The Pokémon Company has announced a new Gigantamax form coming to Pokémon Sword and Shield leading up to the Pokémon Day 2020 celebration. Gigantamax events have been happening in Sword and Shield fairly frequently since the most recent Pokémon game's release back in November of 2019, but the annual Pokémon Day celebrations only come around once a year.
Gigantamaxing and Dynamaxing are new features which debuted in Pokémon Sword and Shield. All available Pokémon have super-sized, super-powered Dynamax forms, while only certain Pokémon have Gigantamax forms. Gigantamax Pokémon have unique visual transformations and can have alternative moves that change their battle strategy. Nintendo is adding more Gigantamax forms to the games, but like the others, they only occur during limited-time Max Raid Battles. The next event is coming up fast, and will challenge players with a never-before-seen Gigantamaxed Pokémon.
New information on the official Pokémon website has revealed a Gigantamax form for the electric/poison type punk-rock lizard, Toxtricity. This huge version will have G-Max Stun Shock in place of its electric moves, which can poison or paralyze opponents in addition to its damage. Gigantamax Toxtricity can be found in Max Raid Battles within the Wild Area from February 6 until March 8.
This certainly isn't the only Pokémon content which will be released heading into Pokémon Day. February 27th commemorates the original Japanese launch of Pokémon Red & Blue, and The Pokémon Company has celebrated the date annually ever since the series' 20th anniversary in 2016. This year, the company has quite a few things planned: the Armored Mewtwo legendary raid is returning to Pokemon Go, a new Mythical Pokémon will be unveiled, the Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution movie is coming to Netflix, and a poll is being held for the most popular Pokémon. Players can cast their vote right now for their favorite Pokémon of all time until the poll closes on February 14th. The winners will be posted to the official Pokémon website on Pokémon Day.
The popularity of Pokémon is undying, but nonetheless, The Pokémon Company has continued to expand its visibility in recent times. Even aside from a huge social media presence and the fact that Pokemon Go and Sword & Shield are constantly receiving updates, Pokémon has even capitalized on things like ASMR. An annual Pokémon Day is a fitting way to celebrate the legacy of the revered series while keeping the Pokémon brand in the public eye.
Source: Pokémon