You’re standing in the Wild Area, specifically near the Day Care in Bridge Field, staring at two brothers who look like they’ve seen better days. One is buff. The other looks like he hasn’t slept since the Galar region was founded. This is the digging duo pokemon sword players either love or absolutely loathe depending on how many Watts they’ve just flushed down the drain.
If you’ve played Pokémon Sword or Shield, you know the drill. You hand over 500 Watts, and these guys start hacking away at a wall of dirt. Sometimes you get a Gold Bottle Cap. Most of the time? You get a Stardust and a handful of Fossils you’ve already seen a thousand times.
It’s a gamble. It’s basically Galar’s version of a slot machine, but instead of bright lights, you get the rhythmic thwack of a shovel.
The Stamina Brother vs. The Reward Brother
Let’s get the basics straight because people still mix these two up. The brother on the left—the one who looks like he hits the gym—is the "Reward" specialist. He’s got skill. He finds the rare stuff. We’re talking Destiny Knots, Sun Stones, and those elusive Fossilized Dinos. The catch? He’s got the endurance of a wet paper towel. He might dig up two items and then tell you he’s exhausted.
Then there’s the brother on the right. This guy is a machine. He’s the "Stamina" specialist. He will dig and dig and dig until your inventory is overflowing with Lagging Tails and Iron Balls. He rarely finds the high-tier loot, but if you’re looking to farm items to sell for PokeDollars, he’s your man.
Honestly, the "Stamina" brother is strangely impressive. I’ve seen him go on a 20-item streak before. It’s absurd. You just sit there pressing the A button while he pulls out enough Soft Sand to build a beach.
What can they actually find?
The loot tables are actually quite different. If you’re hunting for the Fossilized Bird or Fossilized Dino in Pokemon Sword, you’re going to be spending a lot of time with these guys. While you can find these fossils on the ground in certain areas, the Digging Duo is the only consistent way to farm them for those competitive Dracozolt or Arctozolt builds.
Here’s the thing: the Reward brother (left) is the only one who can dig up the "Rare" tier items. This includes:
- Gold Bottle Caps (Incredibly low drop rate, but possible)
- Bottle Caps
- Wishing Pieces
- Rare Bones
The Stamina brother (right) is better for the "Common" stuff. Evolution stones like the Fire Stone or Leaf Stone are everywhere with him. If you need a Shiny Stone to evolve that Togetic, don’t waste your time with the Reward guy. Just spam the Stamina brother. He’ll find one eventually, and it’ll cost you way fewer Watts in the long run.
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The Secret to Maximizing Your Watts
Watts are the currency of the Wild Area. In the early game, 500 Watts feels like a fortune. By the time you’ve finished the main story and started raiding regularly, you’ll have hundreds of thousands of them.
Don't be stingy.
The best way to interact with the digging duo pokemon sword offers is to go in with a bankroll. Don't just do one or two pulls. The RNG (random number generation) in this game can be brutal. You need to do it in batches.
If you’re looking for a specific fossil, like the Fossilized Drake or Fish—which are much rarer in Sword than in Shield—you have to use the Reward brother. The Stamina brother literally cannot find them in Sword. Well, technically he can, but the odds are so infinitesimally small it’s not worth the thumb cramp.
Dealing with the "Rare" Fossil Problem
In Pokemon Sword, getting Dracovish or Arctovish is a massive pain. These fossils are "rare" drops for the Reward brother. You might spend 10,000 Watts and not see a single Fossilized Fish.
That’s just Galar life.
A lot of players think their game is glitched. It's not. The drop rates are just tuned to encourage trading with Shield players. But if you're a completionist or a solo player, the left brother is your only hope.
Is the Digging Duo still relevant in 2026?
With the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra DLCs, there are other ways to get items. The Cram-o-matic exists. You can find items in the Max Lair.
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But the Digging Duo stays relevant for one reason: simplicity.
You don't have to look up recipes. You don't have to navigate a complex dungeon. You just walk up, pay the man, and get your loot. For farming things like Everstones or various "Hold" items for competitive play, they are still the fastest method.
Plus, there's something weirdly satisfying about it. It's a break from the constant battling. It's a moment of zen. Or frustration. Usually frustration.
Expert Tips for Efficient Digging
- Turn off "Give Nicknames": It speeds up the text boxes slightly if you're catching stuff nearby, but more importantly, make sure your text speed is set to "Fast" in the options. It saves seconds, and over a hundred digs, those seconds add up to minutes.
- Check your bag often: It’s easy to hit the item cap on certain things like Stardust or evolution stones if you’re doing a marathon session.
- The "Reset" Myth: Some people think resetting your game changes the RNG seed for the duo. It doesn't really work that way once the text box has started. Just commit to the grind.
Why the Reward Brother is a Trap (Sometimes)
New players always flock to the Reward brother because "Rare" sounds better.
Don't fall for it.
If you just need money, the Stamina brother is statistically superior. He finds more items per Watt spent. You can sell those items at any PokeMart for a steady stream of cash. The Reward brother is high-risk, high-reward. If he stops after one item—which he does, a lot—you’ve essentially paid 500 Watts for a single Hard Stone. That’s a bad trade.
Think of it like this: the Stamina brother is a savings account. The Reward brother is a crypto meme coin.
Hidden Mechanics and Odds
While The Pokémon Company hasn't released exact percentages, community testing through thousands of trials has given us a pretty good idea of what's happening under the hood.
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The Reward brother has about a 5% chance to find a "Very Rare" item like a Gold Bottle Cap. The rest of the time, he’s pulling from a pool that includes the better fossils and evolution stones.
The Stamina brother has a "streak" mechanic. Each time he digs, there’s a check to see if he continues. His probability of continuing is much higher than his brother's. I’ve personally watched a friend get 34 items in a single go. We thought the game was going to crash. It didn't, but his bag was certainly happier for it.
Practical Next Steps for Your Galar Journey
If you’re sitting on a pile of Watts and your team needs an upgrade, here is exactly what you should do right now.
First, fly to the Bridge Field zone in the Wild Area. It’s right near the nursery.
Second, decide what you actually need. If you are trying to complete the Galar Dex and need those last few fossils, talk to the Reward brother on the left. Bring at least 20,000 Watts.
Third, if you’re just looking to get rich, spam the Stamina brother on the right until your fingers hurt. Take all those Stardusts, Rare Bones, and Comet Shards to the shop and sell them.
Fourth, don't forget that the digging brothers aren't the only ones in the family. There are other NPCs in the DLC areas that offer similar services, but for the base game experience, these two are the gold standard.
The digging duo pokemon sword mechanic is a relic of a specific era of Pokémon design—a bit grindy, a bit random, but undeniably helpful. Whether you're hunting for that 1% drop or just trying to clear out your Watt wallet, they’re waiting for you in the dirt. Go get digging.