One ofPokemon SwordandShield’s biggest selling points was the addition of Dynamaxing to the creature-collecting RPG series, through whichPokemoncould grow immense and battle with powerful attacks. Some monsters received unique Gigantamax forms that changed their appearance, one of whom being the schoolyard favorite Charizard that will be debuting in thePokemonanime soon based on images from an upcoming episode.
The recent season of the anime has abandoned a tried-and-true approach of focusing on the newest region to instead follow Ash and new deuteragonist Go as they bounce between familiar locations from the games, get into crazy hijinks, andcapture well-loved Pokemon like Dragonite. At one point the duo even encountered a Gigantamax Snorlax.
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The image that has been circulating Twitter suggests the upcoming twelfth episode of the season airing in Japan will see Ash and Go travel to Rose Stadium in Wyndon to watch a battle between Galar’s Pokemon League Champion Leon and Kanto’s Champion Lance. Leon’s Gigantamax-capable Charizard will be pitted against Lance’s shiny Gyarados; a clear reference to the famous Lake of Rage event inPokemon GoldandSilverwhich happens to tie in withRed Gyarados appearing inPokemon GOfor the Lunar New Year.
Pokemonhas been hotly discussed since the announcement ofan Expansion Pass coming toSwordandShieldthis year, and the Regional Champions tend to be fan-favorite characters in the series. It makes sense for the anime to bring in Gigantamax Charizard through an epic battle between two titanic figures.
Hype for long-time players was built up similarly in the mobile gamePokemon Masters. Earlier this month,Lance and Sinnoh’s Champion Cynthia were introducedas recruitable Sync Pairs under the pretense of seeing who would be the strongest Dragon-type trainer.
The popularity ofPokemonas a franchise is hard to understate, and a Nintendo Switch loaded up with one of the newest titles was evenspotted on-stage at the 2020 Grammy Awards. Its anime adaptation has been around nearly as long as the games themselves, though at this point time will tell whether the first appearance of Gigantimax Charizard in that show will contribute some iconic imagery deserving of the monster’s acclaim.
Pokemonis currently airing on Disney XD.
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