Insider Sword & Shield DLC Leaks: Straight from the Playground
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The Scoop
Art by LifeisDANK.
It's been a while.
Do you remember me? Your good old leaking buddy with the hottest info on the new games? No? Good. Best everyone forgets me. Then, maybe Uncle Pikachu will forget me and stop the hunts. The last few years have been rough. There's a reason why people haven't seen me. I tried to feed you guys legit information, Big Pika's suits found out. Seems they didn't take too kindly to leaking the existence of Mega Charizard X or Cosmog. They wanted compensation for the potential loss of profits. In my blood.
It's been tough surviving. I used to get a month or so before the Pikachu found me. Now, it's only a week tops. They're vicious. They're relentless. Shelter is luxury. A stable Wi-Fi signal is a miracle. I should be spending this valuable time connected to the web to let my family know I'm still alive. I can't do that though, there's something more important than that now. I've got the stuff.
Leaks. Juicy, succulent, leaks. Leaks so sweet, they make your mouth go YouTuber thumbnail-shaped. I found another source. After trespassing on countless elementary school playgrounds, I finally found a fresh wellspring of knowledge. Jerry. "Mr. Jerry Mewtwo" as the other 4th graders called him. He's a direct line to the mother brain. He said it himself. "His dad works for Nintendo". In just five minutes of conversation, I learned everything there is to know about the upcoming Switch+ and the Nintendo Direct schedule for the next 2 years. It was beautiful. I started weeping uncontrollably underneath the slides. Ah, but that was child's play compared to what came next. Sword and Shield DLC info. All of it. He saw the guidebook ahead of time. He had it on his Switch! His mom didn't let him have his Switch at school, but as someone who knows the field, I knew I could trust him.
I sat there for all of recess learning as many succulent secret about the new expansions as I could. Sadly, I couldn't learn everything. They arrived. They wanted to stop the lone leak in the whole container from spewing anything more. Fortunately, thanks to some extremely generous, remarkably shuriken-absorbent children, I was able to escape. I don't have much time now. Listen close.
Let's begin.
The Facts
- The games let you pick a Kanto starter to take with you as you start your DLC adventure. You have your choice of either Charmander, Charmeleon, or Charizard.
- Shadow Lugia will appear in The Crown Tundra as one of the new legendary Raid Battles. Jerry warns it's really tough: it knows Hyper Beam.
- If you release an Arcanine while on the Isle of Armor, then try and use a Water Stone on a Growlithe, a Water-type Alolan Arcanine will come out of the sea and join your party.
- The Partner signature moves from LGPE such as Buzzy Buzz and Baddy Bad will be implemented back into the game. Eevee will also gain new moves for every other type. These include Dragon's Draggy Drag, Fighting's Fisty Fist, and Poison's Pukey Puke.
- Armor Evolutions will appear in the Isle of Armor expansion. Mewtwo can now wear its armor from the first movie, Charizard can wear its armor from the opening to the Lucario movie, and Mew hauls around the truck in its entirety.
- If you fight and catch Groudon and Kyogre in Raid Battles, you'll get both the Red and Blue Orbs. If you discard them both at the Battle Tower, you'll get the Orange Orb. Use this to turn your Dialga into Primal Dialga. You'll also get the Primal Dialga theme for multiplayer battles and the Battle Tower.
- If you have data for Smash Ultimate on your switch when the DLC update happens, an NPC will give you Ash-Greninja, just like the Gigantamax Eevee and Pikachu trainers. You'll also unlock a spirit of Ash-Greninja in Smash Ultimate, and unlock Mr. Mime as a playable fighter.
- The Ultra Beasts will return as Raid Bosses in The Crown Tundra. If you catch all of them, you'll be able to encounter Missingno., now an official Pokémon and king of the Ultra Beasts.
- Galarian Slowbro is a Psychic / Poison type Pokémon. The patch on its forehead has turned into a giant zit that spews poison everywhere. It is used by Klara, who is soon renowned throughout Galar for their successful pimple-popping YouTube channel.
- Galarian Slowking is a Psychic / Dark type Pokémon. The hat on its head has grown chipped and now covers Slowking's head like a mask. Avery will use it after his giant tophead seizes control of him and uses his hollow vessel as a lifeless puppet for its dastardly deeds.
- If you talk to the Ball Guy on the Isle of Armor on Junichi Masuda's birthday, there'll be a 1% chance he challenges you to a Pokémon battle. If you win, you get AZ's Floette. If you lose, he makes you live inside a Poké Ball.
- Kubfu evolves into Urshifu if it's in your party when a Blastoise dies to Petal Dance.
- If you beat a Lunala or Solgaleo Raid in The Crown Tundra Expansion with nothing but a Clefairy, Lusamine—inside her Nihilego—from the end of Sun and Moon will appear and challenge you to a battle. You can catch Nihilego-Lusamine forme too.
- Your old Gen 8 starter can gain a Gigantamax forme. This is a major change from our current way of getting Gigantamax Pokémon, requiring the Pokémon to have access to the forme upon capture. You'll have to go through a trial to allow your starter to gain its new Gigantamax forme:
- Rillaboom must learn how to enjoy music that isn't just his favorite video game and anime OSTs.
- Cinderace must learn how to make a light tap look like a crippling, penalty kick-worthy blow
- Inteleon must learn how to be polite and efficient, then 6-0 an opposing team.
- Calyrex will evolve in Tumurtuous once used in a Raid Battle versus a legendary Pokémon. The bulb-brain on its head has expanded much larger, now 10 meters in circumference. It's in constant pain, and flails its itty-bitty noodle legs around trying to attract predators, craving death.
- A number of Pokémon receive new Galarian evolutions if evolved while in the new areas in the expansion. Surprisingly, even some normal Pokémon who were in Galar get new Galarian formes:
- Elgyem will evolve into Eyarel if you record it with the Nintendo Switch's Media button while it's eating.
- Slugma will evolve into Ligma if taken to the Name Rater and not given a new name.
- Chatot will evolve into Swermemum if it learns a dirty word using the voice recording feature from Gen 4-5. In other words, all Chatot from Gen 4-5 evolve into Swermemum.
- The Regis get Pikachu and Eevee's treatment and use their anime cries instead of their old digital cries. The cries of the new Electric- and Dragon-type Regis are similarly unnerving. Regidragon sounds like a horse attempting to neigh with its lungs full of blood. Regilectric sounds like that weird noise your car makes that you should really get checked out sometime.
- If you beat Morimoto 30 times with only Galarian Psyduck, he'll change your Pokémon version from Pokémon Sword or Shield to the opposite version. If you do it 20 more times, you'll get a special ribbon and turn your version into Pokémon Gun.
- After fusing fossils for so long, Cara Liss can now fuse your legendary Pokémon together. Zaciayquaza and Charizewtwo are Jerry's personal favorites.
- The Pokémon that looked similar to Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres we saw in the trailer were in fact their Galarian formes. Like the Kantonian legendary birds with Lugia, they too have a related Pokémon that acts as the leader of their trio. Once you've caught all three, you can fight and catch the leader in the Ruins of Num. The leader Pokémon varies by version. In Pokémon Sword, you'll fight Unodostres: three headed bird monstrosity. In Pokémon Shield, you'll fight Mozart: the composer.
- Werewolf evolution is a new game mechanic that works like Mega Evolution, but makes your Pokémon way cooler and gives it super laser eyes. Jerry claims Werewolf Mewtwo is the ultimate Pokémon.
- Sword and Shield will add compatibility with Pokémon Masters with the new DLC update. You can now send your trainers over from Pokémon Masters to play at your campsites with your Pokémon in Sword and Shield. However, due to a programming quirk, all the trainers use Kingler's rig for their models and morph into horrible, glitchy crab monster people.
- Entirely new Realita formes will be available in the new DLC. Realita forms are special Pokémon that can only be caught in Pokémon GO and then transferred to Sword and Shield. They're exclusively evolutions to older Kanto Pokémon and are extremely difficult to find. Here are some of the more elusive ones:
- Bigglybuff, Jigglypuff's Fairy / Fighting-type Realita evolution, can be caught through a promotion at any LA Fitness.
- Kangaschar, Kangaskhan's Fire / Ghost-type Realita evolution, can be caught on a majority of the Australian continent.
- Nemis, Muk's Poison / Dark-type Realita evolution, can be caught at the Elephant's Foot in Chernobyl.
- Xerneas and Yveltal are normally version exclusives for Sword and Shield respectively. However, you can get both if you have a save file for Pokémon Z on your Switch.
- The Hex Maniac trainer class returns after a sizeable absence since Pokémon ORAS. She appears shell-shocked and nervous, having suffered the wrath of what the internet does to a cute anime girl that looks like Tomoko Kuroki.
- Fossils can now be revived with as many top halves and bottom halves as you want. You can now receive DracoArcto, ZoltZoltVish, and DracoVishVishZolt. Jerry told me to watch out for two new fossil Pokémon in particular: DracoDracoDracoDracoDracoDracoDracoDracoDracoDracoDracoDraco and MushroomMushroom.
- Chairman Rose's focus in the DLC will now turn to solving world hunger. An alternative form of Eternatus shaped like a cooked chicken will appear and threaten to bring a spicy homestyle version of the Darkest Day over Galar. You will once again fight Chairman Rose, now more hamburger than man.
- There's a Fortune Teller on Route 18 that can show you a weird alternative past of Pokémon. In her visions, ORAS didn't have a Battle Frontier, Landorus never got nerfed, and Pokémon Stars wasn't on the Switch and was two different 3DS games. Jerry mentions that the NPC warns if you see the visions for too long, she'll "let you see them forever" and you'll forget about her altogether. Probably don't talk to this NPC.
- If you agree to trade and trade back to evolve someone's Pokémon then don't, the game will know and call 911 to arrest you.
- Several more Pokémon were confirmed to appear with the free update. Delcatty, Illumise, Mothim, Ducklett and Emolga will all be joining. Your favorite Pokémon that wasn't in Sword and Shield will not.
- What's next after the Sword and Shield DLC? I'm happy to announce that, after much fan speculation, undeniable demand, and desperate pining, the next game will be our long awaited, nostalgic return to Kanto in all of its wonderful classic glory. Pokémon Let's Go! Pikachu and Let's Go! Eevee 2: Go Harder will be available Winter 2021.
The End
Cherish this information well, friend. I can't type for much longer. The barbed tips of the ninja stars are starting to cause too much blood loss. A lot of people have lost their homes, jobs, and lives to give you slightly more information about a product coming out in six months. Spread the word.
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