Let's Go's Partner Pokemon Feature Could Be in Sword and Shield

By Adam Bankhurst

A new tweet may have revealed that the partner Pokémon feature from Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! may be making its way to Pokémon Sword and Shield for the Nintendo Switch.

The tweet, from Nintendo of America, says “It appears in #PokemonSwordShield that gyms in the Galar region are now bigger than ever! What types of Gym Masters are waiting for you to challenge them? You and your new partner Pokémon will have to train hard and find out!”

Specifically of note is the partner Pokémon line which, according to the official Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! page, says “Unlike regular Pokémon, your partner prefers to be out of its Poké Ball, so it will stay with you by hanging on your shoulder or riding on your head.”

This was obviously Pikachu or Eevee depending on which version of Let’s Go you purchased, but for Sword and Shield it could be any of the starters, any other Pokémon you choose, something else entirely, or even just misleading phrasing by the tweet.

Also of note, the tweet refers to Gym Masters as opposed to Gym Leaders, which have been the terminology for…well…Gym Leaders since the beginning of the franchise. Could this also be a hint of things to come in regards to Pokémon Sword and Shield’s gyms?

Either way, we have a lot more to learn of Pokémon Sword and Shield, but to understand what we do know, be sure to check out our breakdown of the first trailer, read more about the three starter Pokémon – Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble – and learn everything else we know about the upcoming titles that are scheduled to be released on the Nintendo Switch later this year.

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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN who is #TeamSobble all the way. You can tell him why he is right on Twitter @AdamBankhurst.