Galarian Slowpoke is one of the most restrictive Pokémon in Pokemon Legends: Z-A: in the base game, you only get a single one per save file unless you trade or use Pokémon HOME. That design choice turns a dopey sidequest reward into a permanent build decision.
Galarian Slowpoke basics
| Form | Type | Species | Dex number (Kalos) | EV yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slowpoke (regular) | Water / Psychic | Dopey Pokémon | No. 137 | HP +1 |
| Galarian Slowpoke | Psychic | Dopey Pokémon | No. 137 (Galarian form) | HP +1 |
| Stat | Base value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| HP | 90 | High for a basic-stage Pokémon |
| Attack | 65 | Usable but not a focus |
| Defense | 65 | Solid physical bulk |
| Sp. Atk | 40 | Low, better after evolution |
| Sp. Def | 40 | Low, better after evolution |
| Speed | 15 | Extremely slow |
Both regular and Galarian Slowpoke share the same stat spread; what changes is typing and evolution options. Galarian Slowpoke stays pure Psychic until you evolve it, at which point it becomes Poison/Psychic as either Galarian Slowbro or Galarian Slowking.
How to get a regular Slowpoke
You need a standard Slowpoke before you can even start working on the regional form. Slowpoke appears in two Wild Zones:
| Location | When it unlocks | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Wild Zone 10 | During Main Mission 10 – The Secrets of Mega Evolution | First area where Slowpoke is available |
| Wild Zone 11 | During Main Mission 14 – Reaching Rank E | Alternative source if you skipped earlier |
Catch any Slowpoke in one of these zones and keep it in your party or pastures. You only need one to unlock the trade.
How to unlock and complete Side Mission 39 “Slowpoke for Slowpoke”
Galarian Slowpoke itself comes from a single NPC trade in Lumiose City.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Main story progress | Finish Main Mission 14 (Canari’s quiz / reaching Rank E). Side Mission 39 becomes available around this point. |
| Side mission name | Side Mission 39 – “Slowpoke for Slowpoke” |
| Where to start it | Bleu District, across the street from the entrance to Wild Zone 10, speaking to an NPC named Quille. |
| What you need | Any regular Slowpoke in your party to offer in trade. |
Talk to Quille while carrying a Slowpoke. He offers a one-way trade: your regular Slowpoke for his Galarian Slowpoke. Accept, choose the Slowpoke you want to give up, and the mission completes immediately. The Galarian Slowpoke you receive is fixed (static); it cannot be shiny and is not repeatable on that save file.
From that point on, your save has exactly one Galarian Slowpoke unless you trade for more or import them.
How to get the Galarica Cuff and Galarica Wreath
Evolving Galarian Slowpoke into either of its regional evolutions requires special items from a later side mission.
| Item | Used for | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Galarica Cuff | Evolves Galarian Slowpoke into Galarian Slowbro | Reward from Side Mission 75 – “Some Unusual Pokemon” |
| Galarica Wreath | Evolves Galarian Slowpoke into Galarian Slowking | Reward from Side Mission 75 – “Some Unusual Pokemon” |
Side Mission 75 is found at Vert Sector 9’s Battle Court, next to Wild Zone 1. A girl named Touri has just returned from the Isle of Armor and challenges you to a battle featuring both Galarian Slowbro and Galarian Slowking. The mission unlocks later in the story, roughly around Main Mission 24.
Defeat Touri’s team to receive one Galarica Cuff and one Galarica Wreath. There is no other in-game source for these items in the base game.
How to evolve Galarian Slowpoke
Once you have your items, the evolution process is straightforward but irreversible.
| Base form | Evolution item | Result | Final typing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galarian Slowpoke | Use Galarica Cuff | Galarian Slowbro | Poison / Psychic |
| Galarian Slowpoke | Use Galarica Wreath | Galarian Slowking | Poison / Psychic |
Choose either the Cuff or the Wreath from your Bag and use it on your Galarian Slowpoke. It will immediately evolve into the corresponding regional form, and the item is consumed.
Because you have only one Galarian Slowpoke and one copy of each item, this is a one-time choice per save: you cannot evolve that same Slowpoke into the other regional form later, and you cannot get a second Galarica Cuff or Wreath in the base game.
Note: Galarian Slowbro cannot Mega Evolve in Legends: Z-A, even though regular Slowbro can become Mega Slowbro with the appropriate Mega Stone.
Choosing between Galarian Slowbro and Galarian Slowking
Both regional evolutions share the Poison/Psychic typing, but their stats and roles differ.
| Evolution | Stat focus | Role | Key differences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galarian Slowbro | HP, Defense, decent Sp. Atk | Physical tank that still hits hard with special moves | Better physical bulk, leans into soaking contact hits and retaliating. |
| Galarian Slowking | HP, Special Defense, higher Sp. Atk | Specially bulky caster with wide TM coverage | Better special bulk and slightly higher Special Attack, can use more TMs for flexible movepools. |
Neither evolution gains access to Mega Evolution in Legends: Z-A, and both end up with similar overall strength. The choice is more about team needs and playstyle than raw power:
- Pick Galarian Slowbro if you want a slow, physically bulky wall that shrugs off contact moves and uses moves like Surf, Psychic, or coverage special attacks.
- Pick Galarian Slowking if you prefer a special tank that can sponge incoming beams and pulses and lean into support or coverage from TMs such as Calm Mind, Ice Beam, or Shadow Ball.
For players already planning to run regular Slowbro with its Mega form, Galarian Slowking usually offers a more distinct role. If you are not using regular Slowbro at all, Galarian Slowbro is a straightforward defensive upgrade over its pre-evolution with a familiar feel.
Best natures for Galarian Slowpoke and its evolutions
Because base Galarian Slowpoke is slow and naturally bulky, defensive natures make the most sense and remain useful after evolution.
| Nature | Raises | Lowers | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bold | Defense | Attack | Best for physically defensive sets, especially Galarian Slowbro. |
| Calm | Sp. Def | Attack | Best for special walls, pairs well with Galarian Slowking. |
| Relaxed | Defense | Speed | Extra physical bulk if you do not care about already-low Speed. |
| Sassy | Sp. Def | Speed | Extra special bulk, trading more Speed you were unlikely to use. |
Bold and Calm are the most balanced options, improving bulk without slowing down move cooldowns. Relaxed and Sassy are viable if you accept slower moves in exchange for even more durability.
You can fix an unwanted nature with a Mint. These are sold in Mint Shops scattered around Lumiose; once you use a Mint on Galarian Slowpoke, its stat growth shifts to match that nature permanently.
Using Galarian Slowpoke in battles
Galarian Slowpoke learns a wide mix of Water and Psychic attacks plus utility moves as it levels. Some key level-up moves include:
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | Confusion | Psychic | Special | Early STAB move with a chance to confuse. |
| 6 | Water Gun | Water | Special | Basic Water coverage, useful against Fire- and Ground-types. |
| 14 | Psybeam | Psychic | Special | Stronger Psychic attack with confusion chance. |
| 18 | Water Pulse | Water | Special | More powerful than Water Gun and can confuse. |
| 24 | Zen Headbutt | Psychic | Physical | Physical Psychic option that can make foes flinch. |
| 27 | Amnesia | Psychic | Status | Raises Special Defense sharply for extended tanking. |
| 36 | Surf | Water | Special | High-power, wide-area Water move. |
| 42 | Psychic | Psychic | Special | Strong single-target Psychic nuke with Sp. Def drop chance. |
On top of that, TMs let both evolutions branch into strong coverage:
- Ice Beam and Blizzard to punish Dragon-, Flying-, and Grass-types.
- Flamethrower or Fire Blast for Steel- and Bug-types that resist Psychic.
- Shadow Ball to hit opposing Psychic- and Ghost-types that would otherwise wall you.
- Calm Mind for a setup route on more defensive builds, especially Galarian Slowking.
- Protect, Light Screen, and Safeguard for added support and survivability.
Lean into Special moves; Attack is serviceable but does not stand out. A typical story-mode set on a Calm Galarian Slowking might look like Surf, Psychic, Ice Beam, and Calm Mind. A Bold Galarian Slowbro can run Surf, Psychic, Flamethrower, and Amnesia for a mix of offense and bulk.
Can you get a second Galarian Slowpoke?
Within a single Legends: Z-A save, there is only one in-game Galarian Slowpoke: the one from Side Mission 39. It does not respawn, and no Wild Zone spawns Galarian Slowpoke directly.
There are only three ways to have more than one:
- Trade with another player who is willing to part with their Galarian Slowpoke or its evolutions.
- Use Pokémon HOME support to transfer additional Galarian Slowpoke into Legends: Z-A once that link is available.
- Maintain multiple saves on different profiles and trade between them.
HOME transfers to Legends: Z-A are one-way in generational terms: anything that enters Z-A cannot then move to earlier-generation games such as Sword and Shield or Legends: Arceus. Monsters originating in Z-A can move forward to later releases but not backwards. Within that system, you can still send Pokémon back and forth between Z-A and HOME; the restriction applies to movement between different game families.
Because of that structure, the first Galarian Slowpoke you evolve in any given save has real weight. If you care about having both regional evolutions in the same file and do not want to trade, plan on importing or accepting that only one will be native to that run.
Handled thoughtfully, that single sleepy Slowpoke can anchor a lot of your late-game battles, whether you turn it into a hulking Galarian Slowbro on the front lines or a stoic Galarian Slowking that quietly shrugs off special hits from the back row.
