As launch day grows ever nearer for the upcoming Pokémon Sword and Shield, there is a ton of information that we still don't know. Look, we're happy that we now know that there are millions of different curry rice dishes that we can make for some reason, but we have more pressing concerns to get through.
What about the ever-present possibility of DLC? How extensive is the Pokédex going to be, after the recent National Pokédex snafu? Today, we'll be discussing ten questions and lingering doubts that we still have about the upcoming Pokémon Sword and Shield. Let's take a look!
10 How Many New Pokémon Will There Be?
A brand new crop of Pokémon is always one of the most exciting parts of a new region, and Galar's new additions are no exception. We've already seen quite a few, including one whose cream you can eat and one whose tea you can sip (all of that is just as bad as it sounds).
Hopefully, we get a large number of new creatures to choose from, especially considering the next question that we have on the list.
9 How Large Will The Regional Dex Be?
Yes, half the 'dex got Thanos snapped with the release of Sword and Shield; we've yelled about that enough already. The question now is, how large will the Regional 'dex be?
Hopefully, we can have 500 or more for the Galar 'dex. Considering that there won't be any Pokémon available outside of this total, it is only fair that we get a large amount to choose from. Considering the Pokémon Company's little love interest of nostalgia baiting, it's a good guess that we'll be receiving the original 151 in their entirety.
8 How Many Galarian Forms Will There Be?
On that note, though, we are getting regional variants again in Galar, and this time they won't just be based on the originals. This is a nice change of pace, as it will allow many overlooked Pokémon from all generations a new chance to shine.
Galarian Zigzagoon is an absolute icon already, so hopefully we'll get plenty more to choose from when the game releases.
7 Will There Be DLC?
While it would usually be a bit too early to start thinking about DLC, with this game it is a very valid question. The game seems to be missing some content that fans have come to love, so DLC could easily be utilized to add some of those things back in.
Whether they bring in "new" old Pokémon, Mega Evolutions or Z-Moves, it would be a great way to utilize DLC and keep fans happy. Just because these features weren't available at launch, doesn't mean they can't come later. DLC could also be used to add new content to the base game beyond bringing in past features.
6 How Do Gyms Function?
The gym experience in Galar is certainly different than it has been in past titles, as the battles now take place in huge stadiums. That begs the question, though: what do you have to do to gain entrance to the gyms?
Surely there is some sort of challenge that must be completed in order to take on the leader. This leads to many questions that will likely be answered very early on into the game.
5 What Other Version Exclusive Content Is There?
One of Sword and Shield's trailers revealed the fact that the two titles will actually have different gym leaders, which is a larger change than usual between versions. This could mean that there are more large differences between the two titles.
Could we be getting different areas such as in Black and White? The possibilities are endless. Come on, though, why spend $60 to see everything a game has to offer when you can spend $120?
4 What Does The Third Legendary Look Like?
When Zacian and Zamazenta (too many Zs) were unveiled, their CGI trailer started out with them battling, but then quickly changed to the two banding together, ready to fight something appearing off-screen, likely from the sky.
This is obviously the third legendary, which has yet to be unveiled. What kind of majestic creature is it going to be? We can't wait to see!
3 Who Is The Villain This Time Around?
Who is the true villain of this game? Team Yell seems to be a bunch of small-timers, so they're certainly not it. It could be the champion, but a likely bet is Bede and/or Chairman Rose.
Chairman Rose is personally sponsoring Bede (which should definitely be some sort of violation of the rules), which is a bit off. As for Bede... come on, how can you trust a ten-year-old male child who looks like a 76-year-old woman? That's just sketchy.
2 What Will The Postgame Be Like?
Ultra Sun and Moon's postgame was a step up from some of the previous titles; there was some good story content and the Battle Tree, but with the move to a home console, hopefully we get more to play around with.
The Battle Frontier hasn't been around in ages, so to see it make a return in Sword and Shield would be great. Either way, let's hope that we see some great content with the completion of the main story.
1 What's Next?
Yep, this is a question that is being brought up too early, but Pokémon is in such a weird place right now. Many fans want the series to take a year off. It's clear that this team is stretched too thin, and the annual releases need to take a break for a minute. That is an unlikely thing to happen though.
The reality is that we're going to get another Let's Go! or a third version or a remake next year. That's the reality of Pokémon nowadays: there's never a stopping point anymore. Let's just hope that they can settle on giving Sword and Shield some DLC and take a rest for a bit. Rejuvenate, remodel missing Pokémon, and rest. The team clearly deserves it.