Fomantis is a Grass-type that made it’s debut in the Sun and Moon games a few years ago, and has recently returned to Pokémon Sword & Shield. It’s loosely based on an orchid mantis and evolves into Lurantis at level 34 while playing during the day. Players who have the Isle of Armor expansion will be able to catch this Alola Pokémon in the wild, instead of through online trading and Pokémon Home transferring.
Whether they want to find Fomantis to complete their Pokédex, shiny hunt for it, or evolve it, players might take interest in catching this colorful Grass-type. This guide will take a look at how to find Fomantis on the Isle of Armor, and provide tips on catching it.
Finding Fomantis in Sword & Shield
Those that have the Isle of Armor expansion are able to encounter Fomantis in the wild. They are located on all outdoor locations on the main part of the isle, Fields of Honor, Soothing Wetlands, Challenge Beach, Forest of Focus, and the Training Lowlands. Players can easily run into Fomantis the moment they step on the island, but there’s a prerequisite that determines whether or not Fomantis will appear: the weather. Fomantis, being a grass type that can photosynthesize, is found only in harsh sunlight. Because the weather is mostly unpredictable, players will need to rely on a chance to encounter Fomantis naturally. However, players can change the date to manipulate the weather, expediting the process. From there, players just need to run through wild grass until they find it like any other Pokémon.
There is another method to obtain Fomantis, and that’s through a max-raid battle. Players willing to take down a giant-sized Fomantis in a raid battle can obtain one without worrying about the weather restriction. Raid Dens found in Fields of Honor and Soothing Wetlands have a chance to feature Fomantis as the main opponent, but it’s no guarantee. Consider bringing along friends to make the battles easier.
Capturing Fomantis in Sword & Shield
Players won’t need to worry about Fomantis being too powerful, as the Isle of Armor scales the enemy Pokémon’s level based on how far players have progressed. Those that have beaten Sword & Shield’s champion will encounter Pokémon around level 60, so bring Pokémon around that level or higher. As per usual, catching Pokémon is easier the lower health they have, so use attack moves that won’t KO the Fomantis. As this Pokémon is a Grass-type, bring along those that resist its attacks like Fire and Bug Types. Grass Type’s are immune to spore based moves, like Stun Spore, so use other status inflicting moves instead. However, it's ability Leaf Guard, prevents status conditions during sunny weather. To inflict status conditions, bring a Pokémon that can change the weather during a battle, such as Pelipper and it's rain-bringing Drizzle ability (or any Pokémon with the Rain Dance move).
Pokémon in the wild are found with moves they learn by level up, and Fomantis has a few that can make catching them tricky. Ingrain grants it health recovery at the end of every turn and Synthesis will restore it’s health outright. Remember, it’s easier to catch Pokémon the less health they have, so health regenerating moves like these can be a detriment to those trying to catch it. Synthesis in particular is more irritating to deal with because of Fomantis’s sunny spawn conditions, as harsh sunlight improves how much health Synthesis heals. Solar Beam is another move Fomantis has that is buffed by sunny days, as this powerful grass type move no longer needs to be charged during this type of weather. Pokémon with Sap Sipper absorb grass type moves, so bringing one along will nullify Solar Beam and many of their other attacks.
Pokémon Sword & Shield is available for Nintendo Switch