The huge Pokémon Sun and Moon news has dropped and given fans all the information they need to appease their insatiable appetites (for now). May 10’s info dump will provide Pokémon fans plenty to talk about for months to come.
When Sun and Moon were first announced, there were a lot of subtle hints at what we could expect when it was released, like being able to transfer Gen 1 Pokémon from the Red, Blue and Yellow re-releases to the holiday release window.
But we compiled five more facts about Pokémon Sun and Moon that you may or may not have noticed in the two trailers released.
RELEASE DATE
When Sun and Moon was originally announced, fans were given a Holiday 2016 release window. Now, with the new trailer, the release date for the Gen 7 games has been set.
Japan and North America are expected to get Sun and Moon on Nov. 18, with Europe getting the game on Nov. 23.
WELCOME TO THE ALOLA REGION
There was a lot of speculation on the basis for the game’s new region. Game Freak’s Junichi Masuda visited Madrid in 2015, leading to speculation that Gen 7 will stay in Europe, while the first Sun and Moon trailer gave off a tropical feel, leading many to think it will be inspired by Hawaii.
Well, those people were right: we are introduced to the Alola region (a play on the Hawaiian word, “Aloha”) with your cousin welcoming you to the region. Perhaps your character comes from Kalos, giving us the connection to X and Y we are craving.
But we are just speculating at this point. And if you aren’t sold that the Alola region is based on Hawaii, check out the Japanese Pokémon Company trailer below.
STARTERS
Probably the biggest piece of news from the Sun and Moon trailer was the introduction of the region’s starters.
The grass starter is named Rowlett and is based on an owl. It’s a grass/flying type to start and according to the official Pokémon website, the Grass Quill Pokémon “can attack without making a sound! It flies silently through the skies, drawing near to its opponent without being noticed, and then lashing out with powerful kicks. It can also attack from a distance using the razor-sharp leaves that form part of its feathers.”
Litten is the region’s fire starter and is based off a kitten. Here’s the official Pokémon website description of the Fire Cat Pokémon.
“Litten can attack with flaming hairballs! Its fur is rich in oils and immensely flammable. Litten grooms itself by licking its fur, and then uses the collected fur as fuel for fireball attacks! When the time comes for Litten to shed its old fur, it all burns up in a glorious blaze.The move Ember attacks an opponent by firing a small flame at it. Litten knows this move from the moment it becomes your partner!”
Popplio is the water starter and is based on a sea lion. It’s going to be the most polarizing of the three by far. It’s official description goes as follows:
“Popplio can snort out balloons made of water! Watch it spin water balloons into a playful battle strategy! Both frivolous and hard-working, Popplio can easily get carried away—unleashing enough power in battle to make quite a spectacle! But Popplio’s determined spirit means it can usually be found practicing hard on its balloon skills.
The Water Gun move attacks an opponent by firing a jet of water. Popplio knows this move from the moment it becomes your partner!”
BOX LEGENDARIES
After being teased in April’s CoroCoro, the box Legendary Pokemon of Sun and Moon were finally revealed. The Sun Pokemon is based on a lion while the Moon Pokemon is a giant bat. While the trailers didn’t give their official names (these are probably going to show up in May’s CoroCoro), they may have been leaked weeks ago.
According to a trademark claim, “Solgaleo” and “Lunaala” were the names found. Solgaleo seems to fit the lion, so these are probably the names. We just need to await confirmation.
TRAINER CUSTOMIZATION
One feature fans wanted to return in Sun and Moon was trainer customization. It was one of the more groundbreaking parts of X and Y, but was absent when Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire hit the shelves.
While the extent of the customization wasn’t shown, we did see a peek during the Japanese trailer that you can choose the how your trainer looks on its base level. But it won’t be out of the realm of possibility that clothing options will be available as you progress through the story.
So what do you think of the new information from Sun and Moon? Have you decided which version you’ll buy? What about the starer? Sound off in the comments section below.
