Well, for those who had read my event rollup for last month, the inevitable has come to fruition: Gigantamax Pokémon are now also in Pokémon Go, starting last week with the evolved Kanto starters and continuing this week with Gengar. Therefore, as with Dynamax earlier, I have the need to make a writeup on it, being that I possess the associated Pokémon and have observed the process that one goes through to get them. And as indicated by the title of this post, that has a "harrowing" (that is, distressing) quality about it.
As with Dynamax-capable Pokémon, Gigantamax-capable Pokémon are marked with the "X arch" logo, which is solid for Gigantamax compared to hollow for Dynamax. They have the same three extra moves of Max Attack (different for each Pokémon - perhaps something to explore), Max Guard, and Max Spirit that likewise need to be unlocked and/or powered up. Conceivably, with Dynamax already being "given" to start out with, these Pokémon are to be obtained after the completion of a Max Battle and likely nowhere else. The question for older Pokémon, also as with Dynamax, is open... or perhaps barely as such. Additionally, they are locked to this form (meaning that Gigantamax Pokémon aren't also Dynamax-capable) and cannot be sent to Pokémon Home, perhaps more a blessing than a curse.
The Max Battles are the same as for the Dynamax-capable Pokémon, but with major differences: they are six stars in level, indicating their exceptional difficulty, but in dealing with this, they can be battled by up to 40 Trainers in parties of 4 each, with all parties contributing damage. The difficulty seems to lie in the strategic use of Max Moves and the importance of parties... which was not quite apparent for Dynamax Pokémon of one and three stars. Regardless, given the "giga" aspect and how long Dynamax has been around, one should also come with their best Pokémon, powered up as high as necessary - for if all the Pokémon faint, one can only Cheer (there is an actual function for this), meaning that one can't rejoin as with raids. Both Dynamax and (previously caught) Gigantamax Pokémon are fair game for these Max Battles, the latter being especially helpful.
So, what makes them "harrowing" is the initial experience of the Max Battles. There had been reports of losing battles even with 40 people, but it turned out that many of them didn't have suitable Pokémon (of a high enough level, no less). Even with suitable Pokémon, some battles were still lost... until some people finally figured out the "trick" (strategy) for using the defensive Max Moves and could turn things around even with just around 20 people. Still, for some, losing a battle with this many people - something that hasn't happened in a long time - is pretty harrowing, and in my case, it has deepened a current "rift" with some people I've gotten along better in the past - which is harrowing enough.
In any case, Niantic has recognized that the Max Battles with these Pokémon may in fact be a bit too hard, and has knocked down ("nerfed") some battle parameters and increased rewards for participating in them. These changes, however, could be seen to come as "too little, too late", especially for those who have advocated non-participation in the battles (at least until many have a fair shot, including being able to make them work with fewer people). It's just another one in a long run of "harrowing" experiences, and it may take more time to alleviate all the issues and complaints.
Now that Gigantamax has made it into Pokémon Go, the "gargantuan phenomenon" of the Galar region has both parts represented in the game. However, it seems that for this part, with great power comes great responsibility grief in at least one way, according to some specific observations. Even so, past that grief, there is something to be had, and once that happens in the best way, there may just be less grief for more "big" things.
One year ago: Cosplay: District 18 Halloween & Cosplay Party
Two years ago: Shiny Pokémon in Café Remix
Three years ago: My Current Unite License Targets
Four years ago: The Halloween Cup of GBL
Five years ago: Later, Psyduck
Six years ago: Hardcore (Dis)United
Seven years ago: Duff Knows Pokémon
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