Game Freak struck gold with Pikachu and transformed the electric rodent (which is actually based on a squirrel) into the Pokemon franchise’s mascot. While the studio has tried to one-up Pikachu’s shocking success with various Pika-clones in each new generation, the only creature that ever came close was Pokemon Sun and Moon/Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon’s Mimikyu.
While many preexisting Pokemon didn’t make the cut for Sword and Shield, Mimikyu is available in the games, and players can find the little mimic hiding in the fields of Galar. However, you need patience and luck to find this shy creature. Here’s a quick and dirty guide on how to get Mimikyu in Pokemon Sword and Shield.
How to Get Mimikyu in Pokemon Sword & Shield
Mimikyu make their home in the Wild Area, specifically Giant’s Mirror lake in the northeastern section of the area. A good way to find Giant’s Mirror is to visit Hammerlocke Hills and head south.
However, merely exploring Giant’s Mirror isn’t enough. Mimikyu only come out when the location is shrouded in fog, which is a rare weather condition most players don’t experience until after they beat the game.
If you beat Pokemon Sword and Shield and don’t see fog while visiting Giant’s Mirror, you can cheat the system by changing your Switch’s internal clock. Sword and Shield’s weather is dependent on real-world time, so if you move the clock forward a few hours, the weather will magically change in-game. However, you aren’t guaranteed fog with this method.
If you want ensure specific weather conditions, you must change the Switch’s internal calendar to the first of a month. If you’re hunting Mimikyu, you should set the clock to June 1st, 2020, and Galar will be awash with fog. But, we’re not done yet.
Even when it’s foggy in Giant’s Mirror, Mimikyu rarely spawn. According to Bulbapedia and Serebii.net, Mimikyu have a whopping 3% spawn rate, one of the lowest in the game. Moreover, Mimikyu only show up in the grass surrounding Giant’s Mirror, and since they’re small Pokemon, you won’t know if they’ve spawned unless you venture into the grass.
If you don’t want to wait for fog, however, you can visit a rare Max Raid Battle Den in Hammerlocke Hills and Rolling Fields and hope to encounter a Mimikyu.
Let’s sum up how to get Mimikyu in Pokemon Sword and Shield.
- Beat the game to unlock fog weather.
- Visit Giant’s Mirror in the Wild Area.
- Wait for fog, alter the Nintendo Switch’s clock to potentially change the weather to fog, or set the Switch’s calendar date to June 1st, 2020 to guarantee fog.
- Run around the tall grass and hope a Mimikyu spawns
- Alternatively, visit a rare Max Raid Battle Den in Hammerlocke Hills and Rolling Fields and hope to fight a Mimikyu.
If you need any more tips, tricks or walkthroughs, visit our Pokemon Sword and Shield guide wiki or check out some other guides below.
