SPOILERS! Pokemon Sword & Shield Pre-Release SPOILERS - Check Post 2!

Here is some basic info.

New Items and Features for Training Pokémon
New items that will help Trainers raise their Pokémon will be introduced in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield.


Each Pokémon has a Nature that can impact which of its stats are likely to grow faster or slower than average. Using a Mint on a Pokémon seems to change these stat-growth patterns and will impact which stats of a Pokémon are likely to grow faster than usual. Mints will not change a Pokémon’s Nature.



Special supplements—nutritious drinks like Protein and Iron—raise a Pokémon’s base points, which in turn help raise that Pokémon’s stats. If two Pokémon are of the same species but one has more base points, the Pokémon with more base points will grow stronger. Until now, there has been a limit on how many special supplements could be used on a Pokémon. In Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, Trainers will be able to max out a Pokémon’s base points using only these supplements.
Normally, Pokémon earn Exp. Points through battling.



If a Trainer uses an Exp. Candy, they will be able to give their Pokémon Exp. Points directly. Exp. Candy can be earned in Max Raid Battles.

Sometimes, a Pokémon hatched from an Egg will know unusual moves called Egg Moves. Egg Moves are moves that a Pokémon normally wouldn’t be able to learn through more common means, like leveling up or using TMs.



In Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, if two Pokémon of the same species are placed at a Pokémon Nursery together, an Egg Move that one them knows can be passed on to the other Pokémon. A Pokémon can only learn an Egg Move in this way when it knows three or fewer moves.



New Features Including Changes to Pokémon Boxes, Autosave Functionality, and Pokémon Nicknames for Traded Pokémon


There are many new features that will be introduced in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield that are designed to make a Trainer’s adventure easier to enjoy.

Pokémon that aren’t on a Trainer’s team can be deposited into Pokémon Boxes. In these games, Trainers will not only be able to access their Pokémon Boxes in various towns and facilities but also while they’re on the road or even when exploring tall grass.



Pokémon can be swapped in and out of a Trainer’s team whenever the Trainer wants, though there are a few places, such as mission areas where a Trainer takes on a Pokémon Gym, where Trainers won’t be able to access their Pokémon Boxes.

Saving the game diligently has always been a part of a Pokémon adventure but in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, Trainers can take advantage of the new autosave function.



The autosave function will automatically save a player’s progress during their adventure at various points, such as entering a town or building. Although the function is automatically enabled when a Trainer begins their adventure, it can be turned off so saves can be made manually. Even when autosave is on, it is still possible to save progress in the game manually. Trainers can choose how they would like to save in the Options menu.



If a Pokémon that has been received in a trade doesn’t have a nickname, Trainers will now have the chance to give it a nickname—but only once. This can be achieved by speaking to the man standing behind the left-hand counter in any Galar region Pokémon Center. Like previous Pokémon video games, the name of a traded Pokémon that already has a nickname cannot be changed


Fuck, what's the point of that? Why not just change the nature?
Its so that you can in a sense ”combine” the natures, so practically making your own nature by combining them. Idk it’s strange, but will be a big deal

Mod Edit: Please stop double posting
 
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G-Luke

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Pretty sure Zacian and Zamazenta are gonna be Uber by default. Smogon policy is that 680 BST cover legends are automatically Ubers.

But yeah, Ubers this gen is gonna be small at least early on, with just Zacian, Zamazenta, Eternatus, and of course Aegislash will likely get banned too xD. Maybe it might get bigger with time if OU decides to ban more stuff as time passes though.
He is just referencing what carried over
 
The same could've been said for Naganadel in OU this gen, which in a similar note wouldn't sweep unless SpD Heatran or AV Tar were removed, while also being weak to Scarf Gren's Ice Beam and Weavile's and Mamoswine's Ice Shard. The problem however was the fact that it centralized the meta into either Balance teams using a very select group of the aforementioned Pokemon or extreme Sticky Web Hyper Offense. For now, I prospectively see Dragapult going that exact way.
Naganadel also has Beast Boost, Nasty Plot, anti-fairy STAB, and Flamethrower to cover Steels.

We don't even know if Dragapult gets a good physical Ghost STAB at all.
 
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ScraftyIsTheBest

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I do not know if this was known to everyone now, but while we all know Dragapult can have Clear Body as an ability, I have now come across another screenshot of Dragapult on Reddit that has Infiltrator as its ability.

In other words, Dragapult has two non-hidden abilities: Clear Body or Infiltrator. Take that as you will folks.
 
Naganadel also has Beast Boost, Nasty Plot, anti-fairy STAB, and Flamethrower to cover Steels.

We don't even know if Dragapult gets a physical Ghost STAB at all.
Well it gets Phantom Force! >.> In seriousness though it'll likely learn Shadow Sneak and Shadow Claw. I'm not sure how useful Sneak will be on a Pokemon that already outspeeds the majority of the meta.
 
Dragapult's abilities are ok. Both abilities - clear body and infiltrator - serve some niche. I do like Clear Body more though. This thing is becoming more and more intersting as I look at it.
 

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I'm curious which Dynamax level will be the legal level in Game Freak formats such as VGC. Will it be allowed to go up to max level 10 for doubled HP or will it be defaulted to 1 or another number lower than 10?
 

I do not know if this was known to everyone now, but while we all know Dragapult can have Clear Body as an ability, I have now come across another screenshot of Dragapult on Reddit that has Infiltrator as its ability.

In other words, Dragapult has two non-hidden abilities: Clear Body or Infiltrator. Take that as you will folks.
Which one is better?
 
Which one is better?
Probably clear body, it can break subs with its two hit signature move anyway.


Naganadel also has Beast Boost, Nasty Plot, anti-fairy STAB, and Flamethrower to cover Steels.

We don't even know if Dragapult gets a physical Ghost STAB at all.
Part of what made naga bullshit was due to the fact Z moves allowed it to use a +2 195 BP move without a stat drop, and get another +1 boost with beast boost afterwards, and thats not including there's still a +3 dragon with draco meteor to kill something else for another beast boost to make up for the drop. Naga with dragon pulse or 1 time use draco ain't too bad.

Physical dragapult sets the speed tier way higher, doesn't lower its stats, and is immune to webs and intimidate. Its too early to make predictions but this is something to keep an eye on.

Frosmoth and centiskorch are looking really good surprisingly, can't wait to see what their other abilities are, especial moth because while shield dust ain't awful, its never the go-to for quiver dancers with compound eyes and tinted lens. White smoke is pretty good, too bad it doesn't prevent haze.
 
That same image was posted in the forums I think, i've seen it before. Anyways, cool ability, altho Clear Body is superior.
 

I do not know if this was known to everyone now, but while we all know Dragapult can have Clear Body as an ability, I have now come across another screenshot of Dragapult on Reddit that has Infiltrator as its ability.

In other words, Dragapult has two non-hidden abilities: Clear Body or Infiltrator. Take that as you will folks.
That same image was posted in the forums I think, i've seen it before. Anyways, cool ability, altho Clear Body is superior.
Again, light speed.
 

Guard

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Naganadel also has Beast Boost, Nasty Plot, anti-fairy STAB, and Flamethrower to cover Steels.

We don't even know if Dragapult gets a physical Ghost STAB at all.
I think that if there's anything Necturna has learned us, it's that Phantom Force, even though it takes a turn to charge, should not be underestimated. Dragapult also has access to three turns of Max Ghost if ghost stab becomes an issue, and three turns are enough for a late game sweeper to end the game.

Naga may have had all of the tools you mentioned (and I'm certain Dragapult will get both Flamethrower and Fire Blast too), it also had to deal with one hell of a fast and hard-hitting metagame full of powercreep while also having to take on some of the bulkiest mons in OU history, something Dragapult will not have to deal with. I agree Clefable hard-checks it, but that's about it as far as fairies go. The only other fairies this gen without a Ghost weakness are Alcremie, Togekiss, Sylveon and Slurpuff, the second of which has a SR weakness and the latter two of which do not have sufficient defense to check it after a boost.
 
Don't get me wrong, being able to chose ANY pokémon you had in previous gens —im thinking about the future too— and change it's IVs and Nature to make it competitive is exceptional. If only they gave us an ability capsule to get Dream World abilities it'd have been perfect.

It's only that it makes me a bit sad because I started breeding —like serious breeding— back in DPPl, then I wrote a lot of guides for spanish forums and so on, my Pokémon experience has been heavily related to this aspect of the games so, for me, even if this is surely a great QOL improvement, it's impossible not to feel sad about this.
I mean, I do plan on still seriously breeding since that's a nice way to relax a bit and not have to level grind 'mons to 100 for perfect IVs (or at least will be for sure once i can get a good Ditto)

Plus my Christmas Stocking Stuffle project will require breeding.


I do not know if this was known to everyone now, but while we all know Dragapult can have Clear Body as an ability, I have now come across another screenshot of Dragapult on Reddit that has Infiltrator as its ability.

In other words, Dragapult has two non-hidden abilities: Clear Body or Infiltrator. Take that as you will folks.
Actually, we don't know if it's a non-hidden ability or not: The Duraludon in the Battle Tower teams has Stalwart, which has to be its HA considering the website revealed it having Light Metal and Heavy Metal for abilities.
 
These new items all sound amazing.
I've always wished I could use my in-game team in competitive later on.
I am not sure I understand how the mints work though.

Dragapult seems like its going to be one of the most fun pokemon to use.
 
Duraludon's HA lets it ignore redirects and Intelleon's signature move does the same. What's everyone thoughts on these for VGC? It seems like the best rage powder and follow me users didn't make it in anyways though we don't know all abilities and moves yet. It could be interesting. I'm willing to bet at least one G-Max has a move that functions specifically as a redirect.
 
I wouldn't be so fast on assuming old mons in have the same base stats they always have. Gen 7 saw some base stat over haul and what better time to over haul base stats then after a dex cut? I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a lot of over haul of old mons that got in.
*prays for base HP buffs to Aggron/others*

Also, I'm surprised and a bit disappointed we didn't get Galorian Vespiqueen. Cool opportunity there IMO.
 

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