Here Are Seven New Gen 8 Pokemon From Sword And Shield

As promised, Nintendo's Pokemon-focused Direct presentation on June 5 revealed a wealth of new details about the upcoming Pokemon Sword and Shield games for Switch. Not only did the broadcast confirm the titles' release date, it also gave us our first look at some of the new characters that players will meet on their journey across the Galar region, as well as a handful of new Gen 8 Pokemon.

First is the Grass-type Gossifleur, whose pollen has healing properties. Gossifleur is able to evolve into Eldegoss, the Cotton Bloom Pokemon. We also got a look at Wooloo, an adorable sheep Pokemon covered in fluffy wool, as well as the vicious snapping turtle-like Drednaw. Finally, The Pokemon Company revealed Corviknight, the raven Pokemon. Interestingly, Corviknight will be able to taxi players back to any town they have previously visited, much like the Fly HM of old.

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Those aren't the only new Pokemon we got a look at. The Pokemon Company also unveiled Sword and Shield's Legendary Pokemon, the wolf-like Zamazenta and Zacian. Few details about the Legendaries were revealed, but the former is covered in armor that resembles a shield, while the latter wields a sword in its maw. In their reveal trailer, the Legendaries could be briefly seen fighting each other before a sound catches their attention.

That certainly isn't all we learned about Pokemon Sword and Shield during the Pokemon Direct. As speculated, the games are introducing a new battle mechanic called Dynamaxing. Like Mega Evolution and Z-Moves before it, Dynamax is triggered via its own button and can only be used once per battle. This causes your Pokemon to grow into a massive size, giving them a power boost and turning their attacks into Max Moves. However, Dynamax Pokemon will only remain in that state for three turns.

Players will also be able to team up with others and battle wild Dynamx Pokemon in Pokemon Go-like Raids while exploring the Wild Area, an open world-like environment between cities in Galar. Pokemon Sword and Shield launch for Nintendo Switch on November 15. You can learn more in our Pokemon Sword and Shield pre-order guide.