Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield, the latest games developed by Game Freak for Nintendo's veteran series, has had a bumpy run up to launch. After spending months surrounded by development controversies, accusations of corner-cutting and, from some corners of the fanbase, outright hostility, Pokemon Sword and Shield have at least received a warm critical reception so far, though it'll be a while before we know if they've done enough to soothe its fanbase.
One of the new features of these latest games in the long-running and extremely popular Pokemon series is the introduction of Dynamaxing Pokemon, which is the process of using an item to grow a Pokemon to giant size for a few turns, dramatically increasing its skills and capabilities. A handful of special Pokemon react differently to the Dynamax Band, however, and instead go Gigantamax, not only increasing in size and ability but also taking on a different form and a special power. While some of these Gigantamax Pokemon will be available to catch in game, a few, including Pikachu and Eevee, are only accessible through special events. Here's how to get them.
Gigantamax Pikachu
As the cover-Pokemon of Pokemon Yellow, as well as the main Pokemon featured in the animated show, Pikachu has long been a poster-boy of the series. As such, there were no doubts about it surviving the ruthless cut-backs of #Dexit, and sure enough it can be found in the new titles either in the wild or in Gigantamax form through a special promotion.
In order to acquire a Pikachu capable of taking on Gigantamax form, players will also need to have played Game Freak's 2018 Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu! Any player who has save data from that game on their Switch while playing either Pokemon Sword or Pokemon Shield will be able to claim Gigantamax Pikachu from the NPC standing outside the Wild Area Station.
Gigantamax Eevee
While not in the same league as Pikachu, Eevee is another highly popular Pokemon with its own game title. In some ways, Eevee seems a strange choice for one of the few Gigantamax Pokemon, as it can never evolve, and Eevee's many and varied evolutions are often one of the primary reasons for catching one.
Just like with Gigantamax Pikachu, in order to obtain a Gigantamax Eevee, players will need to have played Pokemon: Let's Go Eevee! and have the save data on their Switch when visiting the NPC at the Wild Area Station. It's worth noting that it is possible to get both of these Gigantamax Pokemon with save data from both games, though this seems like it would be a fairly rare occurrence.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are out now, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.