Gaming

We’re All Terrified By The Way Pokémon Charge At You In ‘Sword & Shield’

These Pokémon are ready to FIGHT.

by Jared Richards  20 November 2019
Pokémon Sword & Shield's wild area is scary as hell

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With Pokémon Sword & Shield finally out after years of anticipation, your social circle may look a little thin this week: after a fanboy controversy began to die down, social media has been overwhelmed with love for the new game, particularly the addition of the ‘wild’ area, where Pokémon roam free in the world. And a little fear, too.

While Sword & Shield‘s animations have come under fire for being a little lacklustre, gamers are united by the fact that seeing a Pokémon absolutely charge you down in the wild zone is scarier than anything from Resident Evil or Silent Hill.

The intensity of the moment where Pokémon begin to chase you has created a whole bunch of reaction memes: our favourites are those that use Nicki Minaj’s ‘Roman Holiday’ in the background.

There’s a real ferocity to the way these Pokémon chase you down — it’s markedly different from the old line about them ‘defending themselves’ in the wild, or Pokémon trainers capturing animals and forcing them to do their bidding. These Pokémon want to fight. Alex Jones’ famed meltdown captures the vibe well, too, though oddly, so does a video of Dynasty actress Elizabeth Gillies walking onto set while feeling herself.

We would not want to walk through this world if we weren’t’ a trainer: surely wild Pokémon attacks are responsible for 80 percent of the Galar region’s elderly and child deaths. And one day, they’ll attack the towns. It’s only a matter of time.

Of course, each Pokémon responds differently to spotting a trainer. Where Lucario hunts you down, Snorlax simply does not give a fuck. Still, best to be safe out there: they make look awful cute, but these Pokémon are not here to play.

On the gentler side of things, the Pokémon Camp mode lets your captured friends roam around, hang out, and seemingly, if they’re Rosella, practice their ballroom walk.