Pokemon Sword & Shield cosplayer swims across Galar as Gym Leader Nessa

A Pokemon cosplayer brought Sword & Shield’s Gym Leader Nessa to life by faithfully re-creating the character’s ocean-inspired look. 

Pokemon players were whisked away to the Galar region for the series’ eighth generation release Sword & Shield. The Nintendo Switch title made its debut in November 2019.

One of the new characters introduced in the RPG is Water-type Gym Leader Nessa. A talented cosplayer celebrated the heroine by bringing her league uniform to life. 

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The Water-type Trainer is one of the new Gym Leaders in Pokemon Sword & Shield.

Pokemon cosplayer becomes real life Nessa

In Sword & Shield, players face off against Gym Leader Nessa on their quest to become champion. The fierce swimmer reigns over the stadium at Hulbury – a small seaside town on the east side of Galar. 

Cosplayer Hannah ‘kxeru’ shared her true-to-life take on the character on Instagram. The artist re-created a scene from episode four of the Pokemon Twilight Wings anime which gave a deeper look at the Trainer’s origins. 

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The artist posed on a yellow bench, and showed off her faithful portrayal of Nessa’s Gym outfit. Her costume is packed full of details, such as her pump sandals which have rings on each side meant to represent lifebuoys. 

Her depiction mirrored the Water-type fighter’s Galar League jersey, including the water drop logo on her chest, and her red and white Dynamax band. Kxeru also created the character’s seashell jewelry which wraps around her stomach in the RPG. 

Incredibly, the artist was able to effortlessly bring Nessa’s dark and light blue streaked hairstyle to life as well. In the RPG, she braids her hair and has an orange tie on the bangs which frame her face. 

Sword & Shield has been a major hit for Game Freak. Despite being out for less than a year, the Gen 8 RPG has already become the third-highest selling title in the entire franchise.

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The game’s success is proof that players around the world still can’t get enough of Pokemon’s addicting Gotta Catch ‘Em All gameplay.