Pokemon Sword and Shield Paints a Grim Picture of Global Warming

Pokemon Sword and Shield is using an existing Pokemon species to demonstrate the dangers of global [...]

Pokemon Sword and Shield is using an existing Pokemon species to demonstrate the dangers of global warming. The Pokemon franchise is not exactly a realistic world. Not only is it a place where intelligent animals have superpowers and yet are somehow okay with humans capturing them and using them for sport, it's also a world where pre-pubescent children are typically the front line against organized crime and terrorist syndicates. However, Pokemon Sword and Shield puts a spotlight on some very important real world issues, including a very grim look at global warming.

One of the new regional variants introduced in Pokemon Sword and Shield is a new form of Corsola. Corsola was originally a chipper Water/Rock-type Pokemon that served as the coral of the Pokemon world. However, Pokemon Sword and Shield's version of Corsola is a bit more depressing. The Galarian Corsola is a Ghost-type Pokemon and resembles bleached coral. In fact, the Pokedex entry for Galarian Corsola notes that the Pokemon was wiped out by sudden climate change, turning it into a ghost that sucks out the life force of those who touch it. Corsola eventually evolves into Cursola, a strange Pokemon whose body is made mostly of semi-transparent ectoplasm. Cursola also has the Perish Body Hidden Ability, which causes any Pokemon that hits Cursola with an attack that makes direct content to faint after three rounds unless it's switched out.

Here's what Corsola and Cursola look like in the new Pokemon games:

corsola
(Photo: The Pokemon Company)
cursola
(Photo: The Pokemon Company)

Bleached coral is a very real phenomenon caused by rising ocean temperatures. It's estimated that up to half of the Great Barrier Reef was killed by coral bleaching and that over 70% of the world's coral reefs have been damaged due to bleaching. While coral can recover from bleaching (which is caused when coral expels the algae living inside of it), coral bleaching often kills coral and can cause the collapse of entire coral reefs.

It's interesting to see that Pokemon Sword and Shield is trying to demonstrate the impact that global warming has on the world through the use of its Pokemon. Hopefully, seeing the creepy version of Corsola will inspire some people to look up the real threat of global warming and take some action.

Corsola is only available in Pokemon Shield and can be found in the Giant's Mirror area of the Wild Area.

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