The State of Pokemon Sword and Shield (August 2019)

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It is that time again, where I will cover the latest Pokémon Sword and Shield news. I will bring you these updates once a month until the game’s release in November. I will cover two sets of news releases this month, so it is all in one place. I will also give you impressions at the end of the article.

The first wave of news came August 7, 2019. Here’s what they showcased:

Galarian forms: It was revealed that some old Pokémon will receive new regional forms, based on the new Galar region. These Pokémon will have a new type combination, and possibly new moves and abilities. There is also the possibility of them having different stats, but that is unclear at the moment.

• Galarian Wheezing: This version of Wheezing is a poison and fairy type, and features smokestacks on its two heads that resemble top hats. It also has a beard made of smog. It has the abilities levitate, and neutralizing gas, which cancels all abilities in play.
• Galarian Zigzagoon, and Linoone: These Pokémon are normal and dark types, plus Galarian Linoone evolves into the new Pokémon Obstagoon. It is noted that regular Linoone doesn’t evolve, and the Galarian Zigzagoon and Linoone do not have new abilities that we know of. Obstagoon has the abilities reckless and guts.

New Pokémon:

• Morpeko: This new Pikachu look alike is an electric and dark type. It has a move called aura wheel, which changes it to its hangry form, and back to its usual form if used again. This effects if the aura wheel move is an electric or dark attack as well.

New Characters:

• Bede and Marnie: Both characters appear to be rival like characters in this game. Both seem somewhat antagonistic.
• Team Yell: These are fans of the character Marnie. They look loud and obnoxious, and have horns to make noise with.

New Feature:

• Pokejobs: You can send off your Pokémon off to achieve certain tasks from your PC. They also gain experience, it seems. This appears to be a passive way to train Pokémon, and was only showcased in the Japanese version of this trailer.

Next there was more information revealed at the 2019 Pokémon world championship, on August 16, 2019.

• Galarian Wheezing’s ability neutralizing gas was revealed.
• The new item eject pack, which forces the holder to switch when its stat drops was revealed.
• Another new item, called room service, drops the holder’s speed when the trick room effect is in play.
• A new attack called breaking swipe can damage both opponents, and will lower their attack stat at the same time. The move’s type was not revealed.
• A new trait of the dynamax feature was revealed: A dynamaxed Pokémon cannot be flinched.
• Corviknight has the hidden ability mirror armor, which reflects any stat drops it receives.
• Pokémon caught in max raid battles may have their hidden abilities.
• The online features for battling other players is called battle stadium.
  • It features casual battles, ranked battles, rental teams, and online competitions.
  • The ranked battles are handled differently. You are given a tier, as opposed to a numerical value, and your tier increases based on points from winning. You are only matched with players in the same tier. You can check your rankings in the Pokémon Home app.

On August 20, 2019, a trailer was shared concerning a town in Sword and Shield. Not much out of the expected was shown. There was a train station, and Pokémon center, but that was about it.

And that sums it up for this month’s Pokémon Sword and Shield news. I look forward to seeing if there are more Galarian forms of old favorites, and if they evolve too. With the new items and abilities shown, I am interested in seeing what impact it will have on competitive play. I look forward to finding out what else may alter how the game is played, as there seems to be way more that has yet to be revealed. I am unsure of the new ranking battle system, but the game isn’t out yet, so it is unclear how well that will play out. This looks like it will be a good game, and if any more news comes out this month, a new article will be made as that news breaks.

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So that was a summary of this month’s Pokémon news so far. Do you like the new content that has been revealed? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments below. If you liked this article, be sure to click that like button. If you want to stay up to date, you can subscribe to That’s All Games via email. Until next time, have fun gaming!