Wingull goes all the way back to third generation, the glory days of Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. As a dual-type with both Water and Flying properties, it was never one of the best Pokémon. All it took was one Thunderbolt to send poor Wingull, and its evolution Pelipper, packing. That fact remained the same all the way through Gen Six, when Pelipper was denied the power of Mega Evolution. But then Gen Seven gave Pelipper a buff. Now it’s a pretty good tank, and a monster when it’s raining.
Fortunately, catching Wingull and raising a battle-ready Pelipper of your own won’t be hard. They’re fairly common in the Wild Area. The real challenge will be getting one with the proper Nature and IVs you want (or just changing the Nature with a mint). We can’t guarantee you’ll find the perfect Wingull, but we can tell you where to find one in Pokémon Sword & Shield.
Where To Find Wingull In Sword & Shield
Wingull can be encountered in several different ways, depending on location and weather. In the Wild Area, they can be seen flying around during rain and thunderstorms as well as in the tall grass during those same conditions. In the Wild Area’s various bodies of water, Wingull can also be found while “surfing” using the bike’s aqua tires. The areas where Wingull are encountered are East Lake Axewell, North Lake Miloch, Rolling Fields, South Lake Miloch, Watchtower Ruins, and West Lake Axewell.
Wingull can also be found in Max Raid Battles at East Lake Axewell, Giant’s Cap, and Hammerlocke Hills.
How To Evolve Wingull Into Pelipper
Wingull evolves to Pelipper at level 25. Pelipper can also be caught wild during rain and while surfing at Route 9, Axew’s Eye, Bridge Field, Dusty Bowl, Hammerlocke Hills, Lake of Outrage, North Lake Miloch, and Rolling Fields.
Pelipper Max Raid Battles take place at East Lake Axewell, Giant’s Cap, and Hammerlocke Hills.
What Pelipper Does In Battle
Thanks to Gen VII defensive buffs and a wealth of attacks that can be used in the rain, Pelipper is a powerful Pokémon. Smogon, a competitive Pokémon database, puts Pelipper in one of its highest tiers. Part of that is that Pelipper is one of just three Pokémon that can use the Ability Drizzle. This summons a rain storm as soon as Pelipper takes the field. That’s invaluable as it lets you set up your rain team without wasting a turn.
Also of note is that Pelipper can use Hurricane, a move that always hits during rain and can even confuse the opponent. The rain also powers up Water-type moves, meaning the old standbys like Surf and Scald will be stronger. Also of note is that Pelipper can use Defog, a great move for dealing with opponents that love traps or protective moves.
On the defensive side, Pelipper can use Rest and Stockpile to keep itself in the game and heal. Overall Pelipper has a lot of utility, but will really shine on a rain-based team. If you’re looking to incorporate weather into your strategy, Pelipper should definitely be a Pokémon you consider.
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