The Pokemon Sword and Shield Crown Tundra expansion doesn’t just add a sprawling new zone to explore. On top of the 100 or so returning Pokemon from past generations, it also includes a brand-new item for competitive players to foam over – the Ability Patch. It won’t mean much to the average player, but given just what it enables and how you’ll naturally manage to afford one just by playing the game, you might be able to use it as a bargaining chip to trade for just about any Pokemon you can think of. Whether you want it for a particular reason or just because it’s something shiny and new, here’s exactly how to get the Ability Patch and how much it’ll set you back.
What Does the Ability Patch Do?
The Ability Patch is a new item competitive players have been demanding for years. It’s essentially an improved Ability Capsule. Instead of replacing a Pokemon’s current ability with their other easily obtainable one, however, it swaps it with that species’ Hidden Ability. These are typically only be obtained through limited-time events and giveaways, hence the excitement. Not every Pokemon has a Hidden Ability, but when they do, it tends to be something competitive players can get some serious use out of.
How to Get the Ability Patch
Getting an Ability Patch for yourself isn’t cheap and the process involves a lot of hard work. This isn’t some attempt to rinse the wallets of hardcore competitive Pokemon players, but like most of the worthwhile battle items out there, they take a bit of a grind to obtain.
You’ll gain access to the Ability Patch almost as soon as you load up the game — provided you have access to the Crown Tundra. Unlike the Ability Capsule, you can’t buy it with BP from the Battle Tower. It’s sold by a vendor inside the Max Lair instead, requiring the new Dynite Ore currency to purchase.
As you might imagine, you get Dynite Ore from the Max Lair, with the amount you get depending on how well you perform in a run. You get three to four for participating, two for reaching the legendary Pokemon at the end, and another three for actually catching the thing. You can net a max total of eight to nine Dynite Ore per run judging from a quick run-through. A single Ability Patch costs 200 Dynite Ore and can only be used once, making for a lengthy grind each and every time you need to use one.
Making the Most of the Ability Patch
Any Pokemon with a worthwhile Hidden Ability can be incredibly valuable in the online trading scene. This new item will dilute their worth somewhat, but it will also make Hidden Ability Pokemon more readily available for competitive use. The introduction of the Ability Capsule marks the first time many Pokemon have had permanent access to some of their best kits, which should give players incentive to keep playing through Max Lairs and even spice up the esports scene in the process.
Keep an eye on which Pokemon make the competitive waves, and you’ll be able to use an Ability Capsule to get your own – either to dominate or just to trade for that one legendary you might be missing. Better yet, plan ahead when using an Ability Patch. If you unlock a Female Pokemon’s Hidden Ability, it has a 60% chance of passing it onto same-species offspring. If a Male Pokemon has it, breeding with a Ditto gives the offspring a 30% chance to inherit the ability. With careful, selective breeding, you’ll be able to amass a collection of a popular species with their Hidden Ability unlocked, ready to go up for some great trades.
