History TearJerker / PokemonSwordAndShield

** Basically ''any'' time you face off against and defeat Hop is this. It isn't new for rivals in Pokémon games to take losing badly, but no other rival prior to this installment goes quite as far in hammering in just [[PlayerPunch how badly their constant and inevitable defeats at your hand]] are affecting their self-esteem. It can only be matched by the mental breakdown you'd later give to [[VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndVIolet Kieran]].

** Basically ''any'' time you face off against and defeat Hop is this. It isn't new for rivals in Pokémon games to take losing badly, but no other rival goes quite as far in hammering in just [[PlayerPunch how badly their constant and inevitable defeats at your hand]] are affecting their self-esteem.

* The very existence of the four Fossil Pokémon is both this and NightmareFuel. The -zolts have the front half of a small yellow dinosaur on disproportionately huge lower bodies, while the -vish have the head of a fish on the bodies of land creatures. What makes these particularly awful is the fact that they're ''fossils spliced together from two separate extinct Pokémon,'' and now in their unnatural state they're basically suffering ''from just existing''. Arctozolt shivers constantly as it's not used to the cold of its lower half. Dracozolt can barely walk due to how twisted its proportions are. Arctovish struggles to eat since its ''head is upside down'' and Dracovish has difficulty breathing out of water. It's both heartbreaking and horrifying to think that these poor Pokémon would be brought into existence in such a miserable state, and to make it worse, it makes the player Trainer seem almost a sadist to ''intentionally'' allow such Pokémon to be created.

*** In a scenario that Dracovish fights an Ice type with Never Melt Ice and Freeze Dry, the Ice type is [[MercyKill doing it a favour]] if it OHKOs.

*** What's even more sad about switching out his original partner? [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0cXpOnfX6I He wanted for both of them to go to the Pokémon League together.]] It ended up being a promise he couldn't keep.

** Notice how Unovan Yamask have a one-dotted SingleTear on their eyes? [[TearsOfFear Galarian Yamask's tears a double-dotted]].

* Like Alder before him, Mustard lost his first Pokemon which effected him to the point he frequently lost battles afterwards, losing his title as Champion to boot, this is thankfully something the player never gets to experience in game, but it really hits home on the reminder that for the majority of them, Pokemon are also not immortal and are subject to death, it leaves an empty feeling of the idea of the player someday losing their own starter Pokemon: especially if they kept it since the begining.

*** Compounding that is that Oleana had the same background as Bede. Meaning that she probably sees Rose in the same light Bede does—and thus is very aware that ''he''seeks to be Rose’s favorite. This isn’t just using him and throwing him away—''[[GreenEyedMonster she’s actively ridding herself of the competition!]]''

*** Compounding that is that Oleana had the same background as Bede. Meaning that she probably sees Rose in the same light Bede does—and thus is very aware that ‘‘he’’ seeks to be Rose’s favorite. This isn’t just using him and throwing him away—‘’[[GreenEyedMonster she’s actively ridding herself of the competition!]]’’

** In regards to Hop's switching out his team members, the most notable thing when you battle him for a fifth time is the complete absence of Wooloo - Hop's first Pokémon he's had long before the start of the game and been using alongside his starter since the first battle against him, something practically unheard of among the rivals in Pokémon games, the Pokémon he leads with in every fight, and the Pokémon mentioned even in his League Card. You ''know'' the loss to Bede hit him hard when he even traded out his original partner.
** Even before his [[BreakTheHaughty battle with Bede]], if you look inside Hop's house, it's ''filled'' with Leon's trophies and accomplishments, to the point where even in the living room there's a photo of Leon framed next to ''his jersey'' over the fireplace rather than anything of Hop. The whole thing really gives the impression of some ''serious'' ParentalFavoritism, and even before he starts actively doubting himself more it's clear Hop's connection to the "undefeated Champion" comes with its fair share of burdens.

** There's also Rose's frowning and his pre-battle animation of looking down at his Ultra Ball during the player's confrontation with him near the end of the game - while the way he's written can be rather confusing, it's painfully clear from how he's animated that Rose doesn't enjoy the extremes he feels he has to go to for the sake of his region's prosperity. After all he's done for Galar and how genuinely he was motivated by his care for it, it can hurt a little seeing him destroy his entire reputation within one night from his desperation to keep it alive.

* Bede, while a considerable JerkAss and probably the smuggest rival since Blue, ends up becoming pretty sympathetic when you read his League Card. Orphaned at a young age, he [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer didn't get along with any of the other children]] and in general doesn't seem to have had anything to really live for until Chairman Rose gave him a Pokémon and gave him a sponsorship. While he might be a JerkAss, knowing [[WellDoneSonGuy his dedication to the Chairman and his smug attitude over being "chosen" is likely because it's the only thing he's ever had to aspire to]] - especially when all this is for a man who doesn't even remember his ''name'' at first - is incredibly depressing.

* Just after you beat the Motostoke gym and are about to head to Hammerlocke, Bede and Hop get into a battle off-screen. When you meet Hop again, it turns out that Bede said something to Hop that made him feel like he's just dragging down his older brother Leon's name. After this, it takes several more battles with Hop to restore his self-esteem.
** Hop does mention what Bede told him the next time you meet him: that he was dragging Leon's name through the mud by being such a bad trainer. His loss against Bede really put him in such a bad funk that he even ''swaps out his entire team save for his starter'' for his fight against the player on Route 7. Yes, you ''know'' this hit him hard when he even traded out his very first Pokémon, Wooloo.
** Basically ''any'' time you face off against, and beat, Hop, is partially this. He's one of the Rivals you feel really bad about beating.
** Speaking of beating Hop, his defeat animation after the Champion's Cup semifinals, and in the Slumbering Weald before Sordward and Shielbert arrive, has him ''physically tremble'' before accepting his loss. You can tell he was absolutely trying his hardest not to break down at the prospect of not being the one to face off against Leon and become the champion. The Slumbering Weald part isn't made much better due to him immediately losing ''again'' to Sordward/Shielbert. Poor kid can't catch a break...
* Team Yell had disrupted the Gym Challenge for a pretty good reason. They want everyone to be aware that there is a Dark-type Gym in Spikemuth.
* Since Bede has no family, you may feel bad for him. It says something when grumpy old Opal taking him as a successor is an ''improvement''.

* Chairman Rose looks utterly heartbroken to disqualify Bede from the gym challenge. [[DisappointedInYou It was justified]], but his facial expression makes it clear he doesn't want to. [[BreaktheHaughty Bede even begs him to reconsider]].

* Chairman Rose looks utterly heartbroken to [[spoiler: disqualify Bede from the gym challenge]]. [[DisappointedInYou It was justified]], but his facial expression makes it clear he doesn't want to. [[BreaktheHaughty Bede even begs him to reconsider]].

** What's worse, similar to Corsola, the competitive battling scene is taking an interest in the Drake based mons, namely Dracovish and its Strong Jaw + [[ManBitesMan Fishious Rend]] combo, which, under rain and with a Choice Band, can OHKO the aforementioned Corsola and hits like a nuke on everything else. So people will keep spawning these abominations just because they're abnormally strong.

** The Pokédex that claims that the climate change that affected these Corsola happened in ancient times is the same Pokédex that claims that the amalgamations that are this region's fossil Pokémon actually lived in prehistoric times. It's possible that, just as the latter dex entries could have been made up to cover Cara Liss's rear regarding her creations, Galarian Corsola's Pokédex entry could have been similarly fabricated to cover the fact that modern pollution is the real cause.

** What's even more sad is that Galarian Corsola is getting a lot of attention for its [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNu75o-ZBdc potential as a]] StoneWall: With the ability "Cursed Body", an Eviolite, and an ideal moveset, it can stall out and grind down other Pokémon with Whirlpool and Will-o-Wisp. [[MadeOfIron It can even shrug off Dynamax attacks that would've severely damaged or KO'd a normal Pokémon.]] It only took Corsola becoming ''undead'' for people to start giving it the attention it desired.