Pokémon Sword and Shield release will be veiled in the National Dex controversy for sure, but that doesn’t mean that new features are not being added. A new Sword and Shield trailer showcased a number of new items and features that are coming on November 15th, 2019.
Community reactions are widely positive, as the new changes are all considered to be quality of life improvements that modernize certain aspects of Core games.
New Sword and Shield Items and Features Trailer
Mints
Mints are a new item that allows players to affect a Pokémon’s Nature! Each Pokémon has a Nature, and this Nature can impact which of the Pokémon’s stats are likely to grow faster or slower than average.
Supplements
Supplements can now max out a Pokémon’s base stats, there is no limitation on how many you can use on a single Pokémon. The new trailer shows 26 bottles of Calcium being used on a Gengar.
Egg moves
Pokémon of the same species can pass egg moves to each other at the Day Care. You need two Pokémon of the same species and you can teach the other one your desired move. Egg Moves are moves that the Pokémon wouldn’t normally be able to learn through more common means, like leveling up or using TMs. Pokémon can only learn an Egg Move this way when it knows three or fewer moves.
Access Pokémon boxes from almost anywhere
Previously, you had to be at a Pokémon Center in order to use Pokémon Boxes. In Sword and Shield you will be able to use them from more places – Wild Area, Championships and Tournaments.
Exp. Candy
Exp. Candies are a way to give your Pokémon Exp. directly, without going through Battles. Exp. Candies are obtainable from Max Raid Battles and allow you to quickly level up a Pokémon. Exp. Candy XL was shown, and it grants 30,000 Exp, raising Zweilous level from 51 to 53 in the demo.
These changes should make competitive Pokémon more accessible, as it helps reduce the amount of RNG you need to go before obtaining a competitive Pokémon.