Pokemon Sword and Shield - The Crown Tundra Teased

Explore the Crown Tundra

What is the Crown Tundra?

Along with the Isle of Armor, the Crown Tundra is a new location in the Galar region. Described as a snow-swept realm, the Crown Tundra is the second new area which revolves around the theme of exploration. Concept art as well as some demo footage showed the beauty and mystery of the icy zone that awaits trainers. There were also some artworks of homes which prove that not only Pokemon but also people reside here.

The Crown Tundra comes as the second half of the Expansion Pass. The aesthetic seems to take some inspiration from other snow-themed areas from past games. Places like the Sinjoh Ruins, the routes that surround Snowpoint city, and even the path leading to Mount Lanakila seem to capture the same theme.

The frigid site might be loosely based on the arctic zone found in the Scottish Highlands in Scotland.

New Pokemon await

Quite like the Isle of Armor that preceded it, the livestream also teased a new set of Pokemon that live in the area. Visually, we’re already imagining groups of Pokemon have taken refuge in the quiet icy mountains, away from the bustling city. However due to the lack of footage, we can’t put a finger on which new Pokemon, apart from the obvious ice types, these would consist of.

An unidentified character

The livestream also briefly touched on the purpose of exploring the Crown Tundra. According to the teaser, an unnamed character serves to send you off on an expedition. Unfortunately, no details were given to the identity of the mysterious figure. We speculate that it could be anyone which can range from those in the base game or a new character.

New Outfits

In addition, the Crown Tundra wouldn’t be complete without giving our beloved trainers a full winter treatment. As the appointed leader of an expedition, you will need to don some thick clothing for warmth. Similar to their cycling outfit, there seems to be no change between the clothes of boys’ to those of the girls’.

A new legendary Pokemon

The new Pokemon Calyrex, is a psychic and grass type legendary that inhabits the Crown Tundra. Legends say that it once ruled over a part of the area, notably the Crown Tundra. It was teased that the upcoming expedition will allow trainers to uncover the truths about the mysterious Pokemon. A highly gifted Pokemon, Calyrex has the ability to sense events in the past, present, and future.

From the looks of it, Calyrex has some resemblance to Xerneas and to some extent possibly Celebi as well due to their shared type combination. Incidentally, if the zone is in fact based on the real life arctic tundra found in the UK, then it possibly follows that Calyrex is responsible for preserving it. In various translations, its names appears to be a combination of words that refer to plants as well as kings which justifies it being the ruler of the area. Calyrex has features that match furry mammals, the closest being the mountain hare which is native to the real national park that the area might be based on. According to the official website, it is classified as the King Pokemon and will have the ability, Unnerve.

New Co-op mode

Probably an extension of the Max Raid battles, the Crown Tundra will also feature a new co-op mode. It was confirmed that trainers will join together to take on dynamaxed legendary Pokemon. However, we still need to wait for further details as to whether these encounters will be exactly the same or very different from the ones we’ve seen so far. The roster of legendary Pokemon covers pretty much the same range that appeared in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.

Possible new forms

Speaking of legendary Pokemon, the Crown Tundra also featured never-before-seen legendary Pokemon. The appearance suggests that these might be old legendary Pokemon that take on new forms. Possibly as a result of their exposure to the region’s harsh conditions.

Possibly new legendary titans

Concept art included some species that resemble the Legendary titans. The first of the pair having a body made out of possibly electricity or plasma, while the latter having arms that resemble Hammerlocke’s entrance.

Possibly new forms for the Kanto legendary trio

The next group of legendary Pokemon included designs very reminiscent of the Kanto region’s legendary birds. Among these include Moltres, which sported a dark body, Articuno, who took an elegant yet mysterious look, and a grounded Zapdos. Interesting to note is that these Pokemon are collectively darker in color than their original forms.

As mentioned above, we are so far grasping at straws here. Between the two groups, the pair of titans might be new species in contrast to the legendary birds’ possible regional forms. Since the trailer showed a pair instead of a trio or a quartet, we speculate that these might not be forms.

Historical places

Apart from the hinted new species, new sites within the Crown Tundra were also teased. Among these include some sort of ruined temple, and a giant tree covered with red leaves and fruits. Looking closely, the temple bears some strange marks which might be akin to the the dots that cover the Legendary titans or popularly known as the “Regi trio.” As for the tree, we can only speculate as well. Based on the video, there was a quick shot of the trio surrounding the tree which may suggest that it is possibly inhabited by these legendary Pokemon.

The Crown Tundra is scheduled to be released this coming fall as part of the Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield Expansion Pass for the Nintendo Switch.

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