Hello fellow Poké-Fans. This is a follow up article from my last one revolving around the hype of the upcoming games, Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. At the time of this writing, it has been exactly two weeks since the release of the two newest games in the 20-year-old series. In this follow up article, I will be going over my opinion of the games (or game since I only got Sun), some of the new features and Pokémon, and how the newest generation did as a whole.
WARNING: Since I will be going over the games in some detail, there will be some spoilers. So, if you don’t want to hear the spoilers because you either have the game and haven’t beaten the post-game, or if you are planning to get the game and haven’t gotten to it yet, then I suggest you stop here. Seriously. There will be spoilers.
New Features: There are a few new features in the latest editions of the Pokémon franchise. First is the introduction of Z-Moves, which are power up features of normal moves, with all 16 types getting a special Z-Crystal, and some of the monsters getting crystals specifically for that one monster. Like Mega Evolutions, which were introduced in the sixth generation, Z-Moves are a one-time use. But unlike Mega Evolutions, the Z-Moves don’t last until the pocket monster faints in battle when it is used. The Z-Move is again, a one-time use. Once one Z-Moved is used, no one else on your team will be able to use it until a new battle starts. When first introduced, Z-Moves seemed to be overpowered. While still powerful, by having a Z-Crystal being a held item makes it much more even in a battle perspective.
Next is the introduction of trials and the new Pokémon League. GameFreak and Nintendo, the developers of Pokémon, threw the series through a loop by removing the normal eight gym battle system with trials and island Kahuna battles. There are four islands that make up the newest region known as the Alola region. On each island, there are a number of trails to get through, followed by a battle by a Totem Pokémon, and then a battle with the island’s Kahuna. By completing a trial, a trainer is able to face off against a Totem Pokémon. A Totem Pokémon is a bigger and stronger version of a normal Pokémon. After beating said Totem Pokémon, the player is presented with a Z-Crystal. Finally, after beating the number of trials present on each island, the player can fight the island Kahuna, a trainer who is chosen by the island guardians to become the Kahuna. While there are not special missions to accomplish to fight the Kahuna, like the trials where in one you have to collect ingredients or take pictures of ghost Pokémon, the Kahunas are no pushovers aren’t they aren’t afraid to use their respective Z-Crystal. There are four Kahunas, one for each respective island, and beating one is a real challenge. Beating all the trials and the Kahunas, the player has a chance to take part in the newly created, Alolan Pokémon League. The Pokémon League is a staple for all the mainstream games, consisting of four members if the Elite Four, and the Pokémon League champion. While most games in the series are consistent with mentioning the Pokémon League and the player becoming the next champion (going against the rival also seeking the same position as champion), But Sun and Moon take a different approach. The Pokémon League is nothing but a dream of the region professor (Professor Kukui) and is nonexistent when the game first begins. It is only after beating the last Kahuna can the player be brought to the newly formed Pokémon League and challenge it to become the first ever Alolan Champion. While the Elite Four is an important part of any Pokémon Game, there is usually no reason to go back once it’s been beat. Going back doesn’t give the player anything new. Same four characters, same final challenge, only having a bit of higher levels with their Pokémon. There is no new challenge, no reward in the end, the player isn’t even recognized as the champion when it is beat. Most players only go back to gain levels on their team. Sun and Moon puts a new spin on the Pokémon League. Once the league has been beaten, the player is recognized by those outside and inside the league as the champion of the Alola region. Going back to the league also presents the player with something new. The same four are part of the elite four, but the final battle brings around someone new. The player actually defends their title as champion. By going back, a second time, the player can defend their title against their friend/rival Hau. Going back each time give the player a different trainer to defend their title against, including the first trainer the player faces on Route One. This gives the player a reason to go back each time, aside from gaining experience for the team.
The final new features for the brand-new games are the Pokémon Refresh and the PokePelago. Pokémon Refresh comes from the previous’ game’s PokeAmie, but with a bit of a twist. In both Pokémon Refresh and PokeAmie, the player can interact with their team members by petting and giving them treats to increase their love towards the player. In PokeAmie the player could also play games with their fateful partners to earn more treats. Pokemon Refresh doesn’t have games, but after a battle, the option to press the X button allow the trainer to enter Pokemon Refresh where they can clean their partner or cure them from status ailments such as poison and paralysis. PokeAmie also allows players to give them PokePuffs, which can be earned from playing games. In Pokémon Refresh, the player gives the Pokémon an assortment of beans, which can be obtained from the PokePelago. The PokePelago is an all new feature to the Pokémon franchise. Pokemon that the players catch and are sent to the PC instead of their party, the little monsters spend their time on little hidden islands called the PokePelago. Here they can grow berries, collect beans, hunt for treasure, relax in a spa, and train all while the player is on their journey. On one of the islands in particular, the one where the player collects the beans, wild Pokémon can come by, and if they enjoy the PokePelago enough they will want to join the player’s team.
There are still more features that the new games introduced, but that is either for you to discover on your own or for another time.
Post-Game: The post-game for Pokémon always give the player more to do after finishing the main game. In Pokémon Gold/Heat Gold and Silver/Soul Silver that was the ability to go to the first region and fight eight more gyms and another Pokémon League. In Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire that was the Delta Episode where the player could catch now Mega Evolving legendary Rayquaza and the legendary Pokémon Deoxys. In Pokémon Sun and Moon that is the hunting and catching of the mysterious Ultra Beasts (creatures from another dimension that threaten the world) as well as the search of the hidden legendary Pokémon known as Necrazma. The Ultra Beasts were seen during the main game, but weren’t really encountered until the post-game, where it was the players mission presented by the International Police to find and catch all the Ultra Beasts who were unwillingly pulled into the dimension. I won’t say much about the post-game, but I will say that catching all the Ultra Beasts and the hidden legendary Necrozma is a feat someone should be proud of.
New Pocket Monsters: The introduction of new monsters with each generation is something that every fan looks forward to. While some generations are hit or miss with some of the creatures, Sun and Moon went all out with the creativity of the new Pokémon. Introducing exactly 80 new monsters, bringing the total to 801 exactly, this generation did not skimp out on the creativity and the creepiness, as well as bringing the old creatures a new since of awe. Pokémon Sun and Moon are not the first games in the series to use full 3D figures and graphics, but they are the first to nearly perfect the models as well as giving all the Pokémon the proper proportions in contrast to their trainer (some old moves such as Pursuit and Astonish also got new animations that suit their attacks). It’s safe to say that most, if not all of the new pocket monsters, of this new generation really go all out with the designs and their PokeDex entries (which are known to have some very creepy details about Pokémon).
I won’t go over everything about the new monsters, seeing as that would need an article all to itself, but I will say this: In my opinion, after trying for years to surpass the greatest Pokémon games of Gold and Silver, GameFreak and Nintendo definitely made a new greatest game generation.
