Pokémon Sword & Shield New Wild Area Event Adds Gigantamax Charizard
The Pokémon Day event in Pokémon Sword and Shield has begun and it's now possible to catch a Gigantamax Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur in the Wild Area. Charizard was one of the first Gigantamax Pokémon revealed ahead of the launch of Pokémon Sword and Shield, alongside Butterfree, Eevee, Pikachu, and Meowth.
Charizard and its Gigantamax form were featured prominently in Pokémon Sword and Shield, as the Champion of the Galar used the fan-favorite pocket monster as his main Pokémon. The other Kanto starters weren't present in the base version of Pokémon Sword and Shield, but a datamine revealed that they did exist in the game's files. Bulbasaur and Squirtle were made accessible in the Expansion Pass content for the games, and they received Gigantamax forms for their final evolutions.
The Pokémon Company promised a Pokémon Sword and Shield announcement before Pokémon Day, which now appears to be a new event. Some speculated that it would involve a Shiny Pokémon giveaway, or perhaps the addition of Hisuian forms to the Galar region. Instead, according to Serebii, a new Wild Area event in Pokémon Sword and Shield has begun, giving players the chance to encounter a Gigantamax Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur in the Wild Area. This is likely what The Pokémon Company was promoting. The Serebii website confirms that this event is live and it will run until Pokémon Day begins on February 27.
It's possible to acquire a Bulbasaur or a Squirtle as part of a quest in The Isle of Armor expansion for Pokémon Sword and Shield, but the player can only select one of them. There have been different events for the Kanto starters in the past, such as Gigantamax Bulbasaur and Squirtle in Pokémon Home. The addition of Max Soup in The Isle of Armor also means players can trade over a Bulbasaur or Squirtle from another game and give it the Gigantamax Factor. The new event offers a more direct chance of acquiring a Gigantamax Kanto starter evolution, so long as players are able to overcome them in battle.
A Wild Area event might not have been what fans were hoping for, as people had high expectations for what the Pokémon Sword and Shield announcement was going to be. If the games are going to receive additional content, such as Hisuian forms, then they will likely be revealed during the upcoming Pokémon Day 2022 announcements. The Pokémon Company released multiple games in close proximity to each other, so it's likely that any Pokémon Direct will include announcements about content updates to existing titles, which could include Pokémon Sword and Shield.
The Pokémon Day event in Pokémon Sword and Shield will run from February 22 to February 27, 2022.
Source: Serebii/Twitter, Serebii