How to evolve Galarian Linoone into Obstagoon in Pokemon Sword and Shield

There are plenty of new and exciting Pokemon to discover as you work your way across the Galar region, but one of the headliners is Galarian Obstagoon. Evolving from Galarian forms of first Zigzagoon, and later Linoone, the entire Pokemon family is inspired by the band Kiss - complete with black and white fur and long tongues. But while Galarian Zigzagoon and Linoone are both quite common in Pokemon Sword and Shield, getting Galarian Obstagoon takes a little more work. So then, how do you evolve Galarian Linoone into Obstagoon in Pokemon Sword and Shield?

Well, the answer is less than straightforward. On the Pokemon Sword and Shield website, it states that "the Linoone of the Galar region live in harsh conditions compared to those found in other regions, with fierce competition against others of their species. Their survival instincts have been honed as a result, leading to their Evolution into Obstagoon." Doesn't seem to tell us much does it?

However, there's a clue in there and it's in the words 'survival instincts'. It turns out that the only way to evolve Linoone into Obstagoon is Pokemon Sword and Shield is to literally make it keep on surviving, by battling with it. My Linoone evolved from Zigzagoon at Lv. 20, but only evolved into Obstagoon at Lv. 56, and I quote from the Pokedex here, "after experiencing numerous fights". From memory, that was somewhere in the region of 50-100 battles, but it's unclear whether Linoone needs to participate in all battles or simply be in your party.

For now, if you want a Galarian Obstagoon, keep it in your party and use whenever possible, as much as possible, in order to guarantee the speediest route to evolution. We'll update this guide as soon as we have more concrete information.

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