Pokémon Sword & Shield: 10 New Details You Need To Know
4. Gym Battles
We’ve only met one Gym Leader so far: Milo, the Grass type trainer.
Grass was already all but confirmed as a gym after a green stadium appeared in the original trailer, but learned a little bit more about them here. With the region of Galar being based on Britain, Pokémon battles seem akin to football in the region’s culture, with gym battles essentially Premier League matches, while random NPCs just want a proverbial kickabout in the park.
All of the gyms will be based on stadiums in one way or another, and perhaps the crowd will get involved somehow. They may just be there for show to add to the background flavour, but they could just as easily be an influence on things like critical hits depending on the battle’s momentum.
The Direct mentions that the Leaders will come equipped with Dynamaxed Pokémon of their own, with Milo showing off his Dynamaxed Eldergloss.
Apparently, two Dynamaxed ‘mons going toe to toe is the best way to get the crowd pumped, but it remains to be seen exactly what this means.
It makes sense that Milo’s the one we’ve been shown first too, seeing as he looks like someone Dynamaxed Bugsy from Gold & Silver.