Not too long ago,Pokemon SwordandShieldwas officially announced by Nintendo. Rumors, speculation, and memes have run rampant since then, with one example being theArmored Evolution leak. Now, a new rumor has surfaced to imply that the Gen 8Pokemongame will actually feature two regions.
Based on some in-game lore, real-world relationships, and small similarities, many are thinking that Kalos, the region ofPokemon XandY, will feature alongsidethe new Galar regioninPokemon SwordandShield. A lot of this has to do with Kalos being based on France and Galar being based on Great Britain, but there are a few details making people believe this is the case.
There’s no doubt, the relationship between France and Great Britain is a complicated one, with the two countries sharing a history of war, conquest, and alliances, and inPokemon XandY,the story revolves around an event known as the Kalos War 3,000 years prior. The Kalos War saw AZ receive eternal life and the ultimate weapon be created.
Due to the fraught history of real-world Great Britain and France, many believe this war was fought between Kalos and Galar. Furthermore, Melmetal - a “new” Pokemon presumably from the Galar region - was last seen during the same time period. Another leak teased thatMeltan would have an important roleinPokemon SwordandShield, so it’s possible that these two ideas are somehow connected.
Then, there are certain details aboutPokemon XandYthat further supports the two region theory. For instance, there are similar cave structures that could be connected because of rail road tracks. Given that there was a train inXandYthat did not go anywhere, and one featured in theSwordandShieldannouncement, this theory could be true. There is also a port on the west side of Kalo with a port town visible on the east side of Galar, making travel between the two not seem like such a stretch.
If this proves to the case andPokemon SwordandShielddoes feature both Galar and Kalos, it would not be an unprecedented move, as it would be the second game in the franchise to do so.Pokemon Gold, Silver,andCrystalincluded the original Kanto region alongside the Johto region as a way to showcase the power of the Game Boy Color, so perhaps Nintendo plans to do this again for the forthcoming Switch title.
Pokemon SwordandShieldis set to release in Fall 2019, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch
