Pokémon Sword and Shield – Release date, new Pokémon and Dynamax gym battles revealed

It’s official! The latest chapter in Pokémon doesn’t just have a release date, but also a brand new peak at new pocket monsters, legendary mascots and details on the new Dynamax system that will see trainers duke it out with kaiju-sized Pokémon! Here’s a quick breakdown of all the new information that Nintendo just unveiled for Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield.

New Pokémon

Gossifleur

• Category: Flowering Pokémon
• Type: Grass
• Height: 1′4″
• Weight: 4.9 lbs.
• Ability: Cotton Down / Regenerator

Gossifleur prefers land with clear water and air. Its pollen has a healing effect and is commonly used as a folk medicine remedy and made into a tea given to children in the Galar region when they are ill. Gossifleur travels over long distances by getting blown along by the wind. It controls the direction of its travels by twisting its body and petals.

Eldegoss

• Category: Cotton Bloom Pokémon
• Type: Grass
• Height: 1′8″
• Weight: 5.5 lbs.
• Ability: Cotton Down / Regenerator

When Gossifleur evolves into Eldegoss, its head becomes covered in thick cotton fluff. This cotton fluff serves as a cushion that helps to protect Eldegoss’s head from damage. The tiny seeds attached to the cotton fluff are said to be highly nutritious and beneficial to both people and Pokémon. Eldegoss spreads these seeds throughout the region, making the soil of the Galar region rich in nutrients.

Wooloo

• Category: Sheep Pokémon
• Type: Normal
• Height: 2′
• Weight: 13.2 lbs.
• Ability: Fluffy / Run Away

The white fur that covers Wooloo’s body grows throughout its life and will fully grow back in three months even if it has been completely shorn. The fur is used for clothing, carpets, and other goods and is very popular as a specialty product of the Galar region. Wooloo live as a herd and mimic the actions of their Trainer or herd leader. They dislike conflict, and if they need to escape from enemies, they will simply roll away.

Corviknight

• Category: Raven Pokémon
• Type: Flying/Steel
• Height: 7′3″
• Weight: 165.3 lbs.
• Ability: Pressure / Unnerve

It is said that Corviknight is the strongest Pokémon living in the skies of the Galar region. It can often be seen fearlessly soaring through the air. Many say that any Pokémon foolish enough to challenge Corviknight are sent running with just a sharp glare and cry from this fearsome Pokémon. Because Corviknight possess superb flying skills and high intelligence, many of them work for the company called Galar Taxi and help transport people from town to town.

Drednaw

• Category: Bite Pokémon
• Type: Water/Rock
• Height: 3′3″
• Weight: 254.6 lbs.
• Ability: Strong Jaw / Shell Armor

The jagged fangs of the Bite Pokémon Drednaw are strong and sharp enough to bite through rock and iron. Though it has a heavy shell, its well-developed muscles allow it to move quickly. Drednaw is known to be extremely aggressive, so it takes a skilled Trainer to tame and handle this Pokémon. It seems that some Trainers will release Drednaw back into the wild once they discover they can’t handle it.

The Wild area

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Battles with wild Pokémon in tall grass or caves will occur when players run into Pokémon that they can see wandering around. Some Pokémon will pursue the player once they see them while others will run away. The “!” mark that will appear above tall grass also seems to be an indicator of wild Pokémon hiding there!

• The region between cities where Pokémon can be found
• Time sensitive, with various Pokémon appearing at various hours
• Incorporates a new free camera system

Dynamax System

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Dynamax is a phenomenon unique to specific locations in the Galar region, where Pokémon can take on gigantic appearances during battle, and it’s an integral part of Pokémon battles in the region. Pokémon from the Galar region are able to Dynamax, and when they do, they become tremendously strong and receive a boost to their power. Trainers can only Dynamax their Pokémon once during battle and the Dynamaxed Pokémon will return to its regular form after three turns. Only Trainers who possess a Dynamax Band can Dynamax their Pokémon.

All the moves of a Dynamax Pokémon will turn into special Max Moves. Max Moves are powerful, and some can even trigger additional effects. For example, the Normal-type Max Move, Max Strike, has the additional effect of lowering the Speed stat of an opponent it hits. The Max Moves the player’s Pokémon can use are determined by the kind and types of moves they knew before Dynamaxing.

• Transform your Pokémon into giants!
• Lasts for three turns
• Can be used once per battle
• Up to four players can team up for a raid battle that will feature a wild Dynamax Pokémon
• Dynamax wild Pokémon have increased difficulty and require strategic four-player co-op
• Beat the Pokémon, earn a chance to catch it
• Pokémon in max raid battles vary depending on location and time

Characters

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• Leon – Pokémon champion of the Gala region
• Hopp – Leon’s younger brother and your rival
• Professor Magnolia – Gala region professor and Dynamax researcher
• Sonya – Professor Magnolia’s assistant

Pokémon Gyms

• Gyms are now stadiums, allowing for Dynamax Pokémon battles

Gym leaders

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• One gym leader shown off so far, Milo
• Milo is a grass-type specialist

Legendary Pokémon of Gala region

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• Zacian – Wolf Pokémon who symbolises the sword
• Zamazenta – Lion Pokémon who symbolises the shield

Release Date

• November 15, global simultaneous release

Last Updated: June 5, 2019