The Crown Tundra expansion for Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield is set to release next week, which means players can soon collect a vast array of returning Legendary Pokémon from a new feature called Dynamax Adventures. A new episode of Pokénchi details this feature in terms of encountering and catching some Crown Tundra Legendary Pokemon. [Thanks, Serebii!]
Players who were expecting prolonged bouts of hurling Pokéballs might be surprised to learn that a bulk of the Legendary Pokémon in the expansion will be more straightforward affairs. Legendaries encountered within Dynamax Adventures are said to have a 100% catch rate. While that means players won’t engage in ineffective, but treasured, rituals (like rhythmically tapping the b button after throwing a Pokéball, for example), it could also mean that players can choose which Pokéballs to use based on aesthetic preference rather than their varying bonuses to catch rate. In theory, players will be able to house a foreboding beast within a “Love Ball,” at no relative inconvenience to themselves.
It was also announced that players would only be able to capture one of each available legendary from Dynamax Adventures per save file. Because Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield will each have their own exclusive Legendary Pokemon, trading with other players (or playing two different versions of the game) will be crucial for players looking to legitimately complete their Pokédex. An inability to catch the same Legendary over and over does make it harder to collect all the legendary Pokémon, as people tend to want to trade rare Pokémon for rare Pokémon, but measures like this are what preserve the entire idea of a Pokémon that is, well, legendary.
With the release of this expansion, players will be able to capture any Legendary that could be encountered and caught in the previous mainline Pokémon games. With more Pokémon returning from old games and new region-specific variants, it is also quite possible that players will soon discover new strategies in their online matches with other players. The Crown Tundra will be available to players who own the Pokémon Sword or Pokémon Shield Expansion Pass on October 22, 2020 for Nintendo Switch.
