Catching Pokemon in the Wild Area of Pokemon Sword & Shield can be incredibly fun at times and downright annoying at others. Whether the player is looking to build a team of champions, fill out their Pokedex, grind IVs, or make some money, tracking down Pokemon in this area is often the best way to do it.

It’s important to keep in mind that certain Pokemon will only come out during certain weather conditions. The following are Pokemon that will only show up when it’s hot and the sun is shining.

18 Vulpix

Vulpix appears in quite a few places when the sun is intense. It’ll show up in Axewell’s Eye, Dappled Grove, East Lake Axewell, Giant’s Seat, North Lake Miloch, Rolling Fields – Area 2, Rolling Fields, South Lake Miloch – Area 2, South Lake Miloch, Watchtower Ruins, and West Lake Axwell. The best place to go looking is Rolling Fields as it has a 60% chance of appearing.

17 Ninetales

The evolved form of Vulpix is a bit harder to find as it only appears in Lake of Outrage during Intense Sun. It has a 25% chance of appearing. Ninetales does really well in PVP when part of sun teams. Its role is to serve as a wallbreaker and summon Sunny Day using the Drought ability.

16 Growlithe

Growlithe can be found in a few locations in the Wild Area during Intense Sun. It’s found in the Dusty Bowl, Giant’s Mirror -Area 2, and Hammerlocke Hills. Hammerlocke Hills is the best spot to find one because of a 40% appearance rate. Even in tiers among weaker Pokemon Growlithe isn’t the best PVP fighter.

15 Arcanine

Arcanine is a bit harder to find appearing only in the Lake of Outrage and having a 25% chance of showing up. Arcanine can be a decent PVP fighter, but is outclassed by many others fire types, such as the Ninetales mentioned earlier. It’ll serve for PVE matches, but players shouldn’t spend too much time with it.

14 Flareon

Flareon can be found wandering the Lake of Outrage during intense sunny days. Given its terrible speed and fire typing its really only worth catching to flush out a Pokedex rather than using in PVP battles. PVE should be fine.

13 Maractus

Maractus is found in a few spots during Intense Sun. It can be found in Bridge Field, Hammerlocke Hills, Stony Wilderness, Stony Wilderness – Area 2, and Stony Wilderness – Area 3. The last area being the best thanks to a 50% appearance rate.

Don’t bother with PVP or PVE, its poor stats make it more of a liability.

12 Lampent

Lampent can be found in the Lake of Outrage and has a 14% chance of appearing there. Even though being a Ghost/Fire can be handy in PVP its low stats negate any advantage this would have. It’s evolved form Chandelure is another story.

11 Chandelure

Chandelure will also appear in the Lake of Outrage during Intense Sun and appears less frequently than the somewhat rare Lampent does. It’s worth the hunt though as Chandelure has high Special Attack and decent spread of stats to fulfill a number of roles in PVP combat. As a ghost it’s a great stallbreaker against physical based fighters such as Blissey.

10 Heatmor

Heatmor will appear in Giant’s Mirror and Lake of Outrage during Intense Sun. In both places it has a 5% appearance rate making it a very rare find. Unfortunately it doesn’t do well in PVP combat. It’s too slow to attack and too weak to defend.

9 Durant

The Bug/Steal Durant can be found in Giant’s Mirror and the Lake of Outrage. Giant’s Mirror is best as it has a 40% chance of appearing. It can hold its own in PVP combat thanks to good Speed, Attack, and Defense. It’ll get outclassed in fiercer competitions due to low HP, but for those starting out it’s a solid wallbreaker.

8 Volcarona

Thanks to the Isle of Armor DLC, Volcarona can be found wandering the new Wild Area in Challenge Beach, Potbottom Desert, and Insular Sea. Players should consider catching one as it’s a brutal sweeper in PVP combat thanks to an excellent movepool and great stats. Just watch out for Stealth Rock.

7 Fletchling

Fletchling can also be found in the new Wild Area. It appears in Challenge Road, Loop Lagoon, and Potbottom Desert when the sun is intense. The best place is Challenge Road due to a 15% appearance rate. It’s a rather weak fighter for both PVP and PVE, but its evolved forms are a different story.

6 Fletchinder

Fletchinder can be found wandering the Fields of Honor, Soothing Wetlands, Challenge Beach, and Training Lowlands. While surfing the player can also find them in Workout Sea, Stepping-Stone Sea, Insular Sea Honeycalm Sea, and Honeycalm Island.

Surfing seems to be an easier way to find them thanks to a 15% appearance rate. Still not strong enough to fight PVP or even PVE for that matter, but it’s evolved form Talonflame is.

5 Talonflame

Talonflame will only appear in the Soothing Wetlands, Loop Lagoon, and Training Lowlands during Intense Sun. It’s incredibly fast and its Fire/Flying typing combined with strong moves like Swords Dance and Gale Wings make it an effective sweeper or revenge killer. It can’t take much punishment and Stealth Rock is a threat but it can shred other fast Pokemon.

4 Fomantis

During Intense Sun Fomantis can be found in the Fields of Honor, Soothing Wetlands, Forest of Focus, Challenge Beach, and Training Lowlands. Challenge Beach or Fields of Honor are the best spots as they have a 20% appearance rate. It’s a rather weak Pokemon and not meant to be competitive.

3 Lurantis

Lurantis is found in the Forest of Focus and Challenge Beach during Intense Sun. It can remove hazards using Defog and Aromatherapy can help the team out. Unfortunately due to low Speed and poor stats overall it’s outclassed by better supports.

2 Salazzle

Salazzle can only be found in the Challenge Road location of the new Wild Area. This Poison/Fire-type has four times resistance to Bug, Grass, and Fairy moves, and Toxic Spike’s effectiveness is diminished when targeting Salazzle. Sludge Wave with Poisonium Z is brutal and Fire Blast will melt many opponents.

1 Turtonator

Turtonator is only found in the Lake of Outrage and has a 2% appearance rate. The reward for this lengthy search is a Fire/Dragon with excellent moves and great Defense. Unfortunately, it’s Speed and HP are so low that those advantages are negated and it’s a liability in PVP. The best it can do is be a sweeper when the opposing team is severally weakened and it can safely use Shell Smash to beef it up a little.

NEXT: Pokemon Sword & Shield: The Isle Of Armor: The Johto Pokemon We’re Most Excited Are Back