Free Pokémon!!!
An event Galarian Corsola, courtesy of the Pokémon creators Game
Freak, is being distributed through the in-game “Get a Mystery Gift” and
“Get via Internet” menu options within the “Mystery Gift” pause menu
option. In addition to a free Pokémon, the Pokémon Company is also giving
out a handful of evolution items. This is the third distribution to build up
hype before they drop the first wave of Sword and Shield DLC.
Galarian Corsola’s redesign is grimly-appropriate for its new Ghost typing.
What’s the fuss about?
What makes this any more special than a Galarian Corsola caught
through normal gameplay (other than the fancy distribution-only Cherish
Ball that it comes in)? It has the rare and coveted honor of having its
Hidden Ability (HA)! This is an ability that while typically is better for competitive battling is also MUCH harder to come by outside of official
distributions like these; also, for some collectors, just having this rarer
version of a Pokémon is reason enough to covet it, regardless of whether
or not the ability is more suited for the competitive meta. The HA being
spotlighted is Cursed Body which will become the brand-new ability Perish
Body when Corsola is evolved into (the also brand new) Curosla. Normally
a Galarian Corsola would have the Ability Weak Armor which would pass
on to its evolution.
Less important are the moves that it comes with. Changing moves is
easy enough in these games, but it will come already knowing Tackle,
Astonish, Disable, and Spite. Pitiful at first glance but understandable for
only being Level 15.
This is Polteageist, a Pokémon who also has the ability Weak Armor
and that you need one of the gifted evolution items to obtain.
Filling up your bag and Dex!
What about these evolution items? Is there anything special about
them? The items included are as follows (one of each):
● Cracked Pot
● Chipped Pot
● Sweet Apple
● Tart Apple
● Sachet
● Whipped Dream
Overall, each of these items is rare but to different extents.
The Cracked and Chipped Pot items are used to evolve Sinistea into
Polteageist. Why two items for the same evolution? There are two “forms”
of Sinistea and Polteageist, and, similar to Shiny Pokémon, the form
difference is exclusively aesthetic. To fit the lore behind the Pokémon and
its different forms Game Freak made two different items to keep the world
consistent. The rarer form evolves via the Chipped Pot which is
appropriately the rarer of the two items.
Another brand-new Pokémon, Applin, also has two evolution items to
accommodate its split evolution potential. The Sweet Apple will evolve it
into the more defensive (and arguably cuter) Appletun, while the Tart Apple
triggers an evolution into Flapple with higher speed and attack stats. What
makes getting these special is that it either one is difficult, if not impossible,
to normally obtain in the other version (Sweet Apple: Shield; Tart Apple:
Sword).
The last set of items is the Sachet and Whipped dream. These are
used to evolve Spritzee into Aromatisse and Swirlix into Slurpuff. Fans
have dubbed these pairs of Pokémon as “Companion Pokémon.” Both of
these evolution lines were introduced in Generation 6’s Pokémon X and Y and are designed purposefully similar to each other (with some notable
distinctions, of course) as version exclusive pals to give either version a
comparable option for the players’ team. Finishing the Pokédex requires
trading, and these two only evolve when traded WHILE holding their
respective items; in Sword and Shield, these items are sadly only available
in the post-game, despite the first stages being readily available fairly early
in the adventure.
The bottom line: these distributions are free, not even requiring
Switch Online. If you have an internet connection and care about the gifts
enough to connect and receive them there is no harm done. With the first
wave of DLC being nearly upon us it cannot hurt to have a few extra items
in your bag or another Pokémon. Competitive battlers are twice as
compelled because the DLC will be adding a host of Pokémon, shifting the
metagame. Alternatively, if you have yet to play or are just starting your
journey (it is normally exclusive to Shield), this little one can be a nice
addition to your team that you would otherwise have to wait for.
This is a snapshot from an official announcement article. This specific distribution will only be available through June 11, 2020.
