Why The Pokémon Anime And I Are STILL Divorced (WARNING – ANGRY RANT AND SPOILERS AHEAD WITH NO PROOFREADING)

So, I was gonna say something about a lot of what I’m going to talk about here a while ago. However, because my proofreader, N. Harmonik, doesn’t like spoilers and refuses to watch subtitled episodes of shows that have an official English dub, I opted not to. But now, because of something else that’s come up that’s related to it, which I will also address, I’ve decided to just go ahead and get my thoughts out for everyone to hear, and just not have it be proofread. I suppose I could’ve found someone else to tag in for this one article, but I opted not to on the grounds that it might be kinda funny to just let this go through as is. So, enjoy reading my rant without a grammar and spelling filter, and feel free to point out all the ways I messed up later. ^_^

Anyway, you’ll recall that three years ago, almost to the DAY, I announced that I came to the realization that I hated the Pokémon anime and I was officially divorcing it. Now, here’s the thing: While I don’t actively watch it anymore, I AM aware of some of the stuff that happens on the show, and I DID watch a few of the new episodes, particularly the Kalos League Conference. In fact, I will go so far as to admit that I decided, if Ash had beaten Alain and won the Kalos League, regardless of what happened afterward, I would go back and rewatch everything I missed from when I stopped watching the show. I was very entertained by the Kalos League. And, as an aside, I really like the Japanese theme, XY&Z. I thought it was great… … …and then they fucked up. Which, let’s be honest, isn’t that just the story of this show for the past several years?

So, obviously, the big way they fucked up was that Ash lost in the finals. Now, my thinking of why Ash should’ve won was because, as far as I can tell, there are no more Gyms in Sun & Moon, so this was pretty much his last chance to win a League Conference. Also, this would be a great year to do it. It’s the 20th Anniversary of the original games, and the 19th Anniversary of the anime, meaning we could see a big change going into the 20th Anniversary of the show to shake things up. In addition, looking at what happened in hindsight, from a narrative perspective, it would make far more sense for Ash to win and then find himself facing off against Team Flare. But, to be frank, that’s not the reason a lot of people wanted to see him win. They wanted to see him win because they were tired of 19 years of Ash LOSING. And what happened? He lost again.

Now, with all of that said, when everyone else was reacting in sheer rage and anger, I have to admit to feeling a degree of desire to troll these people. Why? Because they were saying stuff like “The anime is officially dead” and “Gary was right all along, Ash really IS a loser”, and so on. And I began to laugh my fat ass off, because these people are only JUST NOW reaching the same conclusions I did three years ago. The anime has been dead for a LONG time now, people. It only continues to exist as a means to advertise the games, and even then, it does a piss-poor job of it a lot of the time. And frankly, people are pissed about this loss, but I gotta level with you all: This is NOT the worst thing the anime has ever done. It FEELS like it because of the timing and just how long this has gone on, but it’s not. Alain beating Ash? I don’t agree with it, but they were close enough matched that I could see it happening, and I do actually care a smidgen about Alain as a character. Now, compare to Tobias, who had no real story or personality to speak of and existed specifically for the sole purpose of making sure Ash lost. In fact, not only did Tobias beat Ash, he then went on to defeat his last opponent in the finals with even less difficulty, meaning Ash surely would’ve won the Sinnoh League Conference had Tobias never shown up. So no, comparatively, Ash losing to Alain in a REALLY close, hard-fought match that pushed both to give their best is not even close to being as bad as what happened with Tobias. Also, as a side note, when it comes to the whole Gary thing, if Ash really IS a loser, Ash actually surpassed Gary YEARS ago, so what does that make him?

So, I guess what I’m saying is that the Kalos League Conference didn’t piss me off so much as it left me disappointed, because it was good and it could’ve been great. And I will admit that everything that happened with Team Flare afterward was pretty dire and gripping, even if you knew going in that Team Flare was going to lose. That said, it comes off as kind of dumb that Lysandre can take on both of the Kalos League finalists 2-on-1. It’s like, why didn’t HE enter the tournament in that case? But no, I wasn’t pissed off by that… … …No, I was pissed off by what happened today in the anime.

Before I get into that, though, I wanna explain my idea of what they could’ve done for Sun & Moon. My idea was, to shake up the status quo a bit, to have Pikachu get sick before Ash is about to go to Alola. It’s not life threatening or anything like that, and he will recover, but Ash will need to postpone his trip if he wants to stay with his buddy while he recovers. However, Pikachu insists that Ash go and that he’ll catch up to him as soon as he can, and until then, Greninja is volunteering to go with Ash to Alola. So Ash goes, and then, after a few Trials, he manages to obtain a Z-Ring with the Electrium Z inserted. Then Pikachu recovers, rejoins the team, and has his brand new Z-Move to boot.

Now, spoilers for anyone who hasn’t seen today’s episode, that is most definitely not going to happen. Why? Because Greninja, who I consider to be the best Water-type Pokémon that Ash has ever had on his team, who possesses one of the best win-loss records of any Pokémon Ash has ever had, who has a special transformation technique exclusive to itself that makes the bond between it and Ash into a whole new kind of power, and who will likely go down in history as one of the all-time best main character Pokémon of the entire anime, was RELEASED. And what’s astounding to me is that this is a move where the writers should’ve known going in that this was going to piss people off, because they’ve done it before and it’s almost ALWAYS resulted in a negative reaction from the fans, but they did it anyway because they’re FOOLS.

So, let’s get some arguments for this decision out of the way, because I know some people are gonna debate this. First off, Ash is not getting Greninja back, and if he is, it’ll only be a short-term thing. Name a single time he’s ever released (not put in training, not sent to Professor Oak’s, but RELEASED) a Pokémon that he then got back full-time. The answer is ZERO. Speaking of, I probably SHOULD be pissed that Goodra went back to the wetlands, but I knew going into the Kalos League Conference that Goodra was only back short-term, so it doesn’t really bother me as much. It’s still dumb, but whatever. Secondly, I know the reason he left was to protect Kalos. It’s still stupid. How come? Because its best technique in combat was its ability to become Ash-Greninja, and it CANNOT DO THAT ALONE. And third, with Ash going to Alola with just Pikachu, simply leaving Greninja at Professor Oak’s would make zero sense, so they had to come up with a reason why Greninja physically could not come. I reply to such argument as follows: Not only is it still a stupid reason because of stuff I just said, but it’s also inserted for the SPECIFIC INTENTION OF MAKING ASH WEAKER, when all we’ve wanted for 19 years was for Ash to finally WIN!

And now I gotta address where we’re going with the anime: Sun & Moon. A DRASTIC change to the anime style. Not a BAD one, I wanna make that clear, but a pretty drastic one. No more Gyms as far as I can tell, meaning no League to challenge, meaning this will make for a very different season. Ash going to SCHOOL, of all things. And, one positive I can give, Ash getting a Z-Ring. Honestly, I like that, since it was odd to me that Ash missed out on gaining a Mega Ring, especially he had a few different Pokémon who could Mega Evolve, one of which had JUST RETURNED TO HIS TEAM PREVIOUSLY.

Now, there are people bashing on the premise and the art style and just how different the Sun & Moon arc looks. I wanna make something clear: None of those things bothers me all that much. A new art style? Hey, it helps give this season its own identity and furthers to distinguish it from the past few seasons. Same thing with the new premise. Hell, I don’t even mind the school setting all that much. Sure, it seems like an odd thing to go with for the long-term when we’ve already seen the main characters going to schools as part of short-term story arcs, but it could world. Think of the potential world-building this could do by focusing on that. None of that bothers me. What bothers me, and what ultimately breaks this deal with me, is that the main protagonist is STILL ASH FUCKING KETCHUM! And what’s worse, not only is he now going back to school after 19 years of losing, but now, with the new art style, he actually looks YOUNGER. So now, all these factors I just praised as being a help to this series now instead hinder it, all because of Ash’s presence as the main character. For fuck’s sake, writers, you didn’t even have to outright get rid of him, either! You could’ve instead have him brought on as a teacher (or teacher’s aide), and have him bestow some wisdom on young Trainers getting started with their new lives. You could’ve had him reflect on his life and his decisions throughout the anime while teaching these kids. You could’ve even justified his continued losses by having him explain that, even after losing the League Conferences over and over, it still helped to hone him as a person and a Trainer, and have him even realize that he’s now exactly the type of person these kids can relate to. Give us some Goddamn character development! You realize that Ash is still basically the exact same little twit he’s been for YEARS now?!

It’s at this point I have to address the simple truth of the matter: This show only exists because it has the Pokémon name attached to it. If this was any other property, I guarantee this show would not last 19 years. It’s just not possible. And to everyone just now getting pissed off, I say this to you all: You are several years late to the party, but you are welcome nonetheless, because something has got to be done about this show. At this point, there is only one way to salvage Ash as a character, and that is to reboot him back to square one. Everything we’ve seen of him up until this point? Never happened. He’s a brand new character and doesn’t have any of the baggage of his previous journeys. This way, you can build him back up to where he can eventually achieve what he originally set out to do: To be the best like no one ever was. But unless enough people actually start voicing this opinions and explaining how and why the show needs to improve, nothing is ever going to change. Ash will continue to be the main protagonist, and will continue to be a Goddamn loser.

And you wanna know what the saddest part of all of this is? When Ash lost the Kalos League, I asked myself “Why do I still care? Why am I STILL ranting about this fucking show? Why am I not just 100% apathetic towards it?” Well, the answer is simple: Because I want to watch a GOOD Pokémon show. I see what this show has done in the past, is doing in the present, and could do in the future, and I see how much potential it has. This show could be so much better and still work as an ad for the games with even the SLIGHTEST bit of effort. But that’s not what we get. For years, it is consistently not what we get. When this show started, it had something the games at the time were lacking: Real story. Characters we care a lot about. Back then, the games didn’t really have the best stories. Now, however, we’ve clearly hit the switch. The games now have better story and writing, whereas the anime, for all intents and purposes, is still in the same position it’s been in for years. And no matter what you have to say about that position, my opinion remains that it could be better, and it honestly feels somedays like the writers of this show have gone out of their way to ensure it doesn’t.

Anyway, that’s my thoughts on the product as of now. What do you all think of this, though? Lemme know in the comments below, and hey, remember that the main anime is not the only Pokémon related story out there. You don’t HAVE to watch it. In fact, I think if everyone stopped watching it, watched the specials like Origins and Generations, played the games more, read the manga more, etc., it might even help move things along. Ja né!

6 Questions I Have Going Into Pokémon Sun & Moon’s Release

So, I know it’s been a while since the last real article I’ve written. Naturally, first time I actually sit down and do so, it’s Pokémon related. Thanks to a gift card I got last year for Christmas, I have ensured that I will be able to get Pokémon Sun. So thankfully, not getting left outta this one, which means I can allow myself to get as hyped as everybody else. Also, it means I can start racking up the questions about the game and what to expect from it. So, with that said, let’s take a look at a few things I can’t wait to learn about Pokémon Sun & Moon, starting with…

#1 – Are the Alola Form Pokémon only from Generation I?

I figured I’d start with this one, because it feels like I already know the answer. And in case you’re wondering, right now in my head, I’m thinking the answer is yes, all the Alola Form Pokémon are Generation I Pokémon. Here’s what makes me think that: It’s the 20th Anniversary of the original games. Said original games have been re-released on Virtual Console, and the Pokémon from those games can even be transferred all the way up to Sun & Moon. I feel like this was done to give them something new. And frankly, I can’t help but notice at least five Kanto Pokémon are now getting the Dark-type, and I’ve always kinda wondered why it didn’t happen back in Gold & Silver. That said, there are plenty of other Pokémon from other regions that could’ve potentially gotten regional variants, and I hope that the concept isn’t tossed out when it comes to future games. This is actually a really neat idea, one I’m surprised hasn’t come up until now (not including the Orange Islands from the anime), and one that can be revisited later on. I also can’t help but notice that all of the Pokémon announced to have Alola Forms do not have Mega Evolutions, nor do I think they’re going to. Which leads me into the next question…

#2 – Are there going to be new Mega Evolutions?

The Mega Evolutions were a bit conspicuous by their absence from the trailers for a while. Then, just recently, we’re told about how the new Z-Ring allows us to Mega Evolve Pokémon again. However, there were no new ones shown, only the ones revealed in Generation VI. This has led to the theory that there will not be any new Mega Evolutions in Sun & Moon. I’m personally inclined to believe it, though I’m a bit disappointed in that if it’s true. I felt like there were still at least another handful of classic Pokémon, and maybe even some newer ones, who would’ve benefited from being able to Mega Evolve, and even some who honestly felt like they SHOULD have gotten them but didn’t. So I’m hopeful that I’m either wrong or that Mega Evolution is expanded upon in later games. But speaking of carry-overs from Generation VI, that brings me to…

#3 – Will there be a post-game episode?

While Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire’s main game kinda left me feeling a little disappointed, I LOVE the idea of a post-game episode. As for what they could do for one in Sun & Moon, I say use Zygarde. We’ve already confirmed that one thing you can do in the game is collect Zygarde Cells, and that the different forms shown off in the anime will be in the game. Also, there was no third version of X & Y, the rumoured Pokémon Z. So I say just go all out and have a special post-game episode for Zygarde. The Z Episode, if you will. Maybe even have it follow up on plot points from X & Y? And hey, we know Ash-Greninja is in the game via the demo, so involve it too. Oh, and just as a real quick side-question, are we getting any other Pokémon with Battle Bond, or is it just gonna be Greninja? ‘Cuz I thought what they were gonna do is have all the fully evolved Kalos Starters be able to do it, and have them appear in Pokémon Z. But then, Pokémon Z never happened. But, like I said, if they do a Z Episode, they could follow up more on the Kalos Pokémon by doing just that.

#4 – What are the Ultra Beasts really?

Okay, strap yourselves in, folks, because I’m about to go all Game Theory on y’all for the next few ones. So, we’ve come to learn about new creatures called Ultra Beasts, who seemingly are neither Pokémon nor humans, meaning they’re some kind of third race. And yet, not only do the Ultra Beasts have at least some characteristics to them that we could potentially see them as being Pokémon, they also have some characteristic in common with humans. A body builder, a beauty, a little girl. Then I remembered a book in the Canalave Library which spoke of a time when humans and Pokémon ate at the same table, with some translations apparently suggesting humans and Pokémon had interspecies marriages at one point. And yes, as an internet personality, I am DEEPLY horrified by the fact that this makes a lot of the Rule 34 fics about Pokémon and their Trainers debatable canon. XP Regardless, though, this could hint at a potential link between the two species. So, if that’s the case, what’s to stop someone from taking the DNA of humans and Pokémon, putting them in a test tube, and seeing what comes out? Is it possible that the Ultra Beasts are the offspring of humans and Pokémon? COULD. IT. BE??? Well, all things considered, I can think of one other thing that suggests that…

#5 – What are the Aether Foundation’s true motives?

Let’s unpack this one, shall we? How many times have we encountered scientists that went down the wrong road in these games, not necessarily for evil but for misguided reasons? And isn’t there a Synthetic Pokémon in the new games that was created with the intent to be as strong as the Mythical Pokémon, and evolves to gain an Ability akin to Arceus, accepted by many to be the Pokémon World’s GOD? And isn’t it odd how the only person confirmed at this time to have a Type: Null is Gladion, the Team Skull enforcer, who is in a directly antagonistic relationship with the Aether Foundation? And isn’t it interesting how he and the President of the Aether Foundation, Lusamine, have the same coloured hair and eyes? And isn’t it a nice little turn of events where the Aether Foundation is allegedly conducting research on the Ultra Beasts, who look like they may or may not have been created in a lab? All of this is painting a very dark picture of the Aether Foundation. Not saying Lusamine or any of the current members are evil, just that the organization they all work for might have a dark past they don’t want everyone to know about, and may very well be even trying to make up for. And frankly, I hope I’m right, because that would be a SWEET twist, and we haven’t had a REALLY good plot twist in the games for a little while now.

#6 – How many Trial Captains and Kahunas will there be?

So GameXplain, the reason I don’t do Evaluating Time anymore because…well, really, what’s the point when they do a MUCH better job in my opinion, recently asked a simple question: How many Trial Captains and Kahunas would there be? And frankly, I’m kinda hoping it’s their answer of 14 Trial Captains and 4 Kahunas. Why? Because then each one can specialize in each type of Pokémon and none get left out. You all remember how many times I complained about there being no Dark-type Gym in any of the past games, after all. The only thing that complicates that is that I have no idea how you divide 14 captains among 4 islands, but whatever.

Anyway, let’s hope we don’t have to wait long for these answers. For now, lemme know what you are dying to know about the games in the comments below, and we’ll see what happens next month when the game comes out. Ja né!

N. Harmonik’s Blind Reaction To Alola Forms and Z-Moves Revealed for Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon! (And I’m There Too, lol)

Decided to do a blind reaction to this trailer, since Aibo hadn’t seen it yet. As always, here’s the trailer for those who haven’t watched it…

…and here’s our reaction vid…and a funny story. lol

… … …If I ever see that Tauros, I’m gonna turn it into cheeseburgers. -_-

Pokémon Sun and Moon E3 Trailer + It’s Evaluating Time!

Well, it’s that time again! Pokémon Sun and Moon were shown off at E3, so we got plenty to look over, meaning…

It’s Over-The-Top-Excited-While-Your-Friends-Watch-Awkwardly Evaluating Time!!!

So, let’s start with the trailer!

In addition to that, we’ve also got this trailer that was revealed a couple of days before E3 got started.

So, as usual, let’s go over the Pokémon covered in these videos. I should also note that there were two other Pokémon revealed in a CoroCoro leak, but we’re not gonna go over them just yet, since a few details (like their English names) have yet to be revealed. Until then, let’s start a little different and go over a Pokémon we already knew of.

Zygarde, the Order Pokémon

 

We’ve actually known for some time that Zygarde had different forms, due to their presence in the anime. That, combined with the title of the current arc of the anime, XY&Z, led people to believe there would be a Pokémon Z released, and that these forms would be released in said game. Instead, it looks as though the writers of the anime opted to use this arc to advertise these new forms early. Right off the bat, I can’t help but notice that Zygarde seemingly can only access its Complete Forme (or Perfect Zygarde, as people are calling it because, let’s be honest, the similarity to Cell is staggering) by first going 10% Forme (the dog). So what does this mean for Zygarde’s standard form we’ve already gotten to know? How do Zygarde Cell and Zygarde Core fit into all this? And does this mean Ash-Greninja will also be a thing in the games? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. I WILL say that its Core Enforcer attack is AWESOME. It’s like Zorro with a freaking laser beam. I love it. XD

Pikipek, the Woodpecker Pokémon…Try saying that five times fast. lol

Pikipek is apparently #10 in the Alola Regional Dex, and has two evolutions, so I’m pretty sure we’re looking at our early region bird. One thing that separates it from the others, though, is one of the two Abilities it can have: Skill Link. That means moves that hit 2-5 times (like Fury Attack, Bone Rush, or Rock Blast) will now ALWAYS hit 5 times. Combined with its Pokédex page saying it can strike targets with its beak 16 times per second, and I’m pretty sure it will learn Fury Attack, and perhaps some sort of new Flying-type equivalent to it. Its other Ability is Keen Eye, which you should know all about, especially with birds. The only move that I know for sure that it learns is Peck. And yes, it’s been brought to my attention that Pikipek looks like Pearl from Steven Universe…which is funny, because it’s weak against Rock-types. lol

Yungoos, the Loitering Pokémon

Yungoos is a mongoose. I’m not sure why the ‘e’ was taken off at the end of its name for English, but whatever. Point is, it’s a Normal-type, and has two different Abilities it can know: Strong Jaw, which increases the power of biting moves (like Bite, Crunch, Fire Fang, etc.), and Stakeout, which does more damage to Pokémon who are just switching in when it attacks, so you’ll wanna be careful about whether you want to switch Pokémon or not while battling it. The only move it was shown using was Tackle, but with Strong Jaw, I think it’s pretty clear that it will learn biting moves as it levels up and/or as Egg Moves. Originally, I didn’t think this was gonna be our new Rattata for this region, considering that a mongoose isn’t considered vermin. However, it’s been brought to my attention that, as mongooses are an invasive species in Hawaii, technically speaking, it IS considered vermin there, so here we are. The more you know, I guess.

Grubbin, the Larva Pokémon

I fully expect Grubbin to evolve, since early revealed Bug-types usually do, and based on its appearance, I would imagine its evolved form will be some kind of beetle. In fact, since there already are beetle-like Pokémon in existence, I wonder if this is the pre-evolution that will link the two? Probably not, but hey, it’s a theory we can speculate about. Its only Ability (that we know of, anyway) is Swarm, which increases the damage done by Bug-type moves when its health gets low. The only attack we know of that it can learn so far is String Shot, though since it apparently seems to love electricity, I’d imagine a likely move for it to learn is Electro Web.

We also learned about a new way to battle: Battle Royal. Four Trainers send out one Pokémon each. Anyone can attack anyone. When one of your Pokémon are knocked out, you send out a new one. The battle continues until one Trainer has had all of their Pokémon knocked out, at which point, the other Trainers will have the number of Pokémon they’ve knocked out added to the number they still have conscious to determine who did the best. Not sure what happens if there’s a tie, like maybe it then goes into overtime or something. Personally, I would’ve just had all four Trainers battle til the last one standing, but whatever. I will say that, given the rules presented, you probably wanna try to make alliances early so that you don’t get singled out by all three opponents.  Also, the image for Battle Royals confirms something else: There IS Trainer customization of some kind in this game. So, for those wondering, this seems to solidify that it IS back.

There was also a demonstration of the game streamed on Treehouse. If you wanna watch it, it’s right here…

I will say that this both answers a few questions about the early game while also opening the floor to several new questions. Apparently, each of the four islands has a guardian deity, and the deity for the island you start off on, supposedly called Melemele, is referred to as Tapu Koko. These deities are highly implied to be Pokémon, so does this mean there’s a Pokémon named Tapu Koko, or is that a title of some sort? Is this a Legendary Pokémon, or could Tapu Koko be an individual of a species of regular Pokémon found on the island? We also know that Hau is referred to as the “grandson of the kahuna”. Kahuna is apparently a Hawaiian term for…

“And I quote…”

…”a priest, sorcerer, magician, wizard, minister, or expert in any profession”. I’m still convinced that Hala is Hau’s grandfather, so that tells me that he is the kahuna. It’s also been suggested that Hala is a great Trainer of some sort, so perhaps kahuna is also a Trainer class in this game. Something else we learned from this video is that, after encountering a Pokémon in battle once, the battle menu will show which of the moves your Pokémon can use will be effective, super-effective, or not very effective against that Pokémon when you battle it again. There’s also the option to check on each Pokémon in battle to see how much their status has been changed by the effects of different moves and Abilities. Both of these things are great for beginners, and unlike stuff like giving away items like Lucky Eggs and Exp. Shares, I don’t really mind this too much. Heck, it makes things easier for me, too, since there’ve been some changes to the type chart as of late. And lastly, we learned that Popplio can learn Disarming Voice, furthering the fan theory that it will evolve into a Water/Fairy-type, which I would actually be okay with, especially since it would make it vastly different from other seal-like Pokémon we’ve seen in the past.

Anyway, that’s all for now. Be sure to check back here when we next learn anything about the new games, and to get the games when they come out in November. Ja né!

Pokémon Sun And Moon’s Pokédex Is HAUNTED?! – It’s Evaluating Time!

Well, more info is out, so let’s start going through it! And you know what that means…

It’s Evaluating Time!!!

So, first off, let’s take a look at the new trailer.

And, just because it’s my blog and I can do whatever the hell I want, here are some additional clips in Japanese, compliments of GameXplain!

So, let’s go over what we know, shall we? Let’s start with…well, where the trailer started: The new Legendary Pokémon.

Solgaleo, the Sunne Pokémon. Known as “the beast that devours the sun”, Solgaleo is a Psychic/Steel-type, and its Ability is Full Metal Body, which prevents its stats from being lowered by enemy Abilities or moves. It also knows the attack Sunsteel Strike, which ignores the effects of the target’s Ability, kind of like if Solgaleo had Mold Breaker. Given its overall theme and presentation, I wouldn’t be surprised if it can learn Fire-type attacks and moves like Solar Beam as well. Everything about this new Legend screams that it’ll likely be the more offensively oriented of the two mascots, but what of its counterpart?

Lunala, the Moone Pokémon. Referred to as “the beast who calls the moon”, Lunala is a Psychic/Ghost-type, and its Ability is Shadow Shield, which lessens the amount of damage it takes when it’s at full HP. Like Solgaleo’s Sunsteel Strike, Lunala’s signature attack, Moongeist Beam, ignores the Ability of whoever it attacks. As Lunala is a moon-themed Pokémon, clearly it’s more than a bit nocturnally-based, so I fully expect it to have access to Dark-type attacks as well, and will likely know a few Flying-type moves as it’s a winged creature. I also figure this will be the more defensively oriented of the version mascots for Sun and Moon, though somehow, I kinda figured that going in. Just a hunch.

I suppose I should look at the main protagonists of the game next, since we’re getting better looks at them. They both look fine, but my God, I hope we can change clothes in this game, especially in the case of the girl’s hat. I have no idea what that is on her head, but it just looks weird, and considering we just had remakes of Ruby and Sapphire, which had arguably the oddest of headwear, that’s saying something. lol But otherwise, they look fine. I also can’t help but notice the devices on their wrists. New Mega Rings, perhaps? We’ll see.

These two are Lillie and Hau. Hau appears to be a rival of sorts, though video footage of him so far has him using the Pokémon weak to whatever you start off with instead of having the type advantage. He also bears a resemblance to Hala, the man who shows off the starter Pokémon in the initial trailer. Perhaps a relative of some sort? As for Lillie, she’s apparently an assistant to Professor Kukui, dislikes Pokémon battles, but loves to read, and is central to the plot of the new games somehow, so keeping an eye on her is likely a must.

The Alola Region itself seems a LOT bigger than was first shown off, as I suspected it would be (initially, only one island was shown). After all, Alola is based off of Hawaii, which itself is made up of multiple islands. For reference, btw, all we saw initially was the island shown in the top left of this map, and if the dimensions of this map are to be believed, it’s not even close to being the biggest island in the region. Either way, expect to either do a lot of Surfing or sailing between islands.

And lastly, the thing that most caught my eye: The new Pokédex, which is apparently freaking HAUNTED! lol Apparently, Professor Kukui created the new Pokédex and had a Rotom inhabit it in order to provide new means of connecting with Pokémon, as well as to grant the ‘dex with new modes. Rotom will be able to communicate with you directly while inhabiting the Pokédex, and will provide you with a map of the surrounding area, as well as tips and information on where you should venture next. There’s also something called the QR Scanner function, which I’m not sure if it’s part of the Pokédex or something separate altogether, but it allows the player to scan QR Code patterns to register Pokémon in Alola in the Pokédex. Once that’s done, you can view their habitats. What’s more, if you’ve caught a Pokémon, you can display its QR Code in your Pokédex and share it with other players, so filling pages in the Pokédex is that much easier.

Anyway, that’s all there is to cover for now, but apparently, more info will be made available during Nintendo Treehouse Live @ E3 on June 14th 2016, so come on back then to see me go through whatever they reveal. Ja né!

New Starter Pokémon Revealed For Sun & Moon – It’s Evaluating Time!

…Man. Haven’t had to do this in a while, but here we go…

IT’S EVALUATING TIME!!!

So, we got three new Pokémon to talk about (because we don’t know jack about the new Legendaries), so let’s discuss. First off, here’s the trailer.

And now for the individual Pokémon.

Rowlet, the Grass Quill Pokémon. It is a Grass/Flying-type, and appears to be based on an owl by its design and the way it turns its head 180 degrees. At 3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg), it is the lightest of all Starter Pokémon, and it is the first Starter since Bulbasaur to be dual typed without the need to evolve. It also apparently knows a new attack called Leafage. The power and effects of this move are currently unknown. For now, Rowlet’s actually kind of awesome looking, and might be the Starter I go with for my own journey, though I think I’ll wait and see what other new Pokémon there are and what they’re like.

Litten, the Fire Cat Pokémon. It’s a pure Fire-type, and looks to be kind of a sassy cat to me. Also, based on the black of its fur, I wouldn’t be surprised if it evolved into a Fire/Dark-type, and while that’s not a new typing, it IS new for Starter Pokémon, as is Rowlet’s Grass/Flying-type, and could prove to be a natural rival to Houndour. Also, as many have speculated over the years, the different Fire-type Starters have been based on the different animals present in the Chinese zodiac. While they don’t all match up 100% perfectly, we can assume that Charmander is the Dragon, Cyndaquil is the Rat, Torchic is the Rooster, Chimchar is the Monkey, Tepig is the Pig, and Fennekin is the Dog. If that’s the case, then Litten must be the Tiger. So that means we still have a horse, a goat, an ox, a rabbit, and a snake left for Fire-type Starter Pokémon, which would further suggest that there are at least five new Regions left.

Popplio, the Sea Lion Pokémon. It’s a pure Water-type, and seems to be the most fun-loving of the trio from its design and some of the official artwork that’s been presented thus far. Wouldn’t mind seeing it evolve into a Water/Fairy-type, honestly. I’m a little surprised we didn’t get a Fairy-type Starter last generation, since X & Y were the games to present them, but then again, going with Fighting, Psychic, and Dark-type secondary types DOES further the rock, paper, scissors feel for the Starters. So, if we go by my theory that each Starter for every game falls into the category of cute one, cool one, and wacky one, then Popplio is probably supposed to either be the cute or wacky one. Maybe a little of both, really.

Lastly, I guess I should talk about the fact that this new Region, Alola, is pretty blatantly based on Hawaii, so whoever guessed that when we saw the early artwork in the first trailer, you were all right on the money. You can see the inspiration everywhere, even in its name. Although I kinda hope the above image is only PART of the new Region. Otherwise, it looks pretty small compared to other places we’ve been in the Pokémon World. Also, while I don’t know anything really meaningful about the new Legendary Pokémon, not even their names, I DO rather like their designs, and I’m not exactly gonna be surprised if the lion is Fire-type and the bat is Dark-type.

Anyway, that’s all I had to say. I will leave you with this second trailer released, and hope you all leave your own thoughts on these new Pokémon. Pokémon Sun and Moon come out in November, so it’s not gonna be a very long wait, but expect me to cover every bit of information that I can as it’s made available. Ja né, and train on!