Attack on Pokémon

My Thoughts on the News About Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield

I’ve been a fan of Pokemon since I was a little boy. Heck, the original Pokemon show was my first anime. Playing through the classic games on my Gameboy and Gameboy Advance are among my fondest memories. The next generation of Pokemon has moved beyond handheld, though. This November, we are getting the first main game on a console: Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield.

Yesterday, Nintendo Direct released a 15 minute informational video about the upcoming games. As an avid gamer (and you know I’m getting this game), I wanted to go over some of the big takeaways I got from this.

The Power of Wooloo

Sheep-like Pokemon aren’t new. I remember there being an electric sheep-like Pokemon as far back as the Johto region. Wooloo, though, is on a whole other level.

Wooloo is, simply put, an adorable little ball of fluff that makes me want to go “aww”. I checked on Google, and there’s already a ton of fanart of Wooloo being just the cutest thing. It’s like a living plush toy.

I can see this Pokemon becoming one of the most popular in the new region when the game comes out. I know I’m gonna catch one when I get the came. As for a nickname, I’m thinking “Sean”.

Grass Encounters Are Gone

Since the franchise began, trainers would randomly encounter Pokemon within tall grass, caves, and bodies of water. We never knew which one until we encountered them. Sword and Shield seem to be ditching this age-old mechanic.

During open-world exploration, rather than appearing without any sign, the Pokemon are visible. While this will help players looking for specific Pokemon, I can’t help but feel sad that this old mechanic may be gone.
According to Game Freak, the Pokemon that appear will depend on the weather and time of day, so that part’s staying the same.

Dynamaxing (AKA Attack on Pokemon)

I’ve seen a lot of interesting mechanics in Pokemon over the years: mega-evolution, paegents, berry blending, Z-moves, bases, and more. I have never seen anything like “dynamaxing”, though.

To put it simply, dynamaxing turns Pokemon into giants with super-charged moves for three turns. It only works once per battle. In that regard, its like mega-evolution and Z-moves from previous generations.
I have mixed feelings on dynamaxing. On the one hand, I am digging the sight of a giant Pikachu (so fluffy!). On the other, I’m worried that it might not be as fun as they say it will be.

The Professor and Her Grandaughter

We have our next Pokemon Professor: Professor Magnolia. Nobody cares about her, though. Everyone cares about her granddaughter, Sonia.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say that Sonia is cute, but I already tell that that’s not going to matter in the end. Why? Because Pokemon doesn’t care about romance like that. If they did, then Ash and Serena would have become a couple at the end of Pokemon XYZ. I’m an Amourshipper, so what.

Still, that hasn’t stopped people from already flooding Deviantart, Twitter, and social media with fanart of Sonia. Fans will be fans, not there’s anything wrong with that.

The New Legendaries

It wouldn’t be a Pokemon game without a legendary Pokemon, now would it? Enter Zacian and Zamazenta, the Sword and Shield Pokemon. By the looks of them, they’re similar in appearance, looking like lions or wolves. The difference is their weapon motif. Zacian carries a sword around in its mouth, while Zamazetan’s mane resembles a shield.

They’re not the most creative legendary Pokemon, in my opinion. I think my favorite legendary’s still Mewtwo. Regardless, I am looking forward to catching them and seeing what they can do.

The Verdict

Yeah, I’m getting this game when it comes out. I want to be able to see if Pokemon can handle the transition to full-time console game. Hopefully, the upcoming E3 will tell us more. I can’t wait!