Started off as a sports writer with a focus on football, ice hockey, boxing, and American football. After leaving RealSport, I diversified my writing substantially, kept with sport, but also learned much more heavily into pop culture, iGaming, travel, business, tech, and especially gaming. Later, I co-founded Outsider Gaming, was the primary writer and editor-in-chief, and helped to train and bring on the writing talents who also had a passion for gaming. Now, I’m writing everything and anything, from sports to gaming, SEO-optimised content to reviews and previews.
Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield look to be one of Game Freak’s most ambitious projects to date, even if they don’t feature the full Pokédex or an upgrade in battle animations. From the moment the reveal trailers came to light for the first mainline Pokémon game to feature on a home console, it was clear that the game designers had put a lot of thought into making the Galar region quintessentially British.
Based on the United Kingdom, players will be able to free-roam around open fields, gaze upon clock towers, and experience the erratic weather that Brits put up with on a weekly basis. To go along with a new region is a whole host of new Pokémon, many of which were spotted by eagle-eyed fans in the backgrounds of reveal videos in the running to release.
Pokémon Sword and Shield will feature many new monsters to catch which are very much inspired by Great Britain, adding another level of likeness and immersion to the experience of roaming around the Galar region. So, in honour of this flurry of new Pokémon coming into the Pokédex, here are the most British Pokémon in the games Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield.
Corviknight
Ravens – Latin name Corvus corax – are resident birds of the United Kingdom, particularly in the northern and western regions. In Pokémon Sword and Shield, the creators have combined the common bird with medieval aspects of the country’s history to create a flying/steel-type Pokémon that stands 7’03’’. Much like ravens and other members of the crow family, Corviknight is as a highly intelligent Pokémon. It also boasts incredible flying skills and tremendous strength.
Wooloo
Great Britain is filled with open fields and farmland, with sheep being herded all over England, Scotland, and particularly in Wales. Wooloo is a fluffy little sheep Pokemon that produces the finest material for clothing and carpets, becoming a staple of production in the Galar region. Standing only 2’00’’, Wooloo is an adorable normal-type addition to the Pokedex, especially as, if they need to escape, they just tuck-up and roll away.
Yamper
The UK is filled with dog lovers, with English cocker spaniels, French bulldogs, German shepherds, golden retrievers, and English cocker spaniels popular across the country, with the Labrador retriever being the undisputed favourite, per the Telegraph. Despite this, the most commonly associated breed of dog with Great Britain is the Pembroke Welsh corgi due to Queen Elizabeth II having had over 30 corgis since her reign began. So, it should come as no surprise that Pokémon Sword and Shield features a quirky little corgi. The electric-type Pokémon Yamper is said to chase Pokémon, people, and vehicles – as is often the case with small dogs whose bark is bigger than its bite.
One of the biggest entertainment revelations in the UK over the past several years has been The Great British Bake Off. The oddly entertaining cooking show has highlighted Britain’s love of cakes, pastries, and sweet treats to the world, and so, Game Freak decided to include a fluffy, iced, fairy-type Pokémon in the Galar region, Alcremie. While not as varied as a Pokémon like Castform, which change its form with the weather, Alcremie has many different variants, otherwise known as flavours, which change its base colour, shading, and decorations.
Bringing in an iconic animal of British wildlife, Obstagoon is the third evolution of the Galar form of Zigzagoon (originally from the Hoenn region of Generation III) which has distinct European badger colouration. The black and white stripes make Zigzagoon and Linoone look incredible and devious, with the dark/normal-type Obstagoon being one of the best-looking early reveals of Pokémon Sword and Shield. Obstagoon is said to be very combative – much like European badgers – but opts to coax in its opponents before obstructing the incoming attack by crossing its arms.
First of all, the name is pure genius and goes so well with the Pokémon. Polteageist is a ghost-type Pokémon that chooses to inhabit items like tableware and, most notably, teapots. The mischievous little monster is made of black tea that is distinct in its flavour: but only a trusted trainer is allowed to sample its aromatic taste. With it being so protective of its black tea, choosing to hide amongst tableware, and it being a ghost, it shouldn’t come as a shock that Polteageists are often considered pests in the Galar region.
Farfetch’d certainly has its place in the Galar region as it sports a similar love for leeks as the Welsh do on St David’s Day, but its new evolution, the fighting-type Sirfetch’d, is an almighty addition to the Pokémon Sword and Shield Pokédex. Standing as a noble white knight that has crafted a thick shield of leek leaves to protect itself while battling with a sharpened leek lance, Sirfetch’d is plays fair in battle, is adored by the Galar populous, and is the epitome of an anthropomorphised gallant gentleman.
Of all of these new, very British Galar region Pokémon entering the Pokédex, it must be said that Obstagoon, Corviknight, Sirfetch’d, and Polteagesit look the most likely to make it to a team of six, even if it’s only because of their aesthetics.
