bBpLSMnaman5%2BjtrWxjJ6YrKGcrnqquoyppqSdnaS7br%2FWqKmdZaOdtqa4w2aaq6eno3q1wc2dqZplYWmBc4ORcmY%3D