Is Pokémon Sword and Shield’s Story Irresponsible?
Pokémon Sword and Shield’s suggestion that climate change can be ignored is a problem in a real world in which climate is a defining issue.
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WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the plot of Pokémon Sword and Shield.
Even before their release, Pokémon Sword and Shield were already generating online controversy. From “Dexit” to reused animations, the games were magnets for negative attention. Though some vocal fans were still disappointed by the games after their release, most critics agreed that Sword and Shield were enjoyable in the areas that mattered most. And certainly no one was expecting a Shakespearean level masterpiece from the story. However, given the themes of the region and the plot of the game, Pokémon Sword and Shield could send a troubling message to players.
Sword and Shield set up a world where ecological catastrophe and an energy crisis loom, with references throughout the game to real-world climate change. While exploring the Britain-inspired Galar region, players are introduced to the new Dynamax feature. By drawing upon the Power Spots, players can temporarily enlarge their Pokémon and enhance their moves. Galar relies on the Power Spots for energy, but as the player later learns, this is a finite resource. Worse, the mysterious Darkest Day, a storm that plagued the region 3,000 years ago, will return in another 1,000 years.
Just before they are set to compete in the Championship Match, the player overhears a conversation between Chairman Rose and Leon, the region’s Champion. Rose wants to deal with the potential energy crisis in the present and proposes delaying the tournament, while Leon argues that it can wait just one more day.
Leon’s position makes sense within the story. After all, the Darkest Day is a legend from the distant past and is predicted to return in the distant future. There is no need to panic the public over something so far away by cancelling such a huge public event. Unfortunately, given the world already set up by the game and the context of contemporary real life, it is hard to separate Leon’s stance from the attitudes of those who are unwilling to take decisive action on climate change.
Chairman Rose, on the other hand, is far from heroic. While he may have good intentions, his plan to awaken and capture the legendary Eternatus, said to be the source of the Power Spots, and bring about the Darkest Day in order to — somehow — ensure that Galar always has a power source, is confusing and absurd. The plan, of course, has predictably disastrous results. The Chairman’s experiments cause Pokémon to Dynamax out of nowhere in places where they should not be able to, causing chaos throughout the region. Once he awakens Eternatus, Rose is unable to control the beast.
Rose is the only character in the game who takes decisive action in the face of a looming threat. Even then, the game places the actual catastrophe in the far future. In the meantime, characters you are meant to side with say that the problem can wait, a message that seems irresponsible given our current climate crisis and the unwillingness of many in power to do anything about the imminent threat.
References to climate change and environmental degradation are everywhere in Sword and Shield. Most obvious is the introduction of a regional variant and evolution of Corsola. Introduced back in Generation II, Corsola has always been a cute, happy, pink coral reef-inspired Pokémon.
However, its Galarian Form is a pure Ghost type. The pink of its body has turned to white and gray, a reference to coral bleaching, which can occur when ocean temperatures change or as a result of pollution. While bleached coral are not necessarily dead, recovery requires that the water quickly return to normal. Galarian Corsola, after twenty years of being unable to evolve, now has a second form in Cursola, a larger creature comprised of ectoplasm in the shape of coral housing its soul. Its Shield Pokédex entry even makes explicit reference to “sudden climate change” as the cause of Corsola’s mutation.
Other Pokémon in Sword and Shield make clear the parallels between the real world and Galar. The Rolycoly line is based on coal, a reference to British history and the Industrial Revolution. According to the game’s website, “Every household once needed a Rolycoly” to use for power. This indicates that the Galar region went through industrialization in a similar way to the real world, and given how human activity has impacted our world and the effects seen in the game, it makes sense that coal pollution and the developments that followed would also impact the climate in the Pokémon world. By pulling so heavily from British history and culture along with references to the current state of the world, the Galar region establishes a fantasy world grounded in realism. This can make it hard to separate the threats facing the Pokémon world from those facing our own.
Pokémon games have never been known for having the best stories in all of gaming. While previous releases like Sun and Moon and Black and White received praise for their plots and character arcs, the franchise has always focused on gameplay mechanics over narrative depth. When it comes to quality of life improvements, Sword and Shield offer a wonderful experience for longtime fans and newcomers alike.
Game Freak certainly is not intentionally suggesting to players that climate change is a hoax that does not need to be dealt with. The introduction of Galarian Corsola and Cursola prove that they acknowledge the existence of man-made climate change. Unfortunately, in a world where climate is a defining issue, a game that even suggests that we do not need to take action right now is a dangerous statement to present to a young audience also watching the Greta Thunbergs of the world struggle against those who stand in their way.
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