Pokemon Sword and Shield has a new event running for the New Year. Similar to how the game recently added, a massive increase in Delibird Max Raids is now giving out a new Pokemon. Players will find that for the next few days, the game is increasing the spawn rates for the seemingly useless Pokemon: Magikarp.
This raid is special as it gives ambitious trainers a greater chance of encountering a Shiny Magikarp in Max Raids. Shiny Magikarp means Shiny Gyarados for your collection. This special coloration makes your Pokemon stand out and proves that you have what it takes to be a true Pokemon Trainer.
Magikarp is notoriously useless in the Pokemon world, but their evolution makes training the fish worth the work. Gyarados can be a powerful addition to any team contributing to both the dragon and water types. With a decent defense and a strong attack, this Pokemon can round out teams and make it a more competitive team overall.
There are other reasons to take on the Magikarp Raids. The increase in spawn means that you can receive a ton of nuggets when you defeat or capture this Pokemon. Nuggets are sold for high prices at Poke Marts, adding some extra in-game money to your character. This could be a good way to collect missing outfits or extra items that you need.
The New Year Max Raid event is only running for a couple of days. Players have between December 31 to January 3 to participate, so make sure to load up your game and gather these fish.
Other things that every trainer should be aware of are the 20 free Battle Points available for a limited time. Load up Mystery Gift to claim your free Battle Points. Players can also claim a set of free Poke Balls via codes found on the official Pokemon website. These codes are only available until January 15.
If you have not claimed it, the free Gigantamax Meowth is also expiring on January 15. Do not forget that if you have a copy of Pokemon Lets Go: Eevee or Pokemon Lets Go: Pikachu, you can get special Gigantamx versions of each Pokemon from a set of kids in Pokemon Sword and Shield.
Pokemon Sword and Shield is available for Nintendo Switch and is a great addition to the franchise. Although it has been through tons of criticism, the game still stands as one of the best Pokemon titles on the Nintendo Switch and a good look at what to expect from Gamefreak in the near future.
