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Pokémon Sword and Shield
| Video game fandom | |
|---|---|
| Name | Pocket Monsters Sword and Shield Series |
| Japanese name | ポケットモンスター ソード ポケットモンスター シールド Downloadable Content: |
| Abbreviation(s) | SWSH |
| Developer(s) | Game Freak; Nintendo |
| Release date | November 15, 2019 - November 18, 2022 (Worldwide) |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo Switch |
| Genre(s) | Role-Playing Game |
| Related articles on Fanlore. | |
Pokémon Sword and Shield (commonly abbreviated as SWSH) are the sequels to the seventh games in the Pokémon franchise, Pokémon Sun and Moon. They released worldwide on November 15th, 2019 for the Nintendo Switch. Each copy of the game is able to be played in nine languages: English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Korean, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese.
These games were the first in the franchise to offer downloadable content rather than a third, expanded and improved version that was the norm for most of the previous Pokémon generations, granting access to two new areas: the Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra, as well as introducing new characters.
After an announcement pre-release revealed that, for the first time, not every Pokémon would be included in the games, many fans disliked the idea and what it meant for the series going forward. Fans dubbed the idea of some Pokémon not being in the game's Pokédex as Dexit, a play on Brexit, the UK withdrawing from the EU, which was in the news in late 2019. This as well as the games' graphics, considered by many as lackluster, has made the games somewhat of a black sheep in the franchise critically. However, in fandom, it has one of the most active shipping scenes, and since it was the first in the series to be released on a home console, it brought more new fans to the series than any previous releases aside from the first, Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow.
Plot Overview
The player controls a protagonist that you name, (a young boy named Victor or a girl named Gloria,) and explores a fictional interpretation of Britain called Galar. You start out with either Grookey, Scorbunny or Sobble, given to you by Leon, the region's Pokémon champion. He's the older brother of Hop, your main rival. The games feature eight gym leaders, which must be defeated in Pokémon battles before you reach the Champion Cup, consisting of already established characters who are the strongest trainers in the region.
During the story, you encounter Bede, who's endorsed by the head of the large corporation Macro Cosmos, Rose, and Marnie, your third rival, the younger sister of the gym leader Piers who's often accompanied own fanclub, Team Yell, considered the second hooligan-esque team in the series after Team Skull.
After collecting all eight badges and winning the Champion Cup, but before they can battle Leon to earn the title of Pokémon Champion, Rose announces his plan of bringing back the Darkest Day in order to save Galar from an energy crisis. Using the power of the legendary Pokémon Zacian and Zamazenta, you and Hop defeat Rose and his plans. Later, you defeat Leon and become the new Pokémon Champion.
Characters
Leon, Raihan and Piers may be considered the most popular characters to have come from these games within the fandom. Leon, as well as being a major player in the games, also had a substantial role in the Pokémon anime, giving him a wide range of fan activity. Piers is particularly popular for fanworks and shipping, himself having few anime appearances, and kind of has a cult following. Raihan, the Dragon-type gym leader, falls between these two, both having a presence in the anime and being popular in fanworks. The OT3 of Leon/Piers/Raihan (PunkDragonShipping) is the most popular in the entire franchise as of 2025, with Leon/Raihan (TrueRivalShipping) and Piers/Raihan (eBoyShipping) being the two most popular ships for the SWSH characters.
The other gym leaders Milo, Nessa, Kabu, Allister, Bea, Opal, Gordie and Melony are also popular with fans, more-so than any other gym leader group aside from RBY's due to their focus in the games. Nessa and Kabu in particular have a lot of fan activity.
Other notable characters include Sonia, Leon's childhood friend and later Pokémon Professor, Rose's secretary Oleana, the DLC-exclusive rivals Avery and Klara, and the DLC-exclusive mentor character Peony, and all of the characters mentioned above in the plot section.
Popular Relationships
See List of Pokémon Relationship Names for more ship information.
Gen ships, such as the Galar Quintet, Hop & Leon, Marnie & Piers and Bede & Opal are all common.
The aforementioned three ships are all popular, as well as Leon/Sonia (LionHeartShipping), Hop/Victor (TrainShipping), Bede/Gloria (DressedInPinkShipping), Hop/Gloria (PostwickShipping), Gloria/Marnie (GothGfShipping) and Nessa/Sonia (AquaHeartShipping), among many others.
Of note is that these games were the first in the western side of the fandom to not have in-use -shipping names for many pairings. This is the case for many pairings that are mostly only popular in the Japanese side of the fandom, such as Kabu/Raihan, Gloria/Raihan and Gloria/Piers, as fans usually use the Japanese ship names or shorthand acronyms when referring to these ships on Twitter, Tumblr and other social media sites. For example, although Kabu/Raihan's shipping name is ZaoshenShipping, the portmanteau Kibkab, the shorthand kbnkb (short for Kibana×Kabu), and Kibakabu, (which their most common JPN name 'キバカブ' directly translates to,) are used instead.
The absence of a -shipping name rarely has to do with its actual popularity. PunkBladeShipping for Marnie/Victor is well-established despite being a rarepair, for example.
SWSH Fandom
This article or section needs expansion. |
Pokémon Sword and Shield were ranked 5th in Tumblr Fandometrics' Year in Review 2019 for most reblogged Video Game fandom that year. In 2020, it was ranked 3rd, and in 2021, it was ranked 50th.
Popular Tropes & Fanon
TBA
Subjects of Fannish Interest & Meta
TBA
Example/Notable Fanac
This article or section needs expansion. |
Fan Communities/Fan Events
Fan Blogs
Fan Fic
Fan Art
- Request - 3 Starters 3 Trainers by D-O-9-Bessa, Archived version (2019), Gloria, Victor and Hop with Sobble, Scorbunny and Grookey.
- Pokemon Pillars AU by akamarulover2, Archived version (2019), Opal, Allister, Milo, Leon, Bea and Raihan in a fusion with Demon Slayer.
- Gym Leader Doods by the-flying-beetle, Archived version (2020), Opal, Allister, Banette and a PokéSona.