Pokemon Sword And Shield: Everything We Learned From Their Latest Announcement

The release date for the newest Pokemon game is around the corner, with a launch date of November 15, 2019. Nintendo has recently started to announce more information about their newest flagship game: Pokemon Sword and Shield. 

Set in the UK-inspired Galar region, Pokemon Sword and Shield is gearing up to be one of the biggest Pokemon games of all time. With Pokemon announcing that they will be opening up a limited time “Pokemon Center” in London a month before the official release, the excitement is starting to kick into overdrive.

Their last teaser was during the beginning of July when Pokemon announced some new features coming to their newest title. Gigantamaxing, new Pokemon, the Pokemon League, and Gym Leaders were all showcased during this last teaser leaving only a few topics that Pokemon has not revealed yet.

So, what did we learn from Pokemon’s recent announcement? 

Check out all of the key points below!

Table of Contents:
Galarian Form Pokemon
Form Changing Pokemon
New Rivals
Team Yell
Influencers' Reactions

 

Galarian Form Pokemon

Originally introduced during Pokemon Sun and Moon, which was set in the Aloha region, these are region-specific Pokemon that often differ in appearance from their usual form and potentially have a different element tied to them.

Pokemon is bringing back this concept into their newest title. During the teaser trailer, they showcased four Pokemon that we have all seen before in different games, but now have unique Galarian forms that players will be able to find throughout their journeys.

Here are the four Pokemon showcased along with their types:

• Galarian Wheezing - Poison/Fairy
• Galarian Zigzagoon - Dark/Normal
• Galarian Linoone - Dark/Normal
• Galarian Obstagoon - Dark/Normal

From first glance, all of these versions look immensely different and rather unique. There also seems to be some indication that the story line behind the game is one of darkness as all of the forms of these Pokemon are opposite of what their original ones are.

Pokemon described these Galarian form Pokemon as:

Certain Pokémon have adapted to the unique environment of one specific region and look different than the same species might look when found in another region.

These different appearances are known as the regional forms of those Pokémon, and it seems their behavior also differs from that of their previously discovered forms. The Galar region has its own regional forms of Pokémon, known as Galarian forms!

Form Changing Pokemon

We got our first glance at a new Pokemon coming to Pokemon Sword and Shield. This time, it’s not just an ordinary Pokemon. It’s one with a twist.

A new form changing Pokemon is set to become available to players during their Pokemon adventure, with little to no information regarding it. Besides the pictures they showed us, it will be interesting to see how it changes.

According to the pictures, Pokemon showed us the Pokemon named “Morpeko” is originally an Electric/Dark-type Pokemon when it’s in Full Belly mode. Then it can change into a much darker version of Morpeko titled “Hangry Mode.”

It also describes that its aura changed, which causes its drastic change in appearance. This Pokemon could potentially be a Pokemon that changes appearance and type depending on its mood during the day. This could be very unpredictable but amazing to see throughout our journey.

Pokemon described the form changing Pokemon as:

"Some Pokémon can change their form, often because of the effects of certain items or their own Ability. Some of these form changes don’t simply change the Pokémon’s appearance, though. They can also affect the types of its moves or even change its Ability!"

New Rivals

We got one of our first looks at the rivals we would have constant engagements with throughout Pokemon Sword and Shield. Much like any Pokemon game, we can assume these rivals will be surprising us at certain locations to give us presents. Or just battle it out to see who the better rival is.

Every Pokemon game has one or two rivals for the main player: one nice and one not so nice.

The two that were showcased in the trailer were named Bede and Marnie. With only screen captures of these trainers for now, we know nothing else about these rivals so far.

However, during the later portions of the trailer, we caught a glimpse of the new enemy team. There was a part when Marnie is sighted along with Team Yell.

Perhaps Marnie is a part of this team not by choice, and you find yourself constantly running into her, making her a rival by nature during Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Pokemon had this to say about Bede and Marnie:

Bede is one of your rivals who is skilled at Pokémon battles and has the pride to match! He has joined the Gym Challenge, having received his endorsement from Rose, the chairman of the Galar Pokémon League. While he clearly is aiming to become Champion, he seems to have other objectives as well...

Marnie is one of your rivals who has a competitive side. Together with her partner Morpeko, she aims to become the Champion of the Galar region in order to accomplish a certain goal. She has many passionate fans, thanks to her sense of style and calm, calculated battle strategies.

Team Yell

We finally got our first look at the enemy team that we’ be battling against in the Galar region. Team Yell at first glance looks like a Japanese style team, as they are shown holding up scripts of images and are always shown wearing face paint. 

Pokemon describes Team Yell as:

Team Yell is a group of troublemakers who seem to appear wherever the Gym Challenge takes you and who attempt to get in your way at every opportunity.

They want nothing more than for Marnie to become Champion, and they all try to obstruct other challengers in all sorts of ways. They will take over hotel lobbies, prevent other challengers from accessing transportation, and even shout and distract opponents during battle. Whenever Marnie battles, it seems these Team Yell Grunts are quick to appear, showing their support with Marnie-print towels and also horns.

Not much else was showcased about Team Yell, but one thing seems true: 

They will be extremely loud, and players will have a hard time missing them during their playthrough.

Influencers' Reactions To Pokemon Sword and Shield

We’re pretty hype about this new Pokemon, and we wanted to find out if others were too. So, we took to Twitter and asked some of our influencers to share their thoughts.

Here’s what aDrive, UnitedHayze, supra, Ellektrikk, and HoodlumCallum had to say:

 

What do you think about the new Pokemon Sword and Shield?

Drop us a note in the comments section below!

Read more:

The 9 Best Pokemon Games Ranked From Worst To Best

Here Are The Best Pokemon To Evolve, Level Up, And Power Up

6 Best Starter Pokemon Of All Time

A Look At Some Of The Weirdest And Most Surprising Pokemon Lore

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Here's Everything You Need To Know About The New Pokemon Snap For Nintendo Switch

Pokemon Sword And Shield Review And Rating [Video]

 

All photos are via Pokémon.

This article was written by Nick Farrell, an experienced esports journalist who aims to provide insightful yet proactive articles daily!