The Poké Ball Plus accessory for Nintendo Switch might be given a new lease of life later this year, as appearances on both retail and distributor websites suggest that it could possibly be compatible with the upcoming Pokémon Sword and Shield releases.

Having initially launched alongside the Pokémon: Let’s Go games in November 2018, the Poké Ball Plus is already known to work with both Pokémon GO and the Switch’s Let’s Go Pikachu / Eevee titles. However, if recent retail materials are anything to go by, then support for this tech-packed Poké-gadget might not be over just yet.

Having already potentially leaked Joker’s artwork for Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Best Buy have continued to keep the rumour wheel turning with another somewhat suggestive ad. Included in their advertisement promoting pre-orders of Pokémon Sword and Shield, is a product shot of the Poké Ball Plus alongside temporary box-art of the upcoming titles. While the ad is listed near a separate Let’s Go Pikachu / Eevee Steelbook promo on the Weekly Ad page, it also appears independently throughout the website on mobile devices.

Over in Europe, French distributor “WT&T” has also decided to pair the Poké Ball Plus accessory with Pokémon Sword and Shield. However, rather than appearing in an advertisement together, they’ve listed Sword and Shield bundles that include the Poké Ball Plus. Titled in French, the distributor listings “Pokémon Bouclier + PokeBall” and “Pokémon Epee + PokeBall” appear alongside standard editions of the games.

Currently, the Sword and Shield Poké Ball bundles listed by WT&T use some of the Let’s Go bundle information as placeholders. Considering the EAN number hasn’t been copied over and the Let’s Go bundles were removed shortly afterwards, it seems unlikely that the listings were made in error.

Separately, the Poké Ball Plus appearances alongside Sword and Shield could easily be written down to error. However, considering Best Buy seems to be listing ads prematurely and that similar appearances occurred in both Europe and America, the possibility of Poké Ball Plus support in Sword and Shield is starting to look quite likely. After all, simply allowing users to take their Galar Pokémon for a stroll would not only reward previous customers but also provide a second sales opportunity for an otherwise limited-use gadget.

While Poké Ball Plus support in Pokémon Sword and Shield may seem likely (or unlikely depending on your stance), nothing should ever be taken as fact until Nintendo or the Pokémon Company officially announces it themselves. Until then, if you own a Poké Ball Plus, you’ll just have to keep your fingers crossed.

Pokémon Sword and Shield are scheduled to launch exclusively on Nintendo Switch at some point “late” in 2019. Both titles are available to pre-order on Amazon and come with a $10 credit promo for Prime members in the US.