Thanks to a short notice Nintendo Direct aired last night, Pokémon fans have been treated to a slew of new information regarding Sword and Shield. Several new features, including camping and cooking (more on those later), were showcased during the demo, as too, were a handful of brand new Pocket Monsters. Somewhat disappointingly, this latest footage failed to reveal any further Galarian forms for the Switch games but there’s still plenty of time to fill until release day rolls around.
As for the subjects of this article, steal your first-look at the new ‘Mons via the gallery below:
No, your eyes don’t deceive you – that’s absolutely a haunted teapot and it goes by the name of Polteageist. Puntastic name aside, this little fellow is clearly yet another homage to the Galar region’s real-world inspiration. As a nation of tea drinkers, Brits (including yours truly), couldn’t be happier with Polteageist’s inclusion. As for what types and abilities this bizarre Pokédex addition has access to, see below for all the details:
Polteageist
- Category: Black Tea Pokémon
- Type: Ghost
- Height: 8″
- Weight: .9lbs
- Ability: Weak Armor
One of the wackiest designs to have ever featured in a Pokémon game, no doubt, but the second of Sword and Shield‘s two newcomers has a much more traditional design. Cramorant (another top-tier pun, by the way) looks likely to be the Galar region’s mandatory bird Pokémon and boasts some special properties.
Cramorant
- Category: Gulp Pokémon
- Type: Flying/Water
- Height: 2’7″
- Weight: 39.7lbs
- Ability: Gulp Missile
Nothing too exceptional on paper, then, but particular attention should be given to Cramorant’s Gulp Missile ability. This neat trick allows the avian to store fish in its mouth after performing certain moves and subsequently expel them at the enemy whenever it takes damage. Whether this process is repeatable in a single battle remains to be seen, but it’s a neat addition, nonetheless.
That about covers the latest additions to Pokémon Sword and Shield‘s ever-expanding menagerie, but Trainers can expect a whole lot more to be revealed in the run-up to launch. Stay tuned.