Pokemon Journeys anime to go deeper into Sword & Shield lore in new arc

The Pokemon Journeys anime is set to feature a special Sword & Shield arc in October. The episodes will take a deeper look into the game’s lore, and focus on its Legendary monsters Zacian and Zamazenta. 

The Pokemon series was brought into its eighth generation with the release of Sword & Shield in 2019. The latest title in the long-running franchise introduced players to the Galar region for the very first time. 

As is customary with every game, an animated series featuring Ash Ketchum ran alongside the release. While the Journeys anime has already featured the Gen VIII map briefly, this Fall, the RPG will get a special run of episodes focused on its lore.

Pokemon anime to feature special Sword & Shield arc

Journeys made its debut in November 2019, and centers on Ash Ketchum and his new friend Goh traveling to all eight regions. The series briefly had the duo stop off at Galar, and even featured champion Leon and several epic Dynamax battles.

In October, the anime will be getting  a special arc that will be entirely focused on the Gen VIII RPG. The Sword & Shield chapter will feature the game’s beloved Legendaries Zacian and Zamazenta.

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Popular Pokemon outlet Serebii posted the reveal on Twitter, and included four photos from the upcoming episode. “A small arc of the anime set in Galar named “Sword & Shield Edition” will run for 4 weeks from October 23rd in Japan,” the tweet explained. 

According to the publication, the story will include Ash and Goh “meeting Zacian and Zamazenta in Slumbering Weald.” As is if that wasn’t exciting enough, there will also be a plot involving Chairman Rose & Oleana.

It’s not entirely clear at the time of writing how much of the episode will include new plot or lore. Although Ash & Goh’s inclusion is certainly new. It will be interesting to see what else the anime can include about the Gen VIII region. 

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This isn’t the first time that Galar has been explored in an animated series. To celebrate the RPG, The Pokemon Company released a limited series on YouTube called Twilight Wings, which focused on the game’s Gym Leaders and lore.