Two new expansion sets are coming for Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. Trainers don’t have to wait too long with the first expansion, The Isle of Armor, as it is ready to be launched on June 17. The second one is The Crown Tundra, which is set to be released in Autumn of this year.
Pre-purchase of the expansion is already available. It’s important to remember that each Expansion Pass is compatible with the game version of the same name. That means players need to be careful when buying the Expansion Pass.
There’s also a Transfer Bonus in Pokémon Home which starts today, June 2. Trainers who transfer at least one Pokémon from Sword or Shield to the Nintendo Switch version of Pokémon Home receive a Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble, along with their Hidden Abilities, as Mystery Gifts on the mobile device version of Home.
The Isle of Armor
This island in the Galar region is home to many Pokémon who live freely amid the lush nature. It’s also a home to a dojo where Trainers can hold Pokémon battles under the watchful eye of Mustard.
In this expansion, trainers are going to meet a new Pokémon in the form of Galarian Slowbro. There are also new Gigantamax forms which are Gigantamax Venusaur and Gigantamax Blastoise.
However, Trainers should be excited to know about the legendary Pokémon Urshifu, which has two forms. The first form is Single Strike Style and comes with a signature move known as Wicked Blow. This move always results in a critical hit, which means the attack ignores the target’s stat changes. The second form is Rapid Strike Style which offers Surging Strikes, a three-hit combo. Like with the other form, this one also results in critical hits.
Urshifu also has a new ability known as Unseen Fist, available in either of the two forms. This ability allows Urshifu to deal damage when it attacks with moves that result in direct contact, even if the target defends itself.
For this particular expansion, there are also new features which include:
- Cram-o-matic
- If a player feeds it items, it combines them and gives out a new item in exchange.
- Tutor Moves
- New tutor moves are available in exchange for Armorite Ore.
- The moves that can be learned are:
- Burning Jealousy
- Fire-type move.
- With it hits it deals damage to all opposing Pokémon.
- Burns all opposing Pokémon that have had their stats boosted during the turn.
- Grassy Glide
- Grass-type move
- High priority when used on Grassy Terrain.
- Burning Jealousy
- Max Soup
- Special dish made using rare ingredients.
- It has a chance to give Pokémon the ability to Gigantamax.
The Crown Tundra
This snow-swept realm may be frigid, but offers beautiful landscapes. People live in small communities and support and rely on each other. Once arriving to this realm, trainers meet Peony, who appoints them to become the leader on an exploration team.
Trainers get to meet different Legendary Pokémon including:
- Regieleki
- Regidrago
- Galarian Articuno
- Galarian Moltres
- Galarian Zapdos
This expansion also offers Trainers a Dynamax Adventure. Here Trainers can team up with three other players and venture into Pokémon Dens with a chance to encounter Dynamax Pokémon. For teams that do manage to encounter this Pokémon, they need to work together in a Max Raid Battle.
For those who manage to progress far enough, they get the chance to take part in the Galarian Star Tournament. Held in the city of Wyndon, the tournament allows Trainers to battle against various characters they met in the game.
Gigantamax Festival
Finally, there’s an event that starts on June 1 and lasts until June 30. During this festival, there are going to be different Gigantamax Pokémon that can be encountered in Max Raid Battles. These are the different Gigantamax Pokémon that Trainers can encounter:
- Pokémon Sword
- Alcremie
- Amped Form Toxtricity
- Appletun
- Centiskorch
- Corviknight
- Duraludon
- Garbodor
- Gengar
- Grimmsnarl
- Kingler
- Lapras
- Pokémon Shield
- Butterfree
- Charizard
- Coalossal
- Copperajah
- Drednaw
- Flapple
- Hatterene
- Low Key Form
- Machamp
- Orbeetle
- Sandaconda
- Toxtricity
- Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield
- Snorlax
