Official Pokémon Sword and Shield speculation thread (Updated June 5th, 2019)

[Poke Dragon]

I really hope that if it's another case of a legendary splitting, that it's just the duo that used to be one Pokemon and leave the third legendary out of the equation. I just don't want this to be a repeat of the Tao trio's lore. My idea is that the third legendary was actually the one who split the other Pokemon into two in order to win against them, that should make it different enough from the Tao trio.

 

[KiranTheWitch]

This is gonna be a hella big regional Pokedex, especially if there really are MANY MORE POKEMON to be revealed. I'm already in love with all of them. Welcome to the Pokemon World, newbies!

Incidentally, when do we think the next SWSH Pokemon will be revealed? Are we thinking we will see someone new at E3?

 

[IncineROAR]

Theres nothing inherently wrong with including pokemon go features. The raid battles for go were a cool idea and makes for some cool interactive play online now. Whats wrong with that?

I think they could have came up with a more creative name for Max Raids. I am also also in an entire foul mood with anything Go! related after the pathetic treatment Niantic has been giving Pokemon Go (adventure sync not working for a whole month for example). I absolutely detest that company and I wish TCPi would part ways with them, or hold them accountable to ensure that any product they produce related to Pokemon is given the highest levels of quality assurance.

For everything else, I was late to the direct and came in at the wrong moment (the presentation of Max Raids). And I'm really tired of Game Freak making online interactive play as the "bonus" content for the games, the postgame content since Gen 6 has been exceptionally drab. I'm entitled to my own opinion, and I think Game Freak is on the wrong path with the games development.

Overall, these games seem like they'll be fun to play, but my expectations are for these games to be just about as enjoyable as Pokemon Sun and Moon. Dynamax just seems like Z-moves with adjusted mechanics, new mechanics, and a sprinkling of Mega Evolution. At least with Z-moves, we got cool animation for the moves, and Mega Evolutions gave us alternate forms. My expectations for the game are lowered as a result of today's direct.

The game itself, the art looks great and the Pokemon revealed so far, most are pretty epic.

So, based on todays Direct

Pros:

The regional looks awesome
Great artwork
Some awesome new looking Pokemon (I don't know how I feel about that sheep Pokemon...).

Cons:

No real evident innovation (Dynamax and Roto Phone are recycled game mechanics with new labels)

I'm pretty sure there is more to come, but right now I just see these games as being similar to SM in nature.

It is an optional feature.........

Like I said above, I came in at the wrong moment of the direct. I'm still not over the moon about it though.

 

[jonathan keller]

One leaker was right! Pretty much everything he said was spot on. So we're going to get a electric type corgi, and a blue seagull that shoots pikachu and a new barracuda pokemon at you. That's pretty exciting.

Also, the leak said that two chipmunk pokemon are going to get pissed when you shake a tree for nuts, and in the "Wild area", they show the female playable character shaking a tree. So expect those pokemon to be revealed either at E3, or in the next trailer.

 

[Pulsaro23]

Man, the Direct was amazing! So glad I managed to catch it live! Kind of late to the party, but here're my quick thoughts on it.

I like most of the new Pokémon designs and my favorite one has to be Drednaw. I don't know why, but I just love his color scheme and appearance and description just make me love the turtle boy more and more (doesn't help that I'm generally a sucker for reptiles). Other than it, Corviknight is definitely a close second for me. I really like it's design, the fact that it looks like a black knight, not to mention that cool animation it had when it used that Electric attack in the trailer ... I don't know, I just find it really cool. Aside from these two, the rest of the design were good, but they didn't really get me hooked (certainly not to the extent that the other two did). Wooloo is adorable and Gossifleur/Eldegoss are cute and elegant but they aren't my kind of Pokémon. As for the Legendaries, I'm definitely Team Zamazenta. I just find him to be more majestic than Zacian and I enjoy his darker colors more so than his counterpart's paler color pallet (and I also feel like they did a better job incorporating the "Shield" theme into the design than they did the "Sword" theme for Zacian).

The Wild Area is certainly intriguing. Finally, we have an open-world area in Pokémon. And it even has a controllable camera to boot. And the fact that they combined Overworld Pokémon with the classic Tall Grass Encounter is really nice. That should please both the people who enjoyed the Let's Go games' "liveliness" and those of us who enjoyed the feeling of excitement and surprise when we would encounter a Pokémon in the grass. And the fact that we see roaming Pokémon in the wild really gives me hope that we might get a return of Walking Pokémon. Also love the idea of a Corviknight flying taxi and the use of powered-up bicycles (even if I don't like the reason they're powered-up). Glad to see that HMs will never return (hopefully) ever again. Though I still hope that some of the HM moves return as regular TM moves this time around. I really miss the days when my Aegislash would be able to defeat opponents using Cut...

Glad they decided to reveal the main gimmick and I'm so relived that it isn't "Armored Evolution" (since I really wasn't a fan of the idea). Dynamax definitely seems interesting and they certainly made sure to make it look as exciting and intense as they can, but not sure if I'm really 100% on board with the whole idea. Guess I'll just have to wait and see more of it. One thing that worries me about it, however, is that it could be potentially replace the previous mechanics (Mega Evolution, Z-Moves) or render them obsolete, which would mean that GF won't even try to expand on them in Sword/Shield, which would be a shame, since I'd like to see more Mega Evolutions and Z-Moves.

Not much to say about the Gyms. They're here and they're back, except you now use Dynamax in them, I guess. Really hope there's more to them than that, though. Like, maybe you have to complete a challenge you need to complete before you challenge the Gym Leader, like the trials in SM/USUM or the Orange Islands gyms in the anime. Also, speaking of Gyms, Milo is apparently called a Gym Leader. Which makes the "Gym Masters" tweet seem very weird.

Speaking of Milo, I just have to say that really enjoyed the human characters. Milo looks very adorable. Nice to see Professor Magnolia and can't wait to see more of her. Don't know why, but I like that they decided to make another female professor, though I'd just like to state that she isn't the first one (since we've had Juniper and Burnet before her), nor is she the first one to be relevant (since the PC spent more time with Juniper then any other professor in BW and she had far more screen time than her father (who appeared in about three scenes and only two of them he shared with his daughter, and anyone who says that he takes away from her role or importance must have played a different game)). And then there's Leon. Hoo boy, what an amazing-looking guy he is! He has purple hair (which is my favorite color), a cool royal cape, a very nice T-shirt, a charming face. And he even has a Charizard (which is my favorite Pokémon, if you couldn't tell)! Bonus points there! All in all, I really, really love him !

...Ahem! Aaaanyways, can't say the same about his younger brother. Hop really strikes me as Hau 2.0, which is very disappointing, since that guy barely had any interesting story, he was rarely shown as being competitive (which is something you'd expect from a main rival) and he rarely showed any emotion outside of being friendly and happy 24/7. I really hope that they prove me wrong and that do something more interesting with Hop, but, right now, my opinion of him is very low. And if they don't, I really hope that they include a more competitive (or even a jerk-like) rival, since they did say that Hop's just one of the PC's rivals.

Oh, and there's also the RotomDex making a comeback. Hooray... . What even is it with GF and their sudden obsession over Rotom? Why do they suddenly feel the need to have it be one of the most important things you have? Was there something wrong with the good, old Rotom-less PokéDexes from the past regions or something? Hopefully he won't be so talkative and annoying (both in the games and the anime... especially in the anime!).

All in all, I didn't think there was any way GF could get me even more excited about Sword/Shield than I already was, but then they released this Direct, and my excitement went through the roof! I just can't wait too see more of the games and I can't wait till they get released (oh, why can't November come any sooner?). Here's hoping the Sword/Shield anime will be just as amazing as the games seem to be.

 

[dvor]

This is gonna be a hella big regional Pokedex, especially if there really are MANY MORE POKEMON to be revealed. I'm already in love with all of them. Welcome to the Pokemon World, newbies!

Incidentally, when do we think the next SWSH Pokemon will be revealed? Are we thinking we will see someone new at E3?

Nah, i think this was the pokemon E3 lol

 

[jonathan keller]

Been lurking a while...first post...anyone pick up on this guy's shirt?

View attachment 119269
View attachment 119270

Didn't even notice that. So that confirmed it then.

 

[Isaac Gravity]

This was basic information they could have easily have drip fed us over the course of the last few months we don't even get a reveal on the starters second forms. Oh well.

I'll sum my thoughts on the trailer (plus website info here):

• Galar looks impressive (given the hardware not surprised) but...pretty barren.
• Rotom is back at the helm as our Dex and accessory piece but THIS Rotom knows how to go beyond being just a discount Navi based on the website info.
• I can understand that James has his reasons for being so hush-hush about the new Pokemon but an ambiguous number count would have been a way more reliable way to drum up interest. All this does is give me the impression we'll be looking at the same/less number of legit unique to Galar (NOT PRE/POST EVOs) Pokemon as the last two gens. I don't care what anyone says when it comes to Pokemon count and "uniqueness", I always welcome more.
• You know, I would have LIKED Dynamaxing had not been for the fact it seems so unnatural and ominous!

I'm talking DB Xenoverse 2 Villainous Form Expert Mission/Raid mode ominous. Here's hoping they play some sinister/kaijuu battle music when we fight those things.
No seriously I'm all for this kinda stuff playing:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE_luIc-Tfo

• Speaking of Raids, they're a thing now. I assume the one who gets to Dynamax (at least online) would be the room leader and not chosen at random because I can see ALOT going wrong if otherwise.
• Gym Battles: clicks tongue That style is a thing too. Let's use the mysterious and clearly ominous power for our own entertainment. What could go wrong? Would have rather we had a straight-up soccer match. If that rumor about how we play and audience reactions is true watch me be a total heel and do as I wish to win since I ain't no one's puppet!
• The PC's look great, esp. the male who, as trailers show, may actually have a decent line-up of clothes this time around. Well if nothing else, better than Sun's broom closet. The fact the male PC looks so much like Inamori Asuto/Sonny Wright from Inazuma Eleven with a hat couldn't have been a mere coincidence.
• Leon looks ridiculous and hey buddy, champion on I have no interest in-- Oh. Your ace is a Charizard. clicks tongue Well, I'll make it my business to relish in demolishing you.
• Hop or as I like to call him: better Hau. Is a thing. That's it. Looks like we may get some more rivals but don't expect them to hate your guts since that's a no-no now.

And that's it. Months of waiting and that's what we get to work with. Well who knows what else we may get, I mean maybe there may be more to share during the E3 run. And we have the months to follow. I assume August/September is going to be the giant info crunch time to finally sway in those still on the fence and I like the look of the Shield wolf more so I guess I'm on Team Shield until they start churning out version exclusive information and I PRAY it won't be Sun/Moon level bad.

 

[jonathan keller]

For those curious, I'm pretty sure the themes for these legendaries are offense/defense.
Zacion is the physical embodiment of offense
Zamazenta is the physical embodiment of defense
I fully expect their stats to reflect this as well.

 

[King Robert]

So go get it then? Diamond and Pearl were released 5 days after my 12th birthday, so my brother and I asked my Granny to hold off giving us our birthday gifts until we could go to Walmart on release day and buy it.

It won't feel as special though.

 

[Diamond & Pearl]

For those curious, I'm pretty sure the themes for these legendaries are offense/defense.
Zacion is the physical embodiment of offense
Zamazonto is the physical embodiment of defense
I fully expect their stats to reflect this as well.

With all due respect, I don't think there's anyone who didn't figure that out.

 

[jonathan keller]

I don't think there's anyone who didn't figure that out.

Just stating it for the record.

 

[Poke Dragon]

Will they state the lore of these legendaries during E3 if Pokemon makes an appearance?

 

[bulbasaur99]

It's not that special if it came out AFTER my birthday though.

It's not that special, it will came out 204 days AFTER my birthday though.

 

[jonathan keller]

Will they state the lore of these legendaries during E3 if Pokemon makes an appearance?

I'm pretty sure it's going to be similar to the myth of the bisterne dragon.
But the question is, if Zacion is the physical embodiment of offense, and Zamazenta the physical embodiment of defense, that what will the third legendary be the physical embodiment of?

 

[King Robert]

Arceus, watch over me when I start my journey in Galar this November.

 

[Diamond & Pearl]

Arceus, watch over me when I start my journey in Galar this November.

Arceus is nothing more than fraud; the real Lord and Saviour is of course Lord Helix (TheAuraGuardian: 2016).

 

[Vyrron]

I'd be nice if the legendaries had Deoxys-like extreme stats, instead of balanced stats with a slight focus on attack/defense. Something like:

Zacian
HP: 80
Att: 190
Def: 40
Sp. Att: 190
Sp. Def: 40
Speed: 140

Zamazenta
HP: 150
Att: 50
Def: 200
Sp. Att: 50
Sp. Def: 200
Speed: 30

 

[Lunala]

People are acting as if a known error in a leak doesn't constitute any evidence against it as a whole because it got one thing right. I suppose it's fair to not assume it's definitely refuted, but I see no reason to just assume the leaker got everything else correct even on the assumption that they did know some things in advance.

I don't really see any reason to cut slack here. Sure, the rest of it may be correct, but we shouldn't just assume it's an easily forgivable error before more things get confirmed. It's fairly frequent for leaks to contain some real stuff but be fake overall.

 

[Skyward]

It might be a little anti-climatic, but they could reuse the Uxie-Mespirit-Azelf gimmick. Since Uxie and Azelf are defensive and offensive, maybe the third legendary will be status/supportive/unorthodox with its gimmick. Not sure what weapon motif would fit it though.