Latest Pokemon Sword and Shield trailer reveals new Gigantamax forms

As promised, today The Pokemon Company revealed new information about Pokemon Sword and Shield, and it did so with a new trailer. This trailer shows off a collection of new Gigantamax Pokemon, which is a battle mechanic coming to Pokemon Sword and Shield. The Pokemon that are getting these Gigantamax forms are all classic monsters from the franchise's early days, so anyone who has a soft spot for Pokemon Red and Blue will want to check the trailer out.

The first Gigantamax form previewed in this trailer belongs to Pikachu. Given Pikachu's status as the mascot of the Pokemon series, we probably should have expected that it would get a Gigantamax form. When Pikachu grows to its Gigantamax size, it acquires a new ability called G-Max Volt Crash, which paralyzes all of the opposing Pokemon on the field.

Then we have Gigantamax Eevee, which can use a move called G-Max Cuddle. If this move is used on an opposite-gender Pokemon, they automatically become infatuated with Eevee, meaning that they simply won't attack 50% of the time. Gigantamax Pikachu and Eevee will be available to players who have save data from either Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu or Pokemon Let's Go Eevee, so it sounds like you won't be able to find these Pokemon in the wild.

Charizard is another Pokemon getting a Gigantamax Form, which looks somewhat similar to its Mega Evolution forms from Pokemon X and Y. While Gigantamaxed, Charizard can use an ability called G-Max Wildfire, which damages all non-fire type Pokemon for four turns. Then, we've got Gigantamax Butterfree, which uses G-Max Befuddle to cause sleep, paralysis, or poisoned status effects to the opposing team randomly.

The final reveal of the trailer is that of Gigantamax Meowth, which is actually an early purchase bonus. Those who buy Pokemon Sword and Shield before January 15th, 2020 will get this Gigantamax Meowth, which uses an ability called G-Max Gold Rush to confuse enemies and give players a cash infusion.

So, there you have it: five Pokemon from the original 151 are getting Gigantamax forms in Pokemon Sword and Shield, though it looks like only two of them will be normally accessible in-game. We'll likely see more Gigantamax forms between now and release, so stay tuned for that. Pokemon Sword and Shield are out for Nintendo Switch on November 15th, 2019.