Right before you reach the entrance to Route 7, you'll meet Hop once again. Surprise! He wants another battle. Make sure you've got a Fighting-type Pokemon with you because otherwise his Snorlax is an enormous pain to get through — physically and metaphorically — but the rest of his team should be a cakewalk.
Hop
| Pokemon | Level | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Trevenant | 34 | Ghost/Grass |
| Snorlax | 35 | Normal |
| Heatmor | 34 | Fire |
| Boltund | 35 | Electric |
| Inteleon/Rillaboom/Cinderace | 37 | Water/Grass/Fire |
After you beat Hop, continue heading east to Route 7.
Route 7
Pokemon: Route 7 - Overworld
| Pokemon | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Galvantula | Common |
| Inkay | Average |
| Liepard | Average |
| Morpeko | Rare |
| Perrserker | Common |
| Thievul | Common |
Pokemon: Route 7 - Random Encounters
| Pokemon | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Corviknight | Common |
| Karrablast | Common (Sword) / Rare (Shield) |
| Liepard | Average |
| Meowstic (Male - Sword) | Average |
| Meowstic (Female - Shield) | Average |
| Seismitoad | Rare |
| Shelmet | Rare (Sword) / Common (Shield) |
| Toxel | Common |
Items: Route 7
| Item | Visible | Hidden |
|---|---|---|
| Balm Mushroom | Row 0 - Cell 1 | Y |
| Ether | Row 1 - Cell 1 | Y |
| PP Up (After visiting Spikemuth) | Row 2 - Cell 1 | Y |
| Quick Ball x3 | Y | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
| Safety Goggles (After visiting Spikemuth) | Y | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
| TM58 Assurance (After visiting Spikemuth) | Y | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
Route 7 is a short one; there's just two trainers and a few patches of tall grass to explore right now. First up is Model Mila.
Model Mila
| Pokemon | Level | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Ribombee | 35 | Bug/Fairy |
| Vespiquen | 36 | Bug/Flying |
You can't go further east because Team Yell are blocking the way, so head north and take on Cabbie Bruce.
Cabbie Bruce
| Pokemon | Level | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Corvisquire | 35 | Flying |
| Rufflet | 36 | Normal/Flying |
Spend some time filling up your Pokedex with the wild Pokemon here, make sure you shake the berry tree and grab the three Quick Balls, then head through the tunnel to reach Route 8.
Route 8
Pokemon: Route 8 - Overworld
| Pokemon | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Boldore | Average (Sword) / Common (Shield) |
| Falinks | Frequent |
| Golett | Common |
| Gurdurr | Common (Sword) / Average (Shield) |
| Lunatone (Shield) | Rare |
| Pawniard | Common |
| Rufflet | Average (Sword) |
| Solrock | Rare (Sword) |
| Togedemaru | Rare |
| Vullaby (Shield) | Average |
Pokemon: Route 8 - Random Encounters
| Pokemon | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Bronzong | Average |
| Drapion | Rare |
| Dusclops | Average |
| Falinks | Rare |
| Haunter | Average |
| Hippowdon | Average |
| Rhyhorn | Common |
| Sandaconda | Common |
Items: Route 8
| Item | Visible | Hidden |
|---|---|---|
| Big Nugget | Row 0 - Cell 1 | Y |
| Elixir | Row 1 - Cell 1 | Y |
| Hyper Potion x3 | Y | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
| King's Rock | Y | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
| Luxury Ball x3 | Y | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
| Max Revive | Y | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
| Nugget | Row 6 - Cell 1 | Y |
| Pixie Plate | Row 7 - Cell 1 | Y |
| Shiny Stone | Y | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
| Terrain Extender | Y | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
| TM43 Brick Break | Y | Row 10 - Cell 2 |
| TM96 Smart Strike | Y | Row 11 - Cell 2 |
| X Defense x3 | Row 12 - Cell 1 | Row 12 - Cell 2 |
Route 8 is split up into two parts and this first section is quite complex. Here is where you can find numerous wild Pokemon you haven't been able to get so far, so take your time here to explore everywhere. Go down the stairs and first up is the section to the left with a ladder. This part doesn't actually have anything to find except for a cheeky Trainer Tips sign.
Go back down the ladder and down the next ladder to the right, where you'll find a trainer.
Doctor Joanna
| Pokemon | Level | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Roselia | 36 | Grass/Poison |
| Hattrem | 36 | Psychic |
Go up the next ladder and follow the path to the right in order to get a Shiny Stone at the end. Go back round and down the next stairs, then up the ladder in the lowered section. Walk left and up the ladder to find TM96 Smart Strike.
Walk to the right and down the next ladder to a small section full of tall grass and grab the three Hyper Potions. Up the next ladder and down the one on the other side will lead you to a slightly larger section; walk around the top and hop down the ledge, then go up the slope below it to find three Luxury Balls.
Walk west, past the Falinks emerging from its hole, and pick up the Max Revive in the corner. Go up the stairs on the left-hand side and take on Backpacker Barbara.
Backpacker Barbara
| Pokemon | Level | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Dreepy | 36 | Grass |
| Vullaby | 37 | Dark/Flying |
Walk to the end of the path and you'll find a Big Nugget glistening in the corner. Go back down the stairs, through the patches of tall grass, and round the corner to take on the next trainer.
Musician Charles
| Pokemon | Level | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Togedemaru | 37 | Electric/Steel |
Hop down the next ladder and you'll find a King's Rock in the centre of the area Falinks is roaming, along with a Nugget hiding in the top-right corner. Go up the stairs and the next ladder, then take an immediate left to find a Crustle blocking the path. Defeat or catch it then keep heading left for TM43 Brick Break.
Turn around and go right to take on Colleagues Alison and Jordan, who are fixated by their mobile phones and not particularly keen on battling.
Colleagues Alison and Jordan (Duo)
| Pokemon | Level | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Excadrill | 36 | Ground/Steel |
| Hippowdon | 36 | Ground |
| Lucario | 37 | Fighting/Steel |
| Perrserker | 37 | Steel |
Run to the end of the path to the right after defeating the pair and you'll find the Terrain Extender, then use Lisa's Pokemon Camp if you so wish. When you're done, head through the tunnel to find the second section of Route 8, Steamdrift Way.
Route 8 (Steamdrift Way)
Pokemon: Route 8 (Steamdrift Way) - Overworld
| Pokemon | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Sawk (Sword) | Rare |
| Sneasel | Common |
| Snom | Frequent |
| Snorunt | Common |
| Throh (Shield) | Rare |
| Vanillish | Average |
Pokemon: Route 8 (Steamdrift Way) - Random Encounters
| Pokemon | Rarity |
|---|---|
| Darumaka (Sword) | Rare |
| Delibird | Average |
| Sneasel | Common |
| Snom | Frequent |
| Snover | Common |
Items: Route 8 (Steamdrift Way)
| Item | Visible | Hidden |
|---|---|---|
| Star Piece x2 | Row 0 - Cell 1 | Y |
In this snowy section of Route 8, there's just one trainer to take on and a few new wild Pokemon to find.
Police Officer Bobby
| Pokemon | Level | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Arcanine | 37 | Fire |
| Boltund | 37 | Electric |
When you're done in Steamdrift Way, head north to reach Circhester.
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Postwick and Route 1
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Wedgehurst and Route 2
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Wild Area and Motostoke
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Route 3, Galar Mine, and Route 4
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Turffield, Turffield Gym, and Route 5
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Hulbury and Hulbury Gym
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Galar Mine No.2 and Motostoke Gym
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Hammerlocke and Route 6
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Stow-on-Side and Stow-on-Side Gym
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Glimwood Tangle
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Ballonlea and Ballonlea Gym
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Route 7 and Route 8
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Circhester and Circhester Gym
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Route 9
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Spikemuth Gym
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Hammerlocke Gym
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Route 10 and Wyndon
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Wyndon Gym and Rose Tower
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Wyndon Gym Finals and Slumbering Weald
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Energy Plant and Champion Battle
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Zacian and Zamazenta
Pokemon Sword and Shield walkthrough: Post-game activities
