Pokécharms

We're just barely over a week away from the launch of Pokémon Sword and Shield and today we've got the first details on some improvements to the game over previous main series entries - particularly in raising Pokémon for battling - as well as the first online competition details and Gigantimax Raid events.

New Items and Features

Mints

A new set of Mint items will allow you to change the stat effects of your Pokémon to match the nature in the name of the mint. This means you can give a Pikachu with a 'naive' nature, the stat effects of having a 'modest' nature instead - a huge help in building a competitive Pokémon team.

This item doesn't change the Pokémon's nature, though - just the way it impacts that Pokémon's stats.

Nutrients
The nutrient items in previous games would add 10 EVs to...

The new Pokémon games are just 2 weeks away, but unfortunately, that means we're now smack-bang in the middle of people getting hold of the game through less than fair or legitimate methods and uploading the entire thing for everyone to see well ahead of time.

As we've previously established, Pokecharms will not be covering anything other than the officially released details and Pokémon ahead of the games release on the 15th. This is so that we're fair to everyone who wants to play these games, that we're not just spoiling the entire thing for them.

That also means that we're not allowing any of this to be posted by anyone else either on the forums or on the Creative Corner. Until the games are out, please stick to the officially revealed Pokémon and information (which you can confirm on the Sword and Shield website if you need to).

Breaking these rules will see your post deleted...

It's the latest in the long line of prequel origin stories that literally nobody asked for, and it's coming in just a couple short weeks (in Japan) to kick off the start of a new series of the Pokémon anime. Yes, after over 20 years, we'll finally get to learn the exact, excruciating details of why Pikachu is such an arsehole in the first episode of Pokémon.

The first episode of the new series is called "Birth of Pikachu" - which, from the synopsis at least, we don't think means it actually includes the conception or birthing process... or at least, we hope not...

"In a forest somewhere in Kanto, there once was a lonely Pichu. This Pichu - who was still quite young - had a certain encounter and farewell. This took place shortly before Ash and his partner Pikachu started travelling together. This is the beginning of the anime 'Pocket Monsters'."

While this first episode is mainly flashbacks, presumably sparked by Ash's triumphant return...

If you’ve eyed up, from afar, the Pokémon Sword & Shield demo available at shows like EGX, or the London Pokémon Center and felt unimpressed by how much of an incredibly basic Pokémon experience it seemed to show, you’re definitely not alone. That’s precisely the view I carried with me into my opportunity to play the demo when we were invited to visit the Pokémon Center last week.

As it happens, though, even this short and simple slice of the upcoming games delivers a surprising leap in the experience of playing a Pokémon game. We’re just weeks away from the release of the games, but here’s our report on a demo that took me straight from “meh” to “hype” by the end of it’s short, 5-minute time-locked duration.

This weekend, thousands of UK fans were finally able to buy official Pokémon Center merchandise for the first time. If they waited for up to 10 hours in a queue, that is. Fortunately, we got to beat the queues to see what they had first-hand!

Check out the latest details on the London store as well as a look at all the exclusive merchandise available (if it's in stock!) in my report on GameCrash! (But here's a sneak peek at a couple pictures below).

The dates for an up-coming event for Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon have been confirmed today. This event gives Pokémon trainers the chance to get their hands on either Shiny Solgaleo or Shiny Lunala.

Read on to find out more!

First spotted over the weekend during the extremely long 24 hour 'livestream', Galarian Ponyta is now officially confirmed. Reclassified as the "Unique Horn" Pokémon, this version of Ponyta is a pure Psychic type - not Fairy as previously speculated - and is exclusive to Pokémon Shield.

Galarian Ponyta's unique appearance is said to come from being exposed to the "life energy" of forests like Glimwood Tangle, giving it this unique form - and its glowing mane - in the Galar region.


As well as the Run Away ability, Galarian Ponyta can also have the new Pastel Veil ability. When a Pokémon with this ability enters battle, it automatically heals all allies of poisoning, as well as giving itself and all its allies immunity from being poisoned while in battle.

Despite being the only other new Pokémon to appear in the 'livestream', Impidimp remains unannounced entirely. Although it did...

This week on our sister site GameCrash is the second part of this deep dive into the history of the Pokémon franchise (as written by yours truly).

In the first part, we met the creator of Pokémon, Satoshi Tajiri and followed his life through to the creation of Game Freak - the company behind the entire series.

In this part, we look into the troubled and extended 6-year development of the original Pokémon Red & Green games - originally known as Capsule Monsters. Including the story of how a desperate need to pay the bills nearly doomed the Pokémon series before it even got off the ground - until Junichi Masuda stepped in to save it.

Please check it out here!