To celebrate Pokemon Day on February 27,Pokemon SwordandShieldunveiled itsnew Mythical Pokemon Zarude. Little information has been revealed about Zarude, with theSwordandShieldwebsite only talking about the “Rogue Monkey Pokemon” being a Dark and Grass-type ruffian that travels in packs and grows vines with medicinal properties from its neck, wrists, and feet.
That website also confirms that Zarude “can’t be found through normal gameplay” inPokemon SwordandShield, and this is likely because it will be distributed in conjunction withPokemon the Movie: Coco, coming to theaters in Japan on July 30, 2025. With that distinction, Zarude joins a long-running tradition of Legendary and Mythical Pokemon being the headlining names in anime movies that are released throughout the lifespan of a “Generation.”
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That tradition goes back to the firstPokemonmovie from 1998 featuring Mew and Mewtwo, which was remade in CGI asPokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolutionand released on Netflixfor Pokemon Day 2020. A bevy of films have followed in its footsteps and often use ridiculous names with the title Pokemon: 2004’sDestiny Deoxys, 2009’sArceus and the Jewel of Life, and 2014’sDiancie and the Cocoon of Destructionamong them.
However, in the video games, some Mythical Pokemon have been treated more kindly than others. In their heyday around gen 3 and gen 4, in-game areas were often dedicated to them. Recently, the majority have only been made available through digital distribution and download codes, including a re-run of all the ones released throughBlackandWhitetocelebrate thePokemonseries' 20th anniversary. It’s time forPokemonto return to more imaginative special event distribution, and Zarude could be a good place to start with the series' now 24-year history offering a few ways to approach the task.
SPECIAL IN-GAME AREAS
Generation 4 was the poster child for accessing Mythical Pokemon in special locales using event items.Celebi in Generation 2and Deoxys in Generation 3 started the trend, butDiamond,Pearl, andPlatinumare chock full of examples: Darkrai on Newmoon Island using a Member Card, Shaymin in the Flower Paradise using Oak’s Letter, and Arceus in the Hall of Origin using the unreleased Azure Flute.
Generation 5 continued the trend through Victini, whose event-only Liberty Pass was distributed via a Wi-Fi code provided in a pamphlet that came withBlackandWhite’s boxes. But by the time Meloetta and Genesect came along, digital distribution was the name of the game.
This method of finding rare Pokemon was exciting, as the games had areas teasing story events which could not be activated upon first viewing. Once they were, fans were given a glimpse into how the Mythical Pokemon impact their surroundings, with Shaymin’s quest in particular giving Kanto’s Professor Oak interactions with Sinnoh characters well before he wasadded to DeNA’sPokemon Masters.
However, there’s an obvious reason why it has not returned in the 3D-era. Anyone withcheating devices like a GameSharkcould circumvent “official channels” by walking across the ocean and finding Mythical Pokemon regardless of whether they obtained an event item. Using digital distribution keeps access to these rare monsters entirely in Game Freak’s control.
SPIN-OFF GAMES
Another Mythical Pokemon from Sinnoh with an interesting backstory was Manaphy. The so-called Prince of the Sea was actually obtainable as an egg through a special mission inPokemon Ranger, a spin-off title that came out months beforeDiamondandPearl. As a result, Manaphy embodies the kind of parasocial relationship thatPokemonprides itself on: The player rescued their partner in its most vulnerable state, and then brought it with them to use in battle or contests. Add in Manaphy’s status as the only Mythical Pokemon capable of breeding and there’s plenty of significance to speak of.
Jirachi from Generation 3was also obtainable through an American “Bonus Disc” for the GameCube titlePokemon Colosseum. But no story or special event was included with this distribution; just a preview of its movieJirachi — Wish Maker.
Spin-off games are still used for Mythical Pokemon today. Meltan and Melmetal werefirst released through Niantic’s AR mobile gamePokemon GOand are able to be used inSwordandShieldthanks to the cloud-based servicePokemon Home.
POST-GAME EPISODES
A more modern form of special events that could fit Zarude well are the post-game “episodes” seen in nearly all the 3DPokemongames. The tradition started with the Looker Bureau quests inXandY, but gained more prominence and a now-recurring title throughOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphire’s “Delta Episode.”
To be brief, the Delta Episode climaxes with players riding Rayquaza into space to destroy a cataclysmic meteor headed for Earth. That destruction releases Deoxys and allows players to battle the alien virus in an amazingly over-the-top way compared to its original unlock method: Finding a boat ticket.
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The Delta Episode is easily the most memorable 3D post-game next toUltra SunandUltra Moon’s “Episode RR,“in which players could battle all the previous evil team leaders. However that had nothing to do with Mythical Pokemon, so it’s a story for another time.
XandYcould have benefitted from a more fleshed out post-game episode, particularly for theFire and Water-type Mythical Pokemon Volcanionthat seemed tailor-made for the power plants in Kalos' Lumiose Badlands. With an Expansion Pass coming forSwordandShield, there’s still an opportunity to add something for Zarude.
BETTER UTILIZED DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION
Digital distribution, in this case downloading a Pokemon via the Internet rather than an item as discussed, and using codes received from retailers often lead to boring Mythical Pokemon releases. Lazy inclusions like theAlola Region’s Marshadowor the aforementioned Volcanion simply appear to be Pokedex filler with no fanfare, but Game Freak has approached the right balance of making Pokemon easy to obtain and giving them special in-game events in the past. One of the best examples is Hoopa who, strangely enough, was available to download using McDonald’s Wi-Fi in 2015.
By taking Hoopa to any PokeMart inOmega RubyandAlpha Sapphire, players could activate a conversation with an employee who received a Prison Bottle from a strange old man — the same item required to unlock Hoopa’s “Unbound” form. This bit of dialogue was not much, but it added some neat in-universe lore, and gave players clues as to why Hoopa’s rings could be found containing Legendary Pokemon when using the game’s unique “Soaring in the Sky” feature.
WHY IT MATTERS
Pokemonis ultimately a series about partnering with creatures that become friends throughout the course of an adventure in a fantastical world. Looking at theTop 10 Pokemon of the Yearlist released by Google last month shows a group that includes starter Pokemon and other powerful, reliable battlers — many of whom belong to important characters in the series.
Mythical Pokemon are no different, and the ones who stand out have stories to back them up: Battling Deoxys in space during the Delta Episode, saving Manaphy’s egg inPokemon Ranger, and finding Shaymin in an area that was always there but couldn’t be reached. Zarude, and all Mythical Pokemon that follow in its footsteps, need to return to this formula perfected in Generation 4. Otherwise, they will fall into the obscurity of lackluster digital distributions with the likes of Volcanion and Marshadow.
Pokemon SwordandShieldare out now, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
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