Pokémon Sword and Shield’s second expansion, The Crown Tundra, introduces every legendary Pokémon that’s ever appeared in a mainline Pokemon title to the Switch game. Unlike in previous Pokémon games, where each legendary encounter can result in the Pokémon running away, Nintendo has confirmed that encounters with legendary Pokémon have a guaranteed 100% capture rate.
This information was confirmed in the most recent episode of the Japanese variety show, Pokénchi. Pokénchi also confirmed that players will only capture one of each legendary Pokémon. Some members of the community are disappointed by this news as they fear these legendary Pokémon will be shiny locked. This means these Pokémon cannot be shiny unless the developers decide to give them away at future events. Be sure to keep an eye out on any events after the expansion launches.
Depending on which copy of Pokémon Sword or Shield you own will determine which legendary Pokémon appear in your game. Unfortunately, this means if you want every Pokémon in your PokéDex, you may need to own both copies of the game.
There is the possibility that Game Freak will allow players to catch the version-exclusive legendaries through raids, though this hasn’t been confirmed as of yet. By guaranteeing players can capture the legendary Pokémon without fail, this opens up the possibility of using any Pokéball you want. Be sure to choose wisely, as you won’t have the option ever again.
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