Pokemon Sword & Shield: What Are Those Mysterious Symbols?

The eighth generation of Pokemon games, Pokemon Sword and Shield, have finally been revealed. The trailer, which you can watch below, shows off the new starter Pokemon, a new region, and how Pokemon will look on Nintendo Switch. But it also has a few shots that raise more questions than they answer.

At three points in the trailer, you can see stones with symbols carved into them. These symbols are different from previous Pokemon puzzles, like Gen 2's Unown and Gen 3's braille, and they could just be decoration--the new region, Galar, might be inspired by England, and these could be Stonehenge-esque stones. But they're featured prominently in their respective shots, so it's hard not to wonder.

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Also shown in the trailer is a large carving in a hillside of what might be a Pokemon. Aside from another indication that this might be an England-inspired region, it could represent a legendary Pokemon; it appears to be both breathing fire (or smoke) and shooting out lightning bolts, and there are small figures at its feet that seem to be having a bad time.

In more regular news, the trailer revealed the new Gen 8 starter Pokemon, and Sword and Shield have been confirmed for a late 2019 release.