My Pokémon Team In Pokémon Sun Upon First Completion + What Took Me So Long To Beat It

Well, I finally beat Pokémon Sun today. Yes, I know, I keep taking forever with these, but I kinda have a reason for that this time, and I’ll get to that at the end. For now, let’s go over my Hall Of Fame team upon beating the game the first time, starting with, of course, my starter.

Doctor Hoot the Decidueye

Yeah, you’re probably gonna notice one or two similarities to my X team, and one is that I chose the Grass-type Starter Pokémon. Doctor Hoot was Level 56 upon first completion of the game, carrying no items, and having the moves Leaf Blade, Spirit Shackle, Sucker Punch, and Acrobatics (hence the lack of items). He has a Relaxed nature, and characteristic is that he…likes to relax. lol While he didn’t use them in the League, he frequently used the Z-Moves Bloom Doom, Breakneck Blitz, Never-Ending Nightmare, and Sinister Arrow Raid. The Arrow Quill Pokémon was instrumental to my victories over the Kahunas Hala, Olivia, Hapu, and the Totem Pokémon Wishiwashi, as well as being the first Pokémon out for the championship match.

Lycanroc (Midday Form)

Not necessarily a Pokémon I was expecting to use on my team going in, but one I’m glad I decided on. Lycanroc was Level 54 upon initial completion of the game, carrying the Rockium Z, and knowing the moves Stone Edge, Crunch, Brick Break, and Stealth Rock. She has a Rash nature, and her characteristic is that she has good perseverance. Thanks to her Rockium Z, she can use the Z-Move Continental Crush on the really tough foes, though she’s also used All-Out Pummeling. The Wolf Pokémon mostly played support and backup in battles, but was a huge asset in battles against Guzma and Team Skull, once defeated a Lycanroc Midnight Form in one-on-one combat where both were at the same level, and was the one to score the final victory of the Alola League Championship match.

Raichu

Yup, once again, went with Raichu for my team. But, this time, with the reveal of the Alolan Raichu, more than a bit different from my X team’s Raichu. Raichu was Level 56 when I first beat the game, carried the Aloraichium Z, and knew the moves Thunderbolt, Psychic, Brick Break, and Nasty Plot. He has a Brave nature, and his characteristic is that he loves to eat. Through the power of the Aloraichium Z, he can use Stoked Sparksurfer, though he’s also used Z-Moves such as All-Out Pummeling, Gigavolt Havoc, Breakneck Blitz, and Catastropika during his time as a Pichu and then a Pikachu. The Mouse Pokémon was a major player on my team for battles against the likes of Olivia, Team Skull, Kahili, Hau, and Hala.

Greninja

And, once again, I had a Water-type Starter Pokémon from a previous game who could perform a new, powerful transformation. lol Greninja was Level 57 upon the first completion of the game, carried the Waterium Z, and had access to the moves Water Shuriken, Night Slash, Aerial Ace, and Extrasensory. He is Naughty by nature, and has the characteristic of being alert to sounds. The Waterium Z allows him to use the Z-Move Hydro Vortex, and he’s also used Black Hole Eclipse on multiple occasions. Furthermore, Greninja has the Ability known as Battle Bond, allowing him to transform into Ash-Greninja. The Ninja Pokémon was a late addition to my team, but was instrumental in defeating many powerful foes, such as Nanu, Hapu, Acerola, and Olivia.

Mimikyu

Now HERE’S someone I knew I was going to add to my team from the first time I laid eyes on it. Mimikyu was Level 55 when I first became champion, was carrying the Fairium Z, and knew the moves Play Rough, Shadow Claw, X-Scissor, and Hone Claws. His nature is Sassy, and his characteristic is that he’s capable of taking hits…no doubt due to his Disguise Ability. lol Thanks to Fairium Z, he can use the Z-Move Twinkle Tackle, but has also used Never-Ending Nightmare in the past. The Disguise Pokémon’s unique typing made it one of my more useful team-mates, and he was a big help against all four members of the Elite Four and in the championship match.

Salazzle

Ah, the Pokémon who can only be female and runs its own reverse harem of male Salandit… … …I’m not even kidding. Look it up in the Sun version Pokédex. lol Salazzle was Level 53 when I first beat the game, carried the Firium Z, and knew the moves Flamethrower, Sludge Wave, Dragon Pulse, and Toxic, the last of which I made full use of due to her Corrosion Ability allowing her to inflict Poison status on ANY Pokémon, except those with Immunity. Her nature is Quirky, and her characteristic is that she has good perseverance. And, because she was carrying the Firium Z, she could use the Z-Move Inferno Overdrive, though I did occasionally have her use Acid Downpour. Despite being the lowest leveled Pokémon on my team most of the time, she was a big help against many foes thanks to her ability to poison almost any enemy, and was a major tide-turner against the Totem Pokémon Lurantis and in the final battle for the championship.

…So, let’s get to what I’ve been putting off saying for a while now. As I’ve alluded to a numbers of times, I’m a very old-school player of these games. My first Pokémon game was Pokémon Red, which I didn’t even own a Gameboy to play on, so I got a Super Gameboy to play it on my Super Nintendo. I had no one to trade or battle with, meaning I had to miss out on a big part of what made the game so special. When I finally got to enjoy that part later on, upon getting the Gameboy Color so I could play Pokémon Silver, I realized what an amazing game-changer this series was, and I’ve enjoyed damned near every step of my near two decade long journey…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

… … …but this is my last stop. As I’ve revealed a while back on this blog, I’m currently on welfare and am unemployed. I can’t afford a new system, and it’s clear from playing this game that the Nintendo 3DS has been pushed to its fullest potential, meaning future Pokémon games in the main series won’t be released on it. If that changes someday down the road, and I am hoping it does pretty soon, great. But for now, I’m looking at this as my last journey, at least when it comes to the new games. And I have to say, while there are things I would change, and things I hope are added with the rumoured Pokémon Stars port for the Nintendo Switch, I really enjoyed Pokémon Sun. I don’t wanna spoil too much of the story, but I will say that a really gratifying part of it is watching the characters, one in particular, grow and change over the course of the game. And, you know, we’ve all grown and changed as we played along with these games, so it was a nice thing to see. And I hope that those who haven’t played through the game yet enjoy that aspect as well. If nothing else, though, I feel at least like, if this is the end of my journey, then at least it was here, in the game that celebrated 20 years of Pokémon. And so, with that said, I wanna take this time to thank one person in particular for changing my life, as well as the lives of many others: Satoshi Tajiri, creator of the initial concepts that led to the creation of Pokémon, and the current CEO of Game Freak. I don’t know how long you’ll continue to do this, but I hope it remains a hell of a ride, and I hope that you continue to inspire people and shape the world. In the end, Pokémon is all about friendships. It’s about people coming together and becoming something more by the experience, and I hope that never, ever changes.

… … … … … …Shut up, I’m not crying, YOU’RE crying. lol Anyway, feel free to leave your own memories of this and other Pokémon games, as well as your own Hall of Fame teams for Sun and Moon in the comments. Ja né, and train on.

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!