Pokemon Sword and Shield Toxtricity Distribution Event Dates Revealed

Nintendo knows the power of its brands, and with so many iconic franchises and characters, partnerships with retailers form easily. Kirby teamed with Japanese burger chain MOS Burger, providing some clever packaging very fitting of the Kirby franchise's aesthetic. Some collaborations are more straightforward, like a new promotion for Pokemon Sword and Shield at GameStop where fans will be able to pick up a shiny Pokemon.

Pokemon Sword and Shield have performed well since releasing in 2019. Prior to this entry on Switch, mainline Pokemon games were limited to portable hardware that couldn't quite stack up to console capabilities. Sword and Shield take more advantage of the Switch hardware, giving fans a huge world and a Pokedex stuffed with cute critters to train. The game has been a big seller, and as such, tie-ins for the game are still a big deal.

The latest promotion, set to begin on February 19, involves a shiny Toxtricity and coincides with the release of the new Pokemon Trading Card Game set, Shining Fates. At GameStop locations in the United States (and EB Games in Canada), fans will receive a serial code to download Toxtricity into their game. At this time it is unclear if the purchase of something TGC-related will be necessary, or if fans will have to actually visit a store to receive the serial code. The company would likely fans stopping by after the tumultuous week on the stock market for GameStop.

Toxtricity is an Electric/Poison-type Pokemon that is a new addition to the Pokedex, with Sword and Shield being the first games it appears in. Toxtricity evolves from Toxel, a Pokemon that players can make mistakes raising, so if players tried to raise one and the result wasn't what they hoped, this shiny GameStop Toxtricity might be the answer to their woes.

As a newer Pokemon that is getting a push via this promotion, fans who have been sleeping on the unique typing might be surprised to see that Toxtricity is a powerful Poison-type Pokemon. While its Gigantamax form focuses on the electric side of Toxtricity, and can do big damage with abilities like Punk Rock, being able to toss in a few poison abilities alongside the Pokemon's more shocking traits is a dangerous mix.

While this promotion might not be as appealing as some of the Legendary Pokemon giveaways of the past, it is a chance to score a free shiny that could fill a gap in a player's roster.

Pokemon are no laughing matter. Just as some monsters are rare and sought after in the in-game and anime Pokemon universes, others are coveted and desired here in the real-world. From Pokemon with special abilities, moves, forms, or competitive stats, players everywhere will spend the time and/or money necessary to make sure they get a leg up on their competition or in their personal collection.

For years, Game Freak and The Pokemon Company have had to bring down the ban-hammer on players using modified or hacked Pokemon in both online and in-person tournaments. In fact, The Pokemon Company just recently came out with a statement cautioning players in possession of "altered" Pokemon, and now, it seems that one man in Japan is already facing a harsh penalty for selling some hacked monsters in Pokemon Sword and Shield.