As with every new generation of Pokemon games, Pokemon Sword and Shield introduced a variety of brand new monsters discovered in the Galar region for players to capture and train. And although Generation 7 skipped out on introducing new fossil Pokemon for whatever reason, Generation 8 both introduced new fossil Pokemon as well as gave fans an interesting twist on the concept, allowing players to mix and match fossils to create 4 different Pokemon: Dracozolt, Arctozolt, Dracovish, and Arctovish.
Another surprise Pokemon threw at fans this year was a new take on the anime, with Pokemon Journeys having Ash and his friends travel to different regions from episode to episode, as opposed to spending an entire season in the newest region. This has allowed Ash to build up quite an interesting team of Pokemon so far, and now with the series' 50th episode recently airing in Japan, the anime has given Ash his 5th new addition, the Galar fossil Pokemon Dracovish.
In the recent Pokemon Journeys episode "Galar Fossils! Stick 'Em Together!," Ash and co. visit the Galar region once again, where they encounter two researchers, including Cara Liss, who appears as a clumsy scientist in Pokemon Sword and Shield. Chaos ensues when the group begins to combine fossils, and while Ash's travel companion Goh catches a Boldore, the pair are gifted their own fossil Pokemon, with Goh receiving an Arctozolt and Ash notably receiving a Dracovish.
While Ash was expected to obtain at least one more Pokemon in Pokemon Journeys to gain a complete team, Dracovish is a notable addition for several reasons. Dracovish marks the first fossil Pokemon Ash has ever officially obtained, and the new monster is also Ash's first Pokemon originally discovered in the Galar region, not counting his Galarian Farfetch'd. On Twitter, user ThePokeRaf noted that Ash receiving Dracovish has marked the longest gap between the start of a new series of the Pokemon anime and Ash obtaining a Pokemon from the newest generation as well. Additionally, it just so happens that Dracovish is one of the strongest and most popular Pokemon in competitive Sword and Shield play.
The Water and Dragon-type Pokemon has a lot going for it, only being weak to Dragon and Fairy-type attacks while resisting many others. Dracovish is even more popular than some pseudo-legendary Pokemon, like Hydreigon. Additionally, Dracovish's Strong Jaw ability powers up biting attacks like Crunch, as well as its signature move, Fishous Rend, which also doubles in power if Dracovish moves before the opponent.
It will be interesting to see how Ash's Dracovish develops over time and if Ash gains any more additions to his party after the new fossil Pokemon. Although the most recent episodes of Pokemon Journeys have only aired in Japan for now, fans can expect them to arrive on Netflix later this year.