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Pokémon Shield: Special Ghost-Type Incoming?

After the reveal of a duck using a sword and shield, many are excited to see Pokémon Shield's exclusive variant Pokémon! But what could it be?

October 8, 2019

Michael Solseth

How’s it going everyone, I’m Mike Sol and I am one of many contributing writers to Culture of Gaming. You can usually find me playing some of the latest games to come out, although I tend to avoid anything related to sports or strategy. I enjoy the big three and all the games on them but my main console is the Xbox One. I don’t have a specific preference in gaming, but any game that has fun action and beating up waves of enemies is usually my cup tea. If you ever want me to game with me or want me to write about something of interest, feel free to hit me up. I hope to have a personal blog set up soon, but my loyalties shall remain with CoG.

As we get closer to the release of Pokémon Sword and Shield, fans and speculators eagerly await to see what new and returning Pokémon we’ll find in the Galar region. While there’s a fun and wide range of unique Pokémon we can capture, the latest Pokémon reveal has had the Internet riled up. Who would have thought that turning a leek-wielding duck into a knight was something we always needed?

Source: Pokémon Sword and Shield

Sirfetch’d was announced as the next evolution of Farfetch’d. While it is still the same height of 2’7″ as its brown-feathered predecessor, this fighting-type Pokémon weighs in at 257.9 pounds. It will also have its own signature move, Meteor Assault, which will let Sirfetch’d damage the opponent before forcing it into a recharge. Needless to say, this little guy won the heart of Trainers around the world with its elegant personality, its giant spear and shield, and those eyebrows. Truly, those who are getting Pokémon Sword will be in for a lovely experience.

But consider what was said just now: Sirfetch’d is exclusive to Pokémon Sword. Up until now, most variant Pokémon would be available on both versions, but the duck knight over here chose its side. Now, the question becomes: “Who (or what) will be Shield‘s exclusive Pokémon?”

Incoming Ghost?

So if you read the title, you likely might be asking, “Why Ghost-type specifically?”

That’s a very good question, but one that is rather simple to decipher… maybe. If you recall previously, Nintendo confirmed that besides the usual “exclusive Pokémon to specific versions” we also have two Gym leaders sharing the same location, but will offer two entirely different experiences. In case you’ve forgotten, you will go up against Bea in Pokémon Sword. Bea specializes in Fighting-types, which matches Sirfetch’d’s new typing.

It would not come as a shock to find a Sirfetch’d in Bea’s Gym lineup.

Source: Pokemon Shield

Following that train of logic, we take a look at Pokémon Shield‘s exclusive Gym leader: Allister.

It might be a stretch to say that we’ll get an exclusive Ghost-type Pokémon in Shield because that’s Allister’s specialty, but there’s more to it than that. It would be fair to consider Ghost to be one of the more defensive types, thus fitting the “Shield” criteria rather nicely. The only Pokémon we know Allister will use is Mimikyu, (and likely Polteageist, the only other Ghost-type we are aware of at the moment). This evidence points to a possible Ghost-type exclusive Pokémon for Shield‘s Galar region.

Who’s that Pokémon Exactly?

So it’s all fine and good to claim that we will see a “Galar-Form” Ghost, but the options are pretty broad. Funnily enough, it wouldn’t be the first exclusive Ghost Pokémon, as we got Marowak (Fire/Ghost) in Pokémon Sun and Moon. The Pokémon itself has a rather dark history to begin with, considering the whole “wears its mother’s skull as a helmet”. But Alolan Marowak goes even further, to quote the Pokédex from Pokémon Sun:

“The bones it possesses were once its mother’s. Its mother’s regrets have become like a vengeful spirit protecting this Pokémon.”

Source: Pokémon Sun and Moon

Now this isn’t to say our next region-specific Pokémon need to be as “uplifting” as Marowak, but when you look around for “Pokémon with a troubled backstory”, the results are… limited. You’ll either find Cubone/Marowak or arandom Ghost-type Pokémon that kidnaps children or kills victims by the simple act of licking them. Pokémon can get really dark sometimes…

For as much as I want to see see a Pokémon get a ghost-type, it is also just as likely that an existing Ghost-type could see its secondary type change. Perhaps one Ghost-type could become a Ghost/Fairy Pokémon like Mimikyu. Or perhaps a Ghost-type that could have a sort of “redemption” of sorts, and thus a previously “scary looking ghost” suddenly becomes more approachable while “punishing the true evils of the world.”

Which Pokémon Could See a Ghost Variant in Pokémon Shield?

No matter the form the Pokémon will take, we’ll probably get to see Shield‘s exclusive Pokémon in the weeks leading up to its release on November 15.

Source: Pokémon Sword and Shield

During a recent 24-Hour Pokémon Stream, we got to see another special region-specific variant in the form of Ponyta which seems to glow. While it’s possible to consider these Ponyta to be Fairy types given their color scheme, they could also be our Ghost-type exclusives. Some are expecting this Ponyta to evolve into a Rapidash with wings, like a Pegasus. We’ll just have to wait and see until more details come out.

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But what do you think? If Pokémon Shield were to get an exclusive Ghost-type variant, which Pokémon would it be? And what backstory would you give it in order to explain why it is suddenly a Ghost? Or could it be an existing Ghost Pokémon that would happen to see its secondary type change due to being in Galar? Leave your thoughts down in the comments and be sure to follow us here at Culture of Gaming for more articles for Pokemon and other things in the gaming world!

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