Pokémon Sword and Shield have version-exclusive gym leaders and even more giant Pokémon

In the latest of announcements about Pokémon Sword and Shield, it was discovered that both games will occasionally have the player facing up against entirely different gym leaders – something that’s only happened once before in a Pokémon game.

The only other time this has happened is with Pokémon Black and White, where Drayden is the leader of Opelucid Gym if you’re playing Black, and Iris is the leader if you’re playing White. As of B&W2, Drayden has been promoted to full-time leader.

However, this is the first time that gyms themselves will be version-exclusive, with their types changing between games.

Pokémon Sword will have you going up against Bea, said to be a prodigy in Galar karate. Her gym is a Fighting-type gym, so make sure you’ve loaded up on Psychic-types before heading in.

Meet Bea, the Fighting-type Gym Leader!

Bea is a prodigy in Galar karate, carrying on its century-old traditions and techniques. She’s known for her stoicism and very rarely shows her emotions.https://t.co/cMTSAmew7h#PokemonSwordShield pic.twitter.com/wnJOz5haRv

— Pokémon (@Pokemon) July 8, 2019

Meanwhile, Pokémon Shield has Allister, a shy and fearful boy who likes to wear a mask and hang out in cemeteries. His gym is (you guessed it!) Ghost-type, so remember to not take in any Normal-types.

Meet Allister, the Ghost-type Gym Leader!

Allister is a talented Trainer of Ghost-type Pokémon who became a Gym Leader at a young age. He rarely makes public appearances and seems to spend most of his time near ruins or cemeteries.https://t.co/cMTSAmew7h#PokemonSwordShield pic.twitter.com/aSCS2v7FTU

— Pokémon (@Pokemon) July 8, 2019

A similar thing has happened before, though, where gym leaders will change between generations, such as Janine taking over the Viridian Gym when her father gets promoted to the Elite Four. The difference here is that the gym leaders will be different between the two games released at the same time.

It also turns out that making your Pokémon into giant versions of themselves doesn’t stop at Dynamaxing. There’s a new feature called Gigantamaxing, which only works on certain Pokémon, revamping their appearance and granting them special G-moves.

There’s also a new Pokémon called Alcremie, who apparently produces a ‘rich whipped cream’ that gets richer when it’s happier. We’re not going any further with that sentence.

For more information on the version differences announced so far for Sword and Shield, you can visit the games’ official website here.

Pokémon Sword and Shield launches November 15th on Nintendo Switch.