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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…
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.
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 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 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.
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…
…”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…
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…
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!
UPDATED WITH LEGEND TRANSCRIPT! New Mega Evolution: RAYQUAZA?! It’s Evaluating Time!
Well, it seems I was right on the money about the next Legendary Pokémon to receive a new form. Ladies and gentlemen, Mega Rayquaza!
So, let’s take a closer look, shall we?
According to Serebii.net, and I quote, “It has a new ability called Delta Stream which creates a new weather effect that removes weather and makes moves of a type that Flying-type Pokémon are usually weak to will only deal normal damage to any Flying-type Pokémon in the battle. It lasts as long as Rayquaza is in battle. Trailer also shows a move called Dragon Ascent which is said to be the most powerful Flying-type move.” A little strange that it’s a Flying-type move called Dragon Ascent, but whatever. Also, I see that, once again, the weather advantage is Rayquaza’s, even in the face of the Primal Pokémon.
But yeah, kinda figured this was on the horizon. They’d been hinting at Rayquaza playing a big role in this game, from the fact of it being left out of getting a Primal form (and apparently, there IS an explanation for that in the game) to suggestions that it held the answer to Mega Evolution. Also, if you’ll allow me to go into conspiracy mode for a sec, look at the titles for these games: Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. ORAS. Change the placement of one letter and you get SORA, as in the Japanese word for sky. Is this the extent of this, or are they suggesting it’ll go one step further with a remake of Emerald? Or perhaps elements of Emerald’s story are simply transplanted into the Ruby and Sapphire remakes?
Either way, lemme know what you think about this development in the comments below, and we’ll see if any new info is released. Ja né!
UPDATE: Okay, so literally right after I posted this and showed it to a few of my friends, more info came rolling out. lol Serebii.net has released part of a legend relating to the tale of Mega Rayquaza…
It was a primal age, early in the world’s history… The natural world was overflowing with energy. That energy granted Groudon and Kyogre an overwhelming power. Seeking ever more of that energy for themselves, the two clashed again and again, and their battles cast the people and Pokémon of Hoenn into great danger. Brimming with the overwhelming power granted by the energy of nature, this transformation was named by later people “Primal Reversion.” And the people called their tormentors Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre.
One Pokémon looked down upon this battle from the sky above. The Pokémon that dances in the heavens: Rayquaza. Rayquaza is venerated by the people of Hoenn as their protector and savior. When Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre had battled for 20 dawns and 20 nights, the world began to lose its natural balance and tilt toward destruction. The people, unable to endure any more, cried out to their mighty savior Rayquaza before a great stone that shone with rainbow brilliance. And a change came upon Rayquaza, weaving in the sky above Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre. Suffused in brilliant light, its body began to transform visibly. And then…
…Although, personally, I prefer THIS version of events: One Pokémon looked down upon this battle from the sky above and declared “Bitch, please”. XD So, just speculating on this a bit, it DOES occur to me that, last I checked, we never did find out what was kept on that third platform atop Mt. Pyre, where the Red and Blue Orbs were kept. If I had to make an early assumption here, and I could be way off, I think that Rayquaza’s Mega Stone was there. I mean, it makes sense, since there would need to be a way to stop Groudon and Kyogre handy if they ever went out of control again. And, looking at the icon for it in the trailer, it could very well have been the great stone the people of Hoenn prayed to Rayquaza through, thus granting Rayquaza the power to Mega Evolve and put an end to the fight. I’m thinking that’s also why Rayquaza Mega Evolved instead of going Primal like Groudon and Kyogre: They changed out of a desire for more power. Rayquaza changed in order to protect people.