The Pokemon series since time immemorial has required players to own both versions of a mainline game to truly catch ’em all. Pokemon Sword and Shield will continue that tradition, but also have different Gyms and leaders depending on the version. This was revealed in the recent trailer on Gigantamaxing.
The trailer sees Pokemon Sword players facing Bea, who uses Fighting type Pokemon, while Pokemon Shield players must face Allister, a Ghost type Pokemon trainer (who also has a sick mask). Both leaders are located in the same town. As of now, it’s not confirmed how many Gyms differ between both versions or what other major differences can be expected.
Regardless, along with offering different Legendaries and Pokemon, it’s good way to incentivize players to pick up both versions (especially since all Pokemon from previous versions won’t be included). Pokemon Sword and Shield is out on November 15th for the Nintendo Switch. Stay tuned for more details en route to release.