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phoenixkratos · 1 year

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With Scarlet/Violet coming out soon (and having leaked), when can we expect a Phoenixdex update with Gen 9 stuff?

It may be a little while! I've been keeping on top of the trailers and such (and leaks, so I already know about some of the stats changes, move changes, etc. that will need to happen), but I'm busy with several other projects at the moment. I also still have to work on updates to Phoenixdex-specific things, such as archiving New Logora, changing the TM list and how field moves work, getting ready for the new project or possibly projects that will be added after NL is removed, etc., some general fixes and updates to backend things, little fakemon data bits I'd like to revise like stat or size or dex entry tweaks, and so on.

I don't want to start implementing the move-related changes until after the NL archival is done, because I don't want to worry about updating the few fakemon/several canon pokémon that are being removed or ending up in (hopefully temporary) limbo. And then I don't want to start adding the new region stuff until I've already updated/fixed the moves for everything that's sticking around, so I can just jump into giving them updated TMs, etc. rather than having to turn around and edit them again later. My goal is to have the new region(s? still deciding) ready to go by the site's birthday next year (March 31st), so the preceding work should ideally be done before that date. The hope would be that ScarVi stuff would show up at that same time at the absolute latest; hopefully I can get the bulk of the move/ability additions (the ones I care about, anyway) and such out of the way before that, likely alongside the TM and field move updates, but I can't promise anything there.

(That said, I may do all of the updating on an offline copy of the site and then just overwrite the live site with that copy when it's all ready, so there is a possibility that all these changes will appear simultaneously on March 31st even though I've been working on them gradually.)

If nothing else, I'll probably update the fakemon generator (and the trainer generator on Altered Origin) with ScarVi moves/abilities/pokémon around AO's birthday (December 3rd). We'll just have to see when the rest rolls around, but it will come eventually!

#phoenixdex

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pokemonbuffsinc · 1 year

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Punk It Up To 11: Squawkabilly

Squawkabilly is a Normal/Flying-type (ew) Pokémon introduced in Generation IX. Some people remember it for the pretty colors. Others remember it for when it was somehow leaked in plain sight because Gamefreak is a wreck. And others remember it for literally just being an Elvis impersonator Chatot. But the majority of people don't remember shit about it for being a boring Pokémon with boring forms and, somehow, an even more boring typing. That, my friends, is where I come in!

STEP 1: TYPING

Obviously, this would be the first step. I mean, who the hell wants another bland Normal/Flying-type parrot besides some drunk guy at Gamefreak. Plus, Squawkabilly's different forms are pretty boring competitively, so how about we shake those up a little as well? The default (green) form could stay Normal/Flying, however, in order to make the other forms stand out. The blue form could be Fighting/Flying due to its dex entries mentioning how it views its green counterpart as a rival. Yellow Squawkabillies (Squawkabilli? Squakabills?) could be Dark/Flying because of the vicious fighting style its dex entry mentions. Finally, Squawkabilly's white plumage could be Fairy/Flying, as its described as more chill than the other forms, liking to be social and cooperate with its allies.

STEP 2: HIDDEN ABILITIES

Funnily enough, Squakabilly's hidden abilities are actually the only non-cosmetic things that change with their forms. However, I think Gamefreak was on something when they arranged the hidden abilities since they arranged them very weirdly and didn't even choose very good abilities for Squawkabilly.

Continuing with the shitty color coding, the Green form can keep Guts. Again, it's the basic bitch of the four, so it makes sense. Blue Squawkabillies, however, can get Moxie, since they have a rivalry with the most powerful group of Squawkabillies. Squawkabillies with yellow plumage can get keep Sheer Force, but those with white plumage can get Adaptability, as it presumably adapted to the white buildings of Cabo Poco.

STEP 3: STATS

You all knew it had to end up like this somehow. Because all Squawkabilly forms are relatively similar in behavior, I feel comfortable giving them the same stat distributions. Those being:

82 HP (+0)

116 Attack (+20)

71 Defense (+20)

45 Special Attack (+0)

61 Special Defense (+10)

102 Speed (+10)

477 BST (+60)

Feel free to add or give opinions on any of this in the replies! Good morning/evening/night to you all!

#squawkabilly #pokemon scarlet and violet #pokemon scarlet spoilers #pokemon scarlett #pokemon scarvi #pokemon violet #pokemonscarlet #pokemonsv #pokemonscarletandviolet #pokemonscarletviolet #competitive pokemon #pokemon #bird pokemon

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beardedhandstoadshark · 2 years

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I heard legends arceus is good but absolutely terrifying cause the pokemon won't hesitate to maul you. Which is fair and honestly that caught my interest the most. Oh! I recommend playing the game whenever you get the chance. It's pretty, you will cry, and mild satisfaction of beating up high society.

Oh hey, same! Still remember how people used to joke "why don’t the Pokémon just attack the trainers“ (especially those of Team members), and now they do! Dodging, catching and the different fighting styles also look pretty cool, and (while I did get totally spoilered and consecutively caught up in Gen 5, not 4 nostalgia of all things) the plot sure seems interesting! First Pokémon game to get me hyped since GO

Tbh the only things stopping me from buying this game are its‘ full pricing since it’s‘ apparently a rather short game even for Pokémon, and what seems to be quite a lot of repetitive grinding to actually *complete* the dex entry for a Pokémon. Aaaaand all the other amazing games that came out/are coming out. It’s truly unfair

(Oh, btw! Did you hear! A leak says we might actually get to ride and/or race the legendaries! Called it with their tires 🛞. …also the grass cat might evolve into a bipedal. *sigh*.)

#another anon ask #…it could use some prettier textures tho ngl #kinda gives off mobile game vibes with how different the player/Pokémon look from the environment #good thing gameplay > graphics!#(…unless you have a game that heavily relies on atmosphere. Then the game being pretty is indeed very important)#also it was kinda like a first attempt for whatever they’re planning for the Gen 9 gameplay #so waiting how Gen 9‘s gonna turn out

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stupiddinosaur · 4 years

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The Dreepy line are the best Pokémon in Sword and Sheild. I made this comic the second I saw the leaks for the Dreepy line’s dex entries, and I just about died with how much personality they have. Dreepy likes going fast, Drakloak has social anxiety without Dreepy, and Dragapult will yeet it’s children in the face of danger. I love them so much!

#sword and shield fanart #pokemon sword and shield #dreepy #pokemon comic #dragapult #drakloak #pokemon leon

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cosmiicmultimuse · 3 years

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Eternatus.

[ So, last night I was talking about Eternatus with @another-bloody-multimuse and @nats-rp-world because of the Masters Event ( Howling Shield ), and all of our brains were melting because of the Lore™️, so I’m gonna dump all of my thoughts here for Alamgir, Alex’s Eternatus. ]

[ Under the cut! ]

So, from what we do know, Eternatus’ origin is as follows from Bulbapedia:

“Eternatus is an extraterrestrial Pokémon that came to Earth inside a meteor around 20,000 years ago.”

The wiki also says this, in regards to Eternatus’ connection to the Dynamax Phenomenon:

“Eternatus serves as the source of the Dynamax and Gigantamax phenomena in Galar due to its power leaking out in the form of Galar Particles following its defeat thousands of years ago by Zacian and Zamazenta. Pieces of its body imbued with its power rain down throughout Galar in the form of Wishing Pieces and Wishing Stars. When it is awake, Eternatus causes a phenomenon dubbed the Darkest Day, in which the massive quantities of Dynamax energy it unleashes causes Pokémon to Dynamax and rampage uncontrollably. It can also sometimes keep other Pokémon from Dynamaxing in its presence.”

So, obviously, there’s a lot to unpack about this 65 foot death worm. And there’s also the issue in that paragraph: if Eternatus causes the Darkest Day every time it’s awake, why can the player walk around with it on the Isle of Armor and in the Crown Tundra and be fine? Does Eternatus being on Pasio now mean that there’s Power Spots and Galar Particles?

So, here’s my take on all of this, and my meager attempt to try and string everything together.

What is the Darkest Day and Where the Hell Did Eternatus Come From?

20,000 years ago, Eternatus landed in the meteor, and, according to Bulbapdedia’s page on the Darkest Day that states that it took place 3,000 years prior to SwSh, basically slept for 17,000 years. I wish I slept that good.

The dex entry for Hero of Many Battles Zamazenta in Sword also reveals something: “In times past, it worked together with a king of the people to save the Galar region. It absorbs metal that it then uses in battle.” Of course, this could mean a human king, like the two brothers from the tapestries, but we actually have a king Pokemon.

Calyrex.

Calyrex was said to rule over the Crown Tundra in times past, as a benevolent and merciful king, but willing to fight if necessary. Zacian’s other name, the Fairy King’s Sword, also ties into this, Calyrex potentially being inspired by depictions of the fae or elves.

So, the Darkest Day happens, and, if I’m correct, Calyrex and the wolves defeat Eternatus, who then goes into another slumber for 3,000 years.

So now that we have that: How Do the Galar Particles and Wishing Stars Work?

After Eternatus was defeated, pieces of their body rained down on Galar in the form of Wishing Stars, and given that they’re still raining down to this day ( see your Route 2 encounter with Hop ), it’s safe to say some are probably floating around in the atmosphere.

Wishing Stars are little pieces of Eternatus, imbued with legendary power. Oleana figured out how to slap ‘em into a band, and now you have Dynamax around your wrist.

But then there’s the other piece that got mentioned, like. Twice by Sonia or Rose. And never showed up again. Galar Particles. Released by Eternatus after their defeat by the Hero Duo and Caly, these little guys are what actually allow Dynamaxing. They’re also what allows Eternatus to live, them absorbing Galar Particles pretty much all the time in order to survive.

But, give them too much, by say, over loading them with Wishing Stars ( See: Rose ), and they Eternamax, causing the Darkest Day.

So, Abi, What the Fuck Does Any Of That Mean?

Here’s the tldr of the whole thing:

Eternatus crash lands on Earth 20,000 years ago and is asleep for 17,000 of them, probably holding in this great power the whole time. Since they’re not expending it gradually, 3,000 years before Sword and Shield, they cause the Darkest Day, as a result of their own overload.

Zacian and Zamazenta, lead by King Calyrex, defeat Eternatus, who expends a whole bunch of Galar Particles and Wishing Stars, which would allow trainers to Dynamax in the future, and then returns to their slumber, now without power.

Flash forward to the present day, and Rose decides to fuck around and find out, and begins reviving Eternatus with all the Wishing Stars he can get his hands on to solve an energy crisis, thanks to Bede and Oleana. Darkest Day happens again, thanks to Rose’s meddling, and the wolves wake up to save the day alongside Alex and Hop.

The Darkest Day is not directly a consequence of Eternatus being awake - that would be disastrous given that Alex has captured them and intends to train them.

Rather, the Darkest Day is simply a result of Eternatus being overloaded on power through the Galar Particles and Wishing Stars ( which likely have Galar Particles in them ).

Now that Eternatus has a trainer who can monitor how much power they have, it’s unlikely that the Darkest Day will be occurring again.

That was long as Hell but I hope it was worth the read.

#( For the Bookshelf ): Reference #( Team: Alex Farrell )#( alamgir. )

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teamgalacticpropaganda · 2 years

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This is the only time I'm gonna mention leaks and I'm not adding any of my usual tags on here bc of it, but I gOTTA talk about how weird this is, under here :

So Saturn and Jupiter have a double battle in the Battle Tower (Master Rank, by the way) and according to how it's coded, there can be a scenario where Saturn will have Crobat (he doesn't have Golbat in DP or BDSP, only Platinum- but Jupiter does) and Skuntank, but Jupiter will not have either. In fact she doesn't have a Crobat at all

But that's not all! There's another weird thing. There's a pair they can have of Nidoking and Absol. Nidoking is purple, looks mean, would be fitting for Jupiter, right? And Absol literally looks like Saturn, you can kind of link it's dex entries to him too. So that means Jupiter has Nidoking and Saturn has Absol, right? Wrong! It's the other way around. What.

Saturn has... Definitely gotten the short end of the stick here. The Pokémon he can possibly use are Nidoking, Skuntank, Gengar, Crobat and Toxicroak. Basically, there was Absol right damn there, and they sacrificed it to make him a Poison specialist and Jupiter a Dark specialist, likely to make fighting them easier. Which..... Sucks. Basically the both of them got nerfed in the Battle Tower when nearly everyone else, including Mars and Cyrus, becomes harder to fight. Their team doesn't even work together because Jupiter's Tyranitar will end up harming Saturn's Pokémon (and her own if she switches out). They nerfed them hard and they are genuinely the easiest double battle in the tower. Easier than Gardenia & Fantina which comes before them that also doesn't have a legendary.....

It's especially bad because both of them are harder to fight in the main story. You're gonna have more trouble against Saturn's rain teams that you are probably higher level than than you are his team in the Battle Tower. Which sucks !!

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opalgelance · 5 years

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Isn’t it kinda weird that a lot of these new Pokemon designs feel like they should belong in a more industrialized region, like Unova, the region James Turner started designing Pokemon for, and now he’s the lead designer for Galar?

EDIT: Added further evidence for Indeedee and Hatterene line being strange copies/counterparts to Audino and the Gothielle line respectively in the leaked Dex entries. They aren’t copies of each other, but the Dex entries have some strange similarities. Don’t get me wrong, I love all 4 lines, and I’m 100% catching myself an Indeedee and Hatterene, it’s just weird how similar they are considering they probably had the same designer approve them.

Wouldn’t it make a lot more sense for Galarian Corsola, a Pokemon based on bleached coral, to belong in a region where the desert is disappearing in favor of cityscape, possibly with an indication that the oceans are slowly disappearing too? Like the Marine Tube? Or, wouldn’t Galarian Corsola make sense near the Abyssal Ruins?

And Toxtricity, who has the ability of PUNK ROCK, isn’t one of Roxie’s, the punk rocker Poison type leader’s, Pokemon?

Duraludon, who’s Dynamax form is basically a skyscraper.

Indeedee, who very much looks like a counterpart to Audino.

EDIT: Indeedee’s Dex entry

It uses the horns on its head to sense the emotions of others. Males will act as valets for those they serve, looking after their every need.

Through its horns, it can pick up on the emotions of creatures around it. Positive emotions are the source of its strength.

Audino’s Dex entry

1. Using the feelers on its ears, it can tell how someone is feeling or when an egg might hatch. 2. It touches others with the feelers on its ears, using the sound of their heartbeats to tell how they are feeling.

The Sizzlipede line, which also looks like a counterpart to the Scolipede line.

The Hatterene line, which is very reminiscent of the Gothitelle line.

EDIT: Hatterene line Dex entries:

Hattena:

Via the protrusion on its head, it senses other creatures’ emotions. If you don’t have a calm disposition, it will never warm up to you.

If this Pokémon senses a strong emotion, it will run away as fast as it can. It prefers areas without people.

Hattrem:

No matter who you are, if you bring strong emotions near this Pokémon, it will silence you violently.

Using the braids on its head, it pummels foes to get them to quiet down. One blow from those braids would knock out a professional boxer.

Hatterene:

It emits psychic power strong enough to cause headaches as a deterrent to the approach of others.

If you’re too loud around it, you risk being torn apart by the claws on its tentacle. This Pokémon is also known as the Forest Witch.

Gothita:

1. (From previous games) Their ribbonlike feelers increase their psychic power. They are always staring at something.

Gothorita:

It’s said that when stars shine in the night sky, this Pokémon will spirit away sleeping children. Some call it the Witch of Punishment.

The Silicobra line, which could easily fit in Unova’s desert region.

The Dreepy line, which is inspired by drones and fighter jets, is in the Pokemon version of England, and not the Pokemon version of the US?

Eiscue, a Pokemon based on the melting ice caps, a phenomenon caused by global warming, wouldn’t be close to a city spewing out pollution and carbon emissions?

Then we have the fossils, which are obviously a play on fossils IRL that were put together wrong. IDK, that just feels like it would fit in a more modern setting? Maybe a city focused on fossils, where scientists are experimenting with fossils constantly, in a region where there already is a prehistoric Pokemon that has been tampered with by modern technology?

And of course there is a surprising amount of Galarian Unova Pokemon, but there’s also a surprising amount of Unova Pokemon in the National Dex leak (although it’s weird that the Pokemon based on a Scottish Terrier isn’t in the England/Scotland region)

TD;LR I think a lot of these Pokemon might have been Unova rejects that James Turner shoved into Galar. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s very strange. Honestly I feel like they should’ve waited for Unova remakes and introduced some of these Pokemon, which seem to fit better in Unova than Galar, although as of writing this SwSh isn’t out so I could be proven wrong. Plus he is showing his obvious favoritism to Unova, which wouldn’t be bad if he didn’t push to include Pokemon like Basculin (yes, I’m very salty about Basculin being in SwSh)

#swsh leaks #swsh #pokemon #pokemon leaks #sword shield leaks #sword shield

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swirly592 · 5 years

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Right, so I gotta vent about all this Pokémon Sword and Shield nonsense going around. Let me say that yes, the developers shouldn’t be rushed and I’d prefer 2-3 years between games if it made them better, however that doesn’t mean the game is trash just because management is awful. Sorry to tell you this, but ever since DP GameFreak has been aiming for some kind of Pokémon game every year. This isn’t a new issue.

Let’s get on with the show.

Keep in mind all of the released information so far is from 4chan. Even those posts on reddit are about information originally posted on 4chan. That’s not the most reliable source out there.

1) Dex cut

Yeah, it fucking sucks that the dex was cut, especially so much. Do I think that the cut was because they wanted to make sure each model was perfect? No, it’s probably a lie. However, I think the reason for the cut was something that people are overlooking: space. There are now nearly 1000 Pokémon to model and animate, neveminding the fact each one can be shiny (thus a new model) and there are tons of forms ranging from relatively useless like Resolute Form to Megas to regional variants. All of that is just the Pokémon, never mind and human models, background models like houses, trees, etc. I can’t help but think the switch just couldn’t handle all of it without going into negative frame rates. Hell, the games have been having issues with frame rate since BW and I’m pretty sure even back then it was due to size.

I think GF wanted people to hope about getting their favorites back while not admitting the switch isn’t the greatest thing since the invention of the lightbulb. Could I be wrong, of course. I don’t have the ability to identify just how large everything is. But don’t just assume the Dex was cut for a nefarious reason when your proof is a person claiming to know things on 4chan.

2) Animations

From the videos, they certainly don’t seem to be the best. Honestly, they don’t look any better than SM and sometimes those looked wonky. But let’s be real here: when has Pokémon ever had that great of animation? I get that GF is claiming they focused on that, but the models were never going to be the best things ever. The move animations make as much sense as they always have. Don’t forget that when using flamethrower on Pokémon that are too tall in games like Platinum, the fire comes out of the stomach. There’s just a bunch of standard motions and they simply pick the best one to use for each move.

Now, stop complaining about Wingull and Xatus overworld idle animations. Wingull has always been like that, I’m pretty sure at least once Dex entry says it’s a glider. Xatu is a psychic totem pole bird, it can do whatever it wants. Wailord’s size being shrunken down so much is quite silly, but how big do you guys want it? It’d be nice to see them all proportional to their Dex sizes, but I also want to see everything clearly. I didn’t like not being able to see the top of Alola Exeggutor after I got over how silly it was. I don’t want the same thing for other Pokémon too. Hop reusing Hau’s animations is ridiculous, but I don’t really pay attention to that kind of thing typically. He’s just meant to be a nice kid to be the rival. Don’t forget that this is a kid game, subtle emotions are both difficult to express and to interpret for someone young. If you want to do an emotion, you have to go big. There are only so many ways to express the same emotion with large movements.

3) Move cut

Alright, if this is true I am indeed pissed. There’s no need to cut the moves, especially the ones like return and hidden power which people actually use. If they were worried about the number of moves (and I’ll be fair, it’d be insane), don’t add new ones? I don’t think people would be that upset a generation added only a few moves so long as the movepools themselves were okay.

4) GTS Removal

... I get why they did it. Monetarily, it’s more logical to have a paid subscription service for online play rather than it being free. I don’t like it, but so long as the fee is low I’ll accept it. Servers are expensive and more people are wanting access to online. They have to pay for it consistently somehow.

5) Dynamax

There are people complaining that Dynamax/Gigadynamax Pokémon aren’t hard enough. The evidence they have is Coalossol being one shot by Intellon (Intelleon? No idea how you spell it). Please remember that our coal dude is fire/rock and the water starter used a decently powerful water move. Being surprised the Pokémon with a quadruple weakness to water was OHKOed by a water move is like being surprised Charizard Y is OHKOed by rock slide. At least wait until a harder challenge appears before judging the gimmick like that.

Look, I’m obviously a fan of the series. I admit some of the changes fucking suck, no matter how much I may understand why it was done. But the people who are bitching the most about how awful the game is are probably the same ones who bitched about BW when it first came out. A game many look back on fondly now.

Everyone should stop freaking the fuck out, form your own opinion about the game when it’s actually released and not just leaked, and stop trying to scare people away because you can.

#rant #pokemon #pokemon sword shield spoilers #pokemon sword #pokemon shield #pokemon spoilers #please stop deciding if the game is trash due to 4chan #at least let people who have non-illegal copies go through it #long post

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ckret2 · 5 years

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Are you going deep with the world building in Pokémon? Is this a scifi take because I’m all about that!

I’m not going super deep. It’s just a “Mimikyu feels unloved but then it’s caught and is happy” fic because dangit, I’ve got Mimikyu feels something bad this weekend.

But like it’s hard to write Pokémon anything without SOME worldbuilding sliding its way in, even if it’s just elaborating on facts we already know from canon.

Example: Drifblim is a big balloon, and Pokédex entries say Drifloon is full of spirits and that they can escape when it pops, so presumably that’s true of its evolved form as well. (And bless the Rotom Dex for giving us so much vaguely unsettling crap to work with.) Like, does that mean if you rip its skin, literal souls start leaking out? And we know it CAN rip/pop, because the Pokédex says so, and because its primary Ability is basically “this Pokémon EXPLODES when it faints.” Somehow I doubt Drifloon/Drifblim popping and leaking souls is the kind of thing that would be explored in the anime so I’m probably on my own for the worldbuilding here, so I get to make stuff up. Does the air escaping its rips sound like death rattles? Does it have a color—like, maybe it’s the same color as Gastly gas and the vapor that leaks out of Mimikyu’s rip in the anime? Perhaps that’s ghost/soul color in Pokémonland?

I’m setting this fic inside game canon, and I’m not actively attempting to do anything “new” with the lore—but if I wanna say anything more than “drifblim was hit three times with this attack and then fainted,” I’ve gotta say what that looks like. I’ve gotta say what it means to knock out a floating balloon ghost.

#about my writing #pokemon #anonymous #ask

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light-wolf · 5 years

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I’ve been following some of the Pokémon Sword & Shield leaks and discussion, trying to plan my team without getting myself spoiled about everything. I have... very mixed feelings about these games, to be honest.

Mostly, I just can’t get over the “Dexit” issue. I won’t mention details out of respect to people who’ve been avoiding spoilers, but there are TOO MANY Pokémon left out, and many of the Galar Dex choices are very... questionable. The animation excuse is bullshit. The metagame balance excuse is bullshit. I’d understand if this was a “reboot” of sorts that completely reinvented the core gameplay of the series, but there’s nothing new or revolutionary in these games that justifies cutting more than half of the existing Pokémon. Being able to move our favorite Pokémon forward with each new game has been a defining feature of the series since the beginning (even when it wasn’t possible during the transition to the GBA, they still coded all existing Pokémon in those games).

I’m not saying Sword & Shield will be bad games. They’re more of the same (which is fine for me, for the most part I still love the main series Pokémon formula), but this time they’re offering way less than what we’ve come to expect. Not only removing good features like they always do (why?!) but also LOTS of the creatures that give this series its identity, for no apparent reason, while also raising the prices. Why are we getting such mediocre games for the main series’ debut on consoles? I’d expect the opposite! Meanwhile, other Nintendo franchises like Mario, Zelda and Smash Bros. have had incredibly polished and revolutionary games for their Switch debuts, while others like Animal Crossing and Metroid Prime have been delayed because they weren’t turning out to be good enough. Why can’t Pokémon be held to those same quality standards? Why is GameFreak so disconnected to their hardcore fans?

On the other hand, many of the new Pokémon designs are amazing, and exploring a new region is always fun (even if Galar looks a bit bland, to be honest). I wish I could “vote with my wallet” and not get the game as an act of protest, but... I just can’t do it. I’m too emotionally invested in this franchise and I can’t see myself skipping the first entry of a new generation, even if it’s not the game I wish it was. I still want to get Pokémon Sword, and I plan to buy it day 1. I know I’ll enjoy playing it, I always do. I just wish GameFreak did more than the bare minimum with this franchise.

#Pokémon #Gen 8 #Light Wolf plays videogames #Light Wolf plays Pokémon Sword

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retrorendum-blog · 7 years

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Pokemon Sun and Moon - Review

Pokémon is a franchise that's been in my life for pretty much as long as I can remember. Pokémon Pearl was my very first real video game, (so yes I'm a Sinnoh baby) and since then I've purchased nearly every new main series game on/ near launch day, or eventually buying them later. The existence and names of the Gen 7 games were leaked by a German copyright website the day before they were officially announced, but how Nintendo and Game Freak released new info on the games in the following months really pumped my hype levels nearly to higher than they've ever been. It's the 20th anniversary of Pokémon as a franchise, so let's see if the newest games hold up to the impossible standards of quality for this immensely popular series.

Title: Pokémon Moon

Available On: Nintendo 2DS, Nintendo 3DS, New Nintendo 3DS

Reviewed On: Nintendo 2DS

Info: Game Freak, 2016

WARNING MINOR SPOILERS FOR POKÈMON SUN AND MOON

Story: The tale of a new Pokémon trainer is one that hasn't developed very much over the years, and it doesn't deviate a ton in 2016's iteration. You're the new kid on the block, arriving to a new region with your mom, at the perfect age to begin your journey as a Pokémon master. Meet the professor and his assistant, choose your starter Pokémon, battle your rival, and get ready to catch em' all. This time however, it's a little different. The game opens to a fully rendered 3D cutscene of a young girl with a bag running for her life through a pristine, sterilized compound while being chased by men in white suits. She gets cornered eventually, and when all hope seems lost, her bag begins to glow and she disappears in a flash of colorful light. After an introduction to the regional Professor Kukui, and the Kahuna of Melemele island Hala, you find yourself on the edge of a ravine with a bridge, standing near the young girl from the earlier cutscene. Her bag begins to rustle, and out jumps a small purple Pokémon named Cosmog. Cosmog, or "Nebby" as the girl calls it, floats out onto the bridge, and proceeds to be attacked by a small band of Spearow. You, being the hero you are, dash out onto the bridge to protect Cosmog from harm. As you're covering Cosmog, it begins to glow like it did in the opening cutscene, and it explodes in a bang of light. The explosion destroys the bridge beneath you, and the two of you plummet into the dark recesses of the ravine, supposedly to your deaths. Right before you hit the ground, a yellow streak appears and whisks you up to safety. The yellow streak turns out to be the legendary Pokémon Tapu Koko, the guardian of Melemele island. It flies away before you can react, leaving behind a magical stone for you to keep. The girl helps you up and introduces herself as Lillie, Professor Kukui's strange assistant. This chain of events sets you on your course to completing the Island challenge; a child's right of passage in the Alola region, and thus you begin your journey. The story in Gen 7 scratched that slightly deeper Pokemon lore itch that I’d been craving ever since I played Pokemon Pearl a decade ago, and left me craving more. Story gets a 10/10

Visuals/ Music: Pokémon Sun and Moon are the best looking and sounding entries in the main series franchise to date, and they push the limitations of the 3DS's hardware to it's very limits. This push becomes obvious when you enter a double battle, where the DS framerate slows to a crawl every few seconds. The most impressive aspect of the visuals in the game are the aforementioned 3D cutscenes, which happen every once in a while as you progress through the story. While the constant switching between classic gameplay and unskippable story sequences may get frustrating for some who are just there to catch Pokémon and battle, I found it to be a refreshing change of pace in the games, because lore and plot have always been some of my favorite parts of video games. The cutscenes are detailed eye-candy, and each one contains people and Pokémon acting as though they were in a movie. The sound design is top-notch as well, each route and town has it's own catchy and recognizable tunes, and occasionally you hear old classic songs from earlier games remixed for a quick burst of nostalgia. The songs are all well mixed as well, with guitars, flutes, and base drums all coming together to create the soundtrack. I don't think people will be talking about the soundtrack much in the future, at least not compared to the god’s breath that is Kanto, Johto and Sinnoh soundtracks, but we can enjoy it for what it is now. The visuals and music in Sun and Moon get an 9/10

Gameplay: Pokémon's gameplay is tried and true, whittle down the opponents health in turn based combat and capture and level your monsters to become the very best like no one ever was, and all of that is in Sun and Moon as well. There are just under 100 new creatures to catpure, battle, and bond with, and with a national dex 300 strong, the wide variation in Pokémon is apparent from the very beginning. There are also two new types of Pokémon, Ultra Beasts and Alolan Variants. Ultra Beasts are Pokémon from another dimension, and are extremely tough in battle. Alolan Variants feed into the nostalgia the game creates by taking Pokémon from the original 151 in Red and Green, and giving them a new look, new typings, and new abilities. The object of the game is to complete your island challenge, and take on each Trial and their subsequent Trial Captains. The Trials are Sun and Moon's replacement for the classic Pokémon Gym system, and is a welcome breath of fresh air to veterans and a neat way to bring in newcomers. Each trial is extremely different, from finding ingredients to playing spot the difference in the dancing Pokémon, and as you play you don't know what to expect next. The trials themselves are pretty simple to complete, some of them are honestly childish, and I wish they could've been harder, but the real challenge comes right after you complete the trial. At the end of every trial is a Totem Pokémon, a larger more powerful version of an already strong monster who has the ability to call upon allies in battle. These battles can be extremely tough if you don't come prepared for them, so expect to black out a few times before actually moving on in the story. Pokémon Sun and Moon also implement some new gameplay mechanics as well. Pokémon refresh is a mode where you can feed, clean, and pet your Pokémon to bond with them, Poké Pelago is a set of islands each with their own helpful services, and the Festival Plaza is a place where you can meet and interact with the people you have street passed with. Pokémon Sun and Moon also get rid of the archaic and obnoxious HM system, instead using Poké Rides where you can surf on a Lapras, fly on a Charizard, or gallop on a Mudsdale. These games are much more difficult than in past installments, as each trainer uses their own fighting techniques and wild Pokémon can now call for help when they are in danger. All these new gameplay mechanics may not seem like very much to the average gamer or one who hasn’t played much Pokemon, but to hardcore fans like myself, it’s a pleasant surprise that really broke up the formula just enough to feel new, while still retaining the classic Pokemon feel. Sun and Moon’s gameplay gets a 10/10.

Verdict: Pokémon Sun and Moon are the breath of fresh air the franchise has been in desperate need for for years. Delivering a story unparalleled by any in the series, brand new gameplay mechanics and stunning graphics and music, Sun and Moon have the strong potential to become the new best in the Pokémon world. Having been the most preordered game in Nintendo's history and selling over 10 Million copies in 2 weeks following the launch, the games are already becoming classics. They've already become some of my favorite games of all time, I've logged 110 hours on my copy of Pokémon Moon and captured all 300 Pokémon available in the Alola dex, and it's only been a month since release. The game suffers from serious framerate drops in some places and it might not have much in the way of postgame content, but overall Pokémon Sun and Moon are my personal favorite games in the Pokémon series, and are strongly deserving of a 9.5/10.

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