Pokemon: Sun & Moon (Discussion)

[MDawg]

New Pokemon, new Aloha forms and new special moves have been announced in the latest update.

 

[Harmonie]

That Ice/Fairy Ninetales. OMG. I'm like in love.

Ice is my favorite element, but I've never really enjoyed many Ice Pokemon designs. Alola Ninetales is absolutely gorgeous. Just so majestic. And the Fairy typing, too. Definitely going to end up on my team.

 

[Surreal Kangaroo]

Did Yungoos evolve into Donald Trump?

 

[ReyToon R3]

The new Alola Variants of the first generation Pokemon look so pretty nice.
Though poor exeggutor became a meme haha.
So far I'm really liking where Sun and Moon is going with things especially with, seemingly, doing away with the gym system.


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[Light Lucario]

This was certainly a surprising update. I was so expecting new Mega Evolution, but we didn't get that here. The Alola form of older Pokemon sounds like a cool idea, but I'm kind of mixed on it. On one hand, I do like the new designs for most of the new forms, Vulpix and Ninetales in particularly are beautiful and it is an interesting way to give more life to the Alola region, as well as help to make older Pokemon more unique and different without just always giving them a Mega Evolution.

On the other hand, the new type combinations are pretty random. The Ice type combinations for the Vulpix and Sandshrew lines do reflect how they had to change and adapt to a new environment, but it feels a bit jarring. Not to mention I'm not sure how Exeggutor has suddenly become a Grass/Dragon. The designs are good, but I can't help but feel that they could have just made brand new Pokemon with these designs or at least with these type combinations instead of giving new forms to older Pokemon. Plus, I am a bit worried that these Alola forms will overshadow the seventh generation Pokemon, especially when the first ones they showed were from the first generation. I do like the idea, I am tempted to use the Alola Vulpix on one of my teams because of how beautiful it is and I am curious about what other Pokemon could get that treatment, but it does leave me a bit mixed.

Similarly, the Island Trials also leave me a bit mixed, although not as much as the Alola forms do. I like that it is something different and making the journey more about a rite of passage to become the Champion is an interesting concept. Plus, it doesn't sound too drastically different than Gyms, but I never really had a problem with going to Gyms. I wouldn't mind the Gym leaders being more interesting characters and/or having more of an impact beyond just giving out a badge, but the Gyms themselves were fine, so I'm not really excited about a main series game with seemingly no Gyms in it. It does sound interesting and it could be a good way to help make the Alola region have its own unique identity, but I do hope that we still get to have regular Gym battles at some point.

The Z-moves are pretty cool. I really like that your trainer's movement depends on what kind of Z-move your Pokemon is using. The moves they showed were pretty cool and it could be a good way to finish off your opponent. I can also totally see Ash and Pikachu using a Z-move. Pikachu couldn't Mega Evolve, but now it can use a Z-move, so I expect that will happen in the next series.

I really like most of the new Pokemon. I don't care much for Gumshoos, but I do feel bad for it and Yungoos. They're both going to get the worst comparison ever. Oricorio is pretty cute and I like how its different forms are inspired by different dances. It also is pretty cool that each island has their own form. Minior was okay at first, but I like it more when the shell breaks off, especially when I noticed what its eyes look like. Fomantis and Lurantis are pretty cute, but I'm surprised that they aren't Grass/Bug types. Lurantis in particular looks a lot like a bug to me, but they're still pretty nice.

I was so happy when Mudbray was revealed that I cheered. I really like Mudsdale and I didn't want it to be a single staged Pokemon. I figured it wouldn't evolve further, but I could see it getting a pre-evolved form and I was hoping for that to happen. I didn't expect it to be confirmed this early, but I'm happy with it. Mudbray looks cute. It looks more like a donkey than a horse, but it's so cute and the information about it just makes me want to hug it more. Mudbray is practically guaranteed to be on my Moon team.

We're also going to be getting more news on the 12th, which will most likely be tied into whatever news the new issue of CoroCoro has. This batch of news is amazing. Even with how mixed I am on a few details, it's great and it really makes me want to play Sun/Moon more.

 

[Surreal Kangaroo]

I have mixed feelings towards the new Alolan forms. I love the new Vulpix and Ninetales (hence the new avatar) but then again they are some of my favorite of all time. Sandshrew/Sandslash were just random as Ice/Steel. I literally LOL'd at Exeggutor new form. I still don't get why it's part Dragon.

 

[DecaTilde]

One question about Alolan Vulpix: How can it evolve into Alolan Ninetales? They're both Ice-types, but Fire-type Vulpix, as we all know, evolve into Fire-type Ninetales with a Fire Stone.

 

[Dudley]

The Alola versions of older Pokemon is a cool idea. I wish they'd done stuff like that before. I wonder do the Alola versions count as different types?


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[jaylop97]

I never understood why is Z such a big thing in Japan, since Pokemon is implementing that Z move, and of course I really feel kind of unsure of what to say about the move itself maybe its a way to do all or nothing to the opponent or just a technique of dancing either way it is a little to much for me to understand right now.

Seeing Alola versions is cool, chances are there probably could be an icy terrain in Alola which could explain the frigid versions of the Vulpix/Sandshrew families, I really like that Idea.

 

[Light Lucario]

One question about Alolan Vulpix: How can it evolve into Alolan Ninetales? They're both Ice-types, but Fire-type Vulpix, as we all know, evolve into Fire-type Ninetales with a Fire Stone.

I imagine that it will have to evolve through a different method since using a Fire Stone on an Ice type Pokemon doesn't make a lot of sense. They'll probably do that with Exeggutor since I don't see why just being in Alola would make it become a Grass/Dragon with a Leaf Stone. The new evolution methods for these Alola forms could reflect on how their bodies had to change and adapt to the new environment.

I never understood why is Z such a big thing in Japan, since Pokemon is implementing that Z move, and of course I really feel kind of unsure of what to say about the move itself maybe its a way to do all or nothing to the opponent or just a technique of dancing either way it is a little to much for me to understand right now.

Seeing Alola versions is cool, chances are there probably could be an icy terrain in Alola which could explain the frigid versions of the Vulpix/Sandshrew families, I really like that Idea.

We did see some icy areas during the battle footage for the Vulpix and Sandshrew lines. Plus, I believe that Hawaii does have snowy mountains, so this would fit with the Hawaii inspired Alola region.

 

[Harmonie]

Even if Hawaii doesn't have snowy mountains (I'm not 100% sure, but I've heard otherwise) I'm glad to see they've added them in Alola. A tropical region just is one of the least exciting regions for me.

I mean, they put a desert and tropical town in Unova, which is based off of New York City, so the least they can do is add variety to Alola. Tropical settings are just soooo overdone IMO.

 

[Spengebab]

Pokeyman Su/Mo is going to be so weird. How is it going to have a Pokemon League?

 

[Light Lucario]

I've heard rumors/theories about creating a League through the Island Trials, which could be interesting. There were apparently a lot more people tired of the Gym battle format than I thought they were given how many people I've seen online embraced this change. It still seems a bit sudden and jarring to replace Gyms at this point, assuming that the Island Trials are replacing them like people have speculated on, but it sounds unique and interesting.

Plus, making the journey a rite of passage could help to make the journey more personal. One detail I really liked about the fifth generation games, especially with B/W, was that they used the Pokemon journey as a way for the characters to grow up and help to figure out what they wanted to do, which did make it feel more personal than just collecting badges to become the strongest trainer around. I love traveling through the games in general, but the personal touch like that was nice. If Sun/Moon has something like that through the Island Trials, then that would be great. The scenery of the Alola region is just so beautiful, so exploring it in order to pass through the trials also sounds like fun.

 

[DecaTilde]

Meowth and Marowak have Alolan forms, too. And apparently, so does Raichu, Pikachu's evolved form. With this new form, Raichu becomes a Psychic-type Pokémon in addition to being an Electric-type, so it's a dual-type now.

However, how does Pikachu evolve into Alolan-form Raichu? All we know is that it evolves into Raichu with a Thunder Stone.

 

[MDawg]

New trailer showing off new Pokemon and more Alola forms and our first look at the new bad guys, Team Skull.

 

[River26]

Seems we'll be having to deal with these "thorns", and u thought that Team Rocket is bad lol.

 

[Light Lucario]

Meowth and Marowak have Alolan forms, too. And apparently, so does Raichu, Pikachu's evolved form. With this new form, Raichu becomes a Psychic-type Pokémon in addition to being an Electric-type, so it's a dual-type now.

However, how does Pikachu evolve into Alolan-form Raichu? All we know is that it evolves into Raichu with a Thunder Stone.

There will probably be some new way to evolve Pikachu into Alola Raichu in the game. I'm not sure if they'd just have it evolve like normal and only have it evolve into an Alola Raichu in Sun/Moon. They'd probably want to make sure that you can still get these forms in future games instead of only being able to evolve these Pokemon in Alola.

Anyway, these new Pokemon and Alola forms are pretty cool. Wishiwashi is cute and I like its School form, but I thought it was cooler when it was an evolved form. Pyukumuku is pretty nice, although I'm surprised that it is just a Water type. I thought it would be Water/Fighting or Water/Poison. Seeing it form a fist like that is pretty neat and its ability could come in handy. Morellul is pretty cute too. They haven't revealed the two sandcastle Pokemon or Bewear's pre-evolved form from CoroCoro yet, but I like them as well. The sandcastles are more interesting and unique to me than anything else, but Bewear's pre-evolved form is cute and does make me consider possibly raising one in one of my teams.

Alola Meowth has grown on me a bit. Being a Dark type is cool, but I think it would have worked a bit better with a darker shade of blue. Alola Marowak is pretty cool. While it's kind of weird that a seemingly regular Cubone evolves into a Fire/Ghost type, the type combination works for Marowak, especially being part Ghost type. Alola Raichu is a pretty cool. I've always wondered why we didn't get a Mega Raichu back in X/Y and depending on how long they've been working on Sun/Moon, this is probably why. I'm surprised that it's Electric/Psychic instead of Electric/Fairy, but since Tapu Koko already has that type combination, maybe they didn't want to do it again. Plus, I think it's the only Electric/Psychic type. It does look cute surfing on its tail, possibly as a reference to the surfing Pikachu. I can totally see the anime having a new Pikachu vs. Raichu battle with the Alola Raichu, along with Team Rocket having to deal with the Alola Meowth and Mimikyu at some point.

I like Team Skull. Their outfits and battle poses are so ridiculous that they come back to being awesome. It's like they're challenging you to a rap battle as you battle them, which is just fantastic. They could go too far and be too difficult to take seriously, much like how Team Flare was for me, but it might work out. I really like the design for Plumeria and that she's labeled as the team's big sister. That gives the impression that Team Skull sees themselves as a family or something like that, which could make them stand out more from other evil teams if they care about each other like that. Guzma's design is pretty cool and continues with making me feel like Team Skull wants to drop some sick beats during a Pokemon battle. His comment about how he and Professor Kukui couldn't become Captain despite going through the Island Challenge makes me wonder if there is some kind of revenge element to Team Skull's goal.

 

[MDawg]

They were already shown in leaked form, but here are the official US announcements for some additional new Pokemon.



Stufful is just too dang cute.

 

[jaylop97]

So far most of the Alolan Pokemon look a little to simple in my taste, and these newer ones definitely take that status.

 

[Light Lucario]

Stufful's official artwork in the scans of CoroCoro made it look like it had three legs to me for some reason, but my goodness it is so adorable. It's like a living plush toy. It even has a little tag and its cry is so precious. No wonder people like to hug it in the Alola region. I've already warmed up a bit to Bewear, but Stufful is so cute that I'm considering raising one in one of my teams. At the very least, I'd love a plush Stufful.

Sandygast and Palossand are still more interesting and unique to me than anything else. Sandcastles that are part Ghost type do make more sense given what generally happens to sandcastles on the beach. They do look better with their game models though.

Crabrawler is pretty neat. It definitely gives off a tough fighter vibe with its design and it's one of the few Alola Pokemon that I can easily see Ash capturing in the next series.

With the Nintendo Direct on Thursday, we should get at least some more information on Sun/Moon. I don't know how much we can expect when the Nintendo Direct is on upcoming 3DS games in general rather than specifically on Sun/Moon, but considering that Sun/Moon are the biggest releases for the 3DS for this year, I think we can expect at least a new trailer. Starter evolutions would be pretty neat. We are getting to the point where they could possibly reveal the starters' middle stages and with the focus Rockruff is going to get in the next CoroCoro issue, it's possible that they'll reveal their evolved forms if it ties into the connection between the starters and Rockruff. Plus, it would help to confirm some rumors and leaks going around regarding the starters and Rockruff, so that would be nice.