Gen VII: Pokémon Sun and Moon (New info Post #5834)

[Gabe]

Time (Dialga) and Space (Palkia) aren't opposites.

I would say that the box legends are more complimentary each other instead of being complete opposites and have been since at least Gen 3 and arguably Gen 2.

Although I'm not entirely sure how exactly Zygarde compliments Xerneas & Yveltal. I mean, I know they're based on Norse myths but not entirely sure if that means their roles are the same as the myths they're based on. This is another reason why I think a Z version was needed and why Emerald, Platinum, & BW2 were great - they expanded on the story of a Pokemon we didn't quite get a full understanding of in the initial versions.

 

[Pikachu315111]

I would say that the box legends are more complimentary each other instead of being complete opposites and have been since at least Gen 3 and arguably Gen 2.

Although I'm not entirely sure how exactly Zygarde compliments Xerneas & Yveltal. I mean, I know they're based on Norse myths but not entirely sure if that means their roles are the same as the myths they're based on. This is another reason why I think a Z version was needed and why Emerald, Platinum, & BW2 were great - they expanded on the story of a Pokemon we didn't quite get a full understanding of in the initial versions.

Yeah, out of all the "third" members of the box mascots Zygarde does seem like an odd one out. Rayquaza and Giratina was an extension of their gen's themes while Kyurem was an extension of the Gen V's story (though it had its symbolism too, being the Wuji to Zekrom & Reshiram's Yin & Yang).

But Zygarde? It's main deal was "Order" and being a counter to Yveltal & Xerneas power. I guess it could be that since the Mortality Duo are one part of the life cycle they both represent a form of chaos and/or unbalance. One gaining more power over the other would cause great harm to the natural order. I imagine a story involving Zygarde would have gotten more into that.

 

[Codraroll]

In hindsight, it almost looks like the Zygarde we got in XY was more of a "preview" of a Gen VII Pokémon than a fully fledged Gen VI legendary. It is like Lugia to the legendary birds, or Regigigas to the golems - only released a generation too early.

I still maintain my theory that Pokémon Z was in planning for a very long time, and scrapped at a late stage of XY's development. Floette-E and the Thousand Whatever moves are smoking guns signalling that something more was planned for Kalos in Gen VI. But thinking it through, Zygarde can fill a role in a later-generation game too, and it wouldn't be the first legendary with ties to previous-generation Pokémon.

Speaking of legendaries, I wonder whether TPCi had counted on Magearna to be a better teaser and discussion catalyst than it turned out to be. Sylveon sparked a lot of debate and theories, and they might have hoped for something similar happening to Magearna (like they tried to replicate Lucario's success with Zoroark, and Pikachu's success with... every Pikaclone ever). Instead, it gave off too much of a Diancie vibe, and fan expectations reached a sort of consensus very early: "Yep, this will probably be this generation's equivalent of Diancie or Meloetta. That's it, done and dusted, case closed." We didn't get as excited for Magearna, as it didn't awake those feelings of "the unknown". It is something we've never seen before, but it's not unlike what we've seen before. No indication that this will do new and exciting things. There is a familiarity there that doesn't catalyse discussion.

As such, Gen VII remains a mystery. But it's a mystery without clues. Without clues, there is nothing to examine, or discuss, or to get excited about. We can imagine, yes, but we're painfully aware that our imagination is all we have. Discussing our dreams is an inherently fruitless discussion. Discussing somebody else's dreams is plain boring. We always knew that Gen VII was coming at some point. But we rarely talked about it, because we had nothing to really talk about. And in a sense, when Gen VII was announced, that didn't change. The Gen VII announcement changed nothing. Nothing we've heard since changed anything either. The announcement of generations V and VI (the only ones I've followed closely from day one) both gave us the sensation that "something new is coming, this is a new era - just look at this". The announcement gave a taste of the new experience. So far, Gen VII has failed to do anything of the sort. I know nothing more about Gen VII than I did one year ago, apart from the names of the new games, and their approximate release date. And, well, Magearna too I suppose, but that doesn't feel like something new.

It's true, though, that I'm excited to hear more about Sun and Moon. But that has nothing to do with how it has been marketed. It's all because of the brand strength of Pokémon. At the moment, I feel roughly the same about Gen VII as I do about generations VIII and IX: We know nothing yet, and it's pointless to discuss any details, but I'm pretty sure I will enjoy it.


One aspect of Gen VII defies the above, though: the wireframe bird. Knowing Game Freak, it'll be your everyday, early-route Normal/Flying bird. However, after Talonflame, we've come to expect more from that kind of Pokémon. There is a promise of something more in that bird. It'll probably have evolutions. It may make an impact on the metagame. We'll certainly see it quite often in playthroughs. That split-second shot of it gave us the glimpse of the unknown, a clue to the mystery, a foundation on which to build discussion. That is marketing done right. The total silence, the lack of any clues, that's marketing done wrong.

 

[sneaky.]

what the actual fuck is this. who in their right minds thought this was good marketing. Two blank boxarts is exactly the same shit as showing nothing. Didn't they say to expect coverage in the next issue like 3 months ago??? I'm pretty sure game freak knows how ridiculous this is... right? They're doing this on purpose im telling ya. No sane marketing team would show blank boxarts and expect hype. inb4 next MONTH, yes MONTH, we get some silhouette and the classic movie information that nobody gives a damn about.

 

[Project_Mars]

Regarding Eternal Flotette and the Thousand attacks: Maybe they had other ideas for Gen 7, they didnt work out or they changed them, but didnt get rid of Eternal Flotette or the Thousand Attacks (maybe you could fight AZ after he reunited with Flotette or that happened right after you destroyed the weapon. And maybe they intended for a way to have Zygarde learn the Thousand attacks based on which version you had... But couldn't figure out a satisfying (to them) way of doing it. Or we'll hear about an event Zygarde in Japan with both of those moves sometime towards the end of the XY&Z anime arc.)

I still do not believe they started out with a desire to do a Pokemon Z, due to how the story goes. While I do admit that they could have done a re-write where Zygarde takes the spot of Yveltal/Xerneas like they have done many times before (every generation except five.) That would mean rehashing the same story, however, which I do believe they have stated they don't want to do. As for doing a sequel ala B2/W2, it wouldn't make as much sense due to how it ends: Lysander is dead (especially in Y) and Xerosec gets arrested in the Looker Story after mostly deciding to stop playing mad scientist out of concern for Emma. The four lady scientists could pull a Neo Team Rocket, I suppose, but they don't seem compelling enough to be upgraded to main villains for an entire game. HG/SS is great, and I'm sure everyone remembers the storyline pretty well... But how memorable were the four admins of Neo Team Rocket? They didn't seem to work out for me, but to each their own, neh?

Also: I kinda wonder how the casual Pokemon fan would feel about the weird way Nintendo has been unveiling Sun/Moon. We aren't really the primal audience they are aiming for, just a very active (and vocal) section of the fanbase. If their primary audience does like how they are going about this, then expect it to continue. Otherwise, they may change it up. I doubt at this juncture we will get silhouettes of the box legendaries next month, but won't rule out sihouettes of, lets say, the starters. (Would be hilarious if the box art *IS* the silhoutte of the legendary though. But I would hope they show the legendaries if that is the case.)

 

[Kurona]

Also: I kinda wonder how the casual Pokemon fan would feel about the weird way Nintendo has been unveiling Sun/Moon. We aren't really the primal audience they are aiming for, just a very active (and vocal) section of the fanbase. If their primary audience does like how they are going about this, then expect it to continue. Otherwise, they may change it up. I doubt at this juncture we will get silhouettes of the box legendaries next month, but won't rule out sihouettes of, lets say, the starters. (Would be hilarious if the box art *IS* the silhoutte of the legendary though. But I would hope they show the legendaries if that is the case.)

In the case of more casual fans it'd be even worse though since they're not the ones religiously following Corocoro releases. So they've had even less news than us and have probably forgotten about Sun/Moon in general until actual news is revealed on youtube or whatever.

 

[Gaburaisu]

A lot of people (I'm not naming names) are continuously saying "oh well they only said they'd start coverage, they didn't promise us a bunch of news. this is what they said they'd do." Okay and? In past reveals of information we've at least gotten some silhouettes, and while that isn't a lot of information per se, it's a lot of discussion material. One of the things that really excites me about new pokemon games (more so than actually playing the game tbh) is the mass amounts of discussion we have months in advance trying to figure out different aspects of the game. People go crazy drawing their interpretations of the silhouettes literally up until our next monthly update. And that's what Nintendo and GameFreak should want people to do. Discuss things. That keeps people talking about the games and therefore keeps people's interest.

The fact that they actually told us that coverage would start this month and all they showed us is two fucking faded boxes is absolutely ridiculous. That's not discussion material. You're forcing fans to just go back into hiding and worry about the game the following month. There's no hype building from that, especially from already being told we had to wait a month for information. So yes, I agree. The marketing is failing this time around.

I also can't help but think that the marketing might be weird because it's the 20th anniversary fiscal year. There seems to be a lot on their plate, but I'm not saying that excuses poor marketing. Everything has been a bit weird in preparation for this celebration. Somehow I think Sun and Moon might be a little bigger than we think and all this hush-hush with the game might be why. E3 doesn't seem like a likely excuse considering we had more info about ORAS when it was announced before E3 (well that was in May but still). Regardless of when the typical time is for information dumps, announcing the game this early doesn't mean that we can't get at least a nugget of information.

 

[EsurioXY]

And that's what Nintendo and GameFreak should want people to do. Discuss things. That keeps people talking about the games and therefore keeps people's interest.

You still are discussing things.

Marketing is a fickle thing in the internet age. Any thing can become viral and spread to everyone. Look at BvS; they basically gave the audience everything important with the few trailers to the point were people we thinking, and somewhat correctly, that the whole movie was spoiled for them. All of this is just a simple marketing push; you trickle out information to inform people to anticipate things, and then you really stir the pot as the release gets closer and closer.

The whole thing about pokemon is the gimmicks between generations and newer pokemon. That is pretty much what sells it to the general audience. You can't expose those too soon or you've just spoiled it all.

 

[Project_Mars]

You still are discussing things.

Marketing is a fickle thing in the internet age. Any thing can become viral and spread to everyone. Look at BvS; they basically gave the audience everything important with the few trailers to the point were people we thinking, and somewhat correctly, that the whole movie was spoiled for them. All of this is just a simple marketing push; you trickle out information to inform people to anticipate things, and then you really stir the pot as the release gets closer and closer.

The whole thing about pokemon is the gimmicks between generations and newer pokemon. That is pretty much what sells it to the general audience. You can't expose those too soon or you've just spoiled it all.

Basically this, but not entirely on point. It's not too early in the game to start showing us a few details (Silhouettes of the legendaries, for instance, would have been vastly better than this) about the games, but just a few details. Hype is a very fickle thing, in that too much or too little can be a very bad thing and it can only last for so long before it dissipates. For instance: the fact that we went in the source code of the ORAS demo and pulled out stuff like trainer teams and the new Mega Evolutions + stats did generate a lot of discussion on the internet... For a few weeks a month or two before the games came out. By the time they did most of the theorycrafting had been done and people had ideas of what to expect going forward.

Yeah, it's bad that they went another month saying "tune in next month for actual news!" since that does a lot to stifle the hype that they should be working on building, but on the other hand revealing too much info too quickly would have a similar hype stifling effect... Just delayed to be closer to the game's launch. Not as severe as this mind you, but possibly one that could directly affect sales. If they do really wait until next month to start talking about it, then we will have about 7 months (still assuming that it will release Late October/Early November) to talk about the game. Should work out alright that way without too many people chomping at the bit in anticipation. (Assuming people aren't already.)

 

[Kurona]

I think the biggest problem here - at least to me - is that we were promised info and got nothing. The fact we got nothing for another month is still pretty bad compared to literally every other game release in the past few years, but if you're gonna promise something - especially if you're a big company promising this to many people - you should deliver.

Also, what are we discussing even? The fact that this whole situation is stupid??? That isn't exactly Sun/Moon discussion

 

[brightobject]

game freak

 

[Codraroll]

I've been thinking a little more about the "is this bad marketing or not" debate, and I must say, I still think that TPCi are doing a terrible job.

Consider the following question: How do your feelings for Gen VII differ from those for Gen VIII?

That means: Compare the games that were announced in February to a pair of hypothetical Pokémon games to be released at some point in the distant future. What can we reasonably discuss about Sun & Moon, that we can't about the far-future games? Quite concretely, what is there to be excited about? What can we assume about Gen VII that we can't about Gen VIII? What can we dismiss? Did the announcement of Gen VII games change the way you already looked at Gen VII?

For me, no. Only very superficial details set Gen VII and VIII apart in my book. I guess I have to buy a new console for Gen VIII, whenever that comes out. Other than that, neither generation really feels more excitement-worthy than the other at the current moment. I know nothing about Gen VIII, not what Pokémon will be in it, not what new mechanics there will be, not what the region will be like, and not how the gameplay experience will be different than that of Gen VI. And, at the moment, the exact same goes for Gen VII. It still feels hypothetical and far-future, two and a half months after it was revealed. There is nothing in either game I can reasonably look forward to get my hands on, to try out or to explore. I mean, Magearna looks neat and all, but I've only just picked up Diancie, and I have no reason to believe the two will feel different. They seem to look quite alike, play mostly the same, fit into the story in the same way, and have the same role in the game (pretty-princess-bonus-'mon à la Meloetta). Even the Zygarde formes were old news when Sun & moon were revealed, I've already grown accustomed to their (non-) existence.

I'm still trying to find a reason to be excited for Sun & Moon, to find something to look forward to. Something that makes Gen VII feel real and imminent, and not hypothetical and far-future. Anything that makes me wonder "What is it?", "What is that place like?" or "What does that thing do?", and so far... very close to nothing. Apart from the wireframe bird, whose existence has not even been acknowledged in any media, Gen VII might as well not have been announced yet. That is not a sign of good marketing.


To answer my own italicized question, the announcement of Gen VII changed the way I looked at Gen VI. It felt like the sixth generation was cut short, deprived of the "grand finale" we know from content-filled generation-ending games in the series. I was looking forward to a polished and refined Kalos adventure in the same vein as Emerald, Platinum and BW2. A different twist to the story, move tutors, a scrambled-up selection of Pokémon, and a rich post-game. It felt so real, and I was excited. Instead, we got something best summed up as "you waited for nothing, maybe next time". Our existing expectations were cut short, and to top it off there were no hints of anything else to be excited for instead. All was back up in the air, and has remained there for more than eight weeks despite TPCi having released news twice since then. Both times acknowledging the existence of new games, but not giving us any reason to be more excited for them than for our own wish lists.

 

[Chaoswalker]

My suspicion for a while has been that their marketing abilities are tied due to something bigger that is going on. Namely, the Nintendo NX information that was said to come out around spring (so around now) and the fact that there is supposed to be some sort of handheld component to the console. I wouldn't be surprised to find that the game either has interaction with the NX, or even has a version playable on it which is keeping them from dropping any big announcements about the game before papa Nintendo says it's time.

 

[stage7_4]

Well, Corocoro might have been a bust, but at least I've got my very reliable sources to leak the new pokemon images.

looks legit to me

So meowjestic

Eh, a bit noisy.

Lookin' ready to take on a witch!

Better watch out for these guys!

Might have to open a ranch to fit these new pokemon.

Eh... this one's a little bizarre.

This must be the true self.

It might be digital, but it looks so real!

Not very realistic, but clearly the best design ever!

Actually, I think this one is fake.

In all seriousness now, I'm actually kind of nervous that this is supposed to be an anniversary title. Looking back on the Megaman, Metroid, and Sonic anniversary games (maybe not Sonic Generations but certainly '06), it seems trying to make a grand anniversary game just ends with rushed deadlines and disappointments. Don't trip up Gamefreak!

 

[Dreamox]

That's one click I'll never get back. Maybe if your gunna post some "humour" than perhaps make it humourous.

Really hard to understand the marketing concept here, it's seems like they're making people less interested in the franchise as the lack of info continues to roll on, and by the time we get something worthwhile to discuss, I feel a lot of attitudes will be like ,"meh".

 

[Pikachu315111]

That's one click I'll never get back. Maybe if your gunna post some "humour" than perhaps make it humourous.

Really hard to understand the marketing concept here, it's seems like they're making people less interested in the franchise as the lack of info continues to roll on, and by the time we get something worthwhile to discuss, I feel a lot of attitudes will be like ,"meh".

Geez, lighten up. GF has already turned its back on us, we don't need to be snapping at each other.

 

[Codraroll]

It actually looks like there was a Sun/Moon feature in this month's CoroCoro after all. Nothing big and game-changing for us, but... well, a neat little something: There was a "report" of CoroCoro's editors doing a Mission Impossible-style infiltration of the Game Freak offices, hastily snagging pictures of the game covers before getting out of there as quickly as possible.

The twist to the story? The camera's flash ruined the pictures, hence why the covers posted in CoroCoro didn't show anything but a white blur.

picture

That's... pretty neat, actually. It would have been a really nice addition to the marketing campaign in "more peaceful times". On its own, it's certainly worth a chuckle (or at least a smile), but it doesn't build excitement for Sun/Moon because said excitement hasn't got any foundation to be built on yet. Still, it's notches above what I ever expected from CoroCoro.

...but if I were to suggest an improvement... they should have added a brief description of the cover legendaries. THAT would be a real spark to ignite discussion.

 

[Project_Mars]

I've been thinking a little more about the "is this bad marketing or not" debate, and I must say, I still think that TPCi are doing a terrible job.

Consider the following question: How do your feelings for Gen VII differ from those for Gen VIII?

That means: Compare the games that were announced in February to a pair of hypothetical Pokémon games to be released at some point in the distant future. What can we reasonably discuss about Sun & Moon, that we can't about the far-future games? Quite concretely, what is there to be excited about? What can we assume about Gen VII that we can't about Gen VIII? What can we dismiss? Did the announcement of Gen VII games change the way you already looked at Gen VII?

For me, no. Only very superficial details set Gen VII and VIII apart in my book. I guess I have to buy a new console for Gen VIII, whenever that comes out. Other than that, neither generation really feels more excitement-worthy than the other at the current moment. I know nothing about Gen VIII, not what Pokémon will be in it, not what new mechanics there will be, not what the region will be like, and not how the gameplay experience will be different than that of Gen VI. And, at the moment, the exact same goes for Gen VII. It still feels hypothetical and far-future, two and a half months after it was revealed. There is nothing in either game I can reasonably look forward to get my hands on, to try out or to explore. I mean, Magearna looks neat and all, but I've only just picked up Diancie, and I have no reason to believe the two will feel different. They seem to look quite alike, play mostly the same, fit into the story in the same way, and have the same role in the game (pretty-princess-bonus-'mon à la Meloetta). Even the Zygarde formes were old news when Sun & moon were revealed, I've already grown accustomed to their (non-) existence.

I'm still trying to find a reason to be excited for Sun & Moon, to find something to look forward to. Something that makes Gen VII feel real and imminent, and not hypothetical and far-future. Anything that makes me wonder "What is it?", "What is that place like?" or "What does that thing do?", and so far... very close to nothing. Apart from the wireframe bird, whose existence has not even been acknowledged in any media, Gen VII might as well not have been announced yet. That is not a sign of good marketing.


To answer my own italicized question, the announcement of Gen VII changed the way I looked at Gen VI. It felt like the sixth generation was cut short, deprived of the "grand finale" we know from content-filled generation-ending games in the series. I was looking forward to a polished and refined Kalos adventure in the same vein as Emerald, Platinum and BW2. A different twist to the story, move tutors, a scrambled-up selection of Pokémon, and a rich post-game. It felt so real, and I was excited. Instead, we got something best summed up as "you waited for nothing, maybe next time". Our existing expectations were cut short, and to top it off there were no hints of anything else to be excited for instead. All was back up in the air, and has remained there for more than eight weeks despite TPCi having released news twice since then. Both times acknowledging the existence of new games, but not giving us any reason to be more excited for them than for our own wish lists.

Perhaps I'm looking at it differently on both aspects of your post (with my views on gen 6 being possibly controversial) but the fact that we have titles and a release date cause me to think of Gen 7 differently than Gen 8 on the basis that we know it is coming and about when it is coming. Gen 8 is a future abstract thing to me due to the fact that it hasn't been announced. Sure we could have expectations of seeing it in 2 - 3 years, but that doesn't make it a guarantee. It's a lot harder to be anxiously anticipating Gen 8 due to this.

On Gen 6, I never got the feeling that the generation was left incomplete, nor does Gen 7's announcment give me a feeling that the generation was left incomplete. Yes, I do agree that the post-game for XY was left woefully lacking (ORAS rectified that to an extent) and the music could have been a bit better (I got to Courmine before I realized I that I hadnt paid as much attention to the music as I had in previous games) but the storyline wrapped itself up very nicely to the extent that a sequel ala B2W2 would feel forced and the Kalos region itself felt pretty well done. So the other option would be to either swap Zygarde into Xerneas/Yveltal's place in the story (a cop-out, imo. Plus a little weird due to its powers not corresponding to an aspect of the plot device weapon) or find a way to make significant story changes that would take quite a bit more time to add in (due to them doing simultaneous world launches now) On the latter I would agree that Gen 7 would rob Gen 6 of a tertiary game: Such changes would push back the launch if Gen 7, which one should have assumed would come out this year due to it being the 20th anniversary. It would seem odd for them to have not released Gen 7 this year. In closing it is my opinion that the location and story were handled well enough to where anemic post-game doesn't detract enough from the games as a whole experience. Plus with ORAS providing move tutors and a richer post-game, that reasoning for a tertiary game is gone.

Edit: ah, the double edged sword of spoilers strikes again. Kinda works out now that we know they were going somewhere with the blank covers...

Edit2: also: if they gave descriptions of the cover legendaries i get the feeling that the fake leaks would blot out the sun.

 

[Karxrida]

Since this is also a general news thread, I'm going to drop this link here because this is really big/interesting.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pokemon-movie-rights-bidding-war-884207?utm_source=twitter

 

[Mad Ram]

Since this is also a general news thread, I'm going to drop this link here because this is really big/interesting.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pokemon-movie-rights-bidding-war-884207?utm_source=twitter

A live-action Hollywood Pokemon movie. I honestly don't know what to think anymore. Let's hope they don't screw it up that badly.

 

[Kiga]

This makes me think of the live action adaptations of Dragon Ball and Attack on Titan, but with hundreds of non-realistic creatures of eye-popping colors that work on paper, but not in the flesh. Live action Pokémon has somehow become cliche, despite never really happening outside of fan productions - live action took the Super Bowl commercial, which started off pretty good, down a level after the actual pokémon were introduced, for example. Still, this looks like it will have a good budget, and maybe if they manage to tone the colors down at least, it could work. It will almost certainly be a kid's movie, though, so I'm not going to expect too much, as the colors are designed to pop for kids in the first place.

Just don't humanize Ash - go the Alain route and create a new character with calibre. Humanizing Ash would have about as much effectiveness as humanizing Goku did in Evolution, especially since Hollywood might be involved. Just...just don't.

Either way, I'll end up seeing it just as surely as I would buy Sun and Moon, even if they introduced the Light and Magic types, and actually made Human-Pokémon fusions a thing. Damn Pokémon, for successfully brainwashing me for seventy percent of my life!

 

[Cresselia~~]

The moment I saw that it's a Chinese company, the moment I become pessimistic.
Computer graphics in Chinese films have been awful.
And Pokemon live action film would probably really depend on CG... unless all the Pokemon are going to be plush toys?

Oh yes, please don't be Ash. I think I'd vomit if it's him.

 

[Lady Vader]

How can it be disappointing when our expectations are so low they're next to Dome and Helix Fossils?
If this does get made, it will likely suck and will only be remembered as a punchline in the fandom from time to time.
Hell, I knew Dragonball Evolution was going to suck the second I heard it was called Dragonball Evolution. So I just sat and enjoyed the train wreck and I will likely do the same to any live action Pokémon movie.

 

[Codraroll]

I noticed after my last post yesterday that my post count had climbed to 1999, so it's time for one of those "k" posts that are all the rage these days.

I figured that this was the appropriate thread to post it in, since speculation about new games is where I thrive. And I must say, despite everything I'm saying about how Gen VII is marketed so far, I still really look forward to it. So, in anticipation of the new generation and everything it will bring, here's my 2k post:

I look forward to see the first batches of real news. What we've seen so far is encouraging us to speculate, but my curiosity has yet to be poked. Currently, we're in the phase of "Wouldn't it be neat if...", but that kind of speculation is a year-round exercise. New games will always be on the horizon, and we can always wish for new things to be featured in the next one. My favourite phase is when speculation turns into expectation, when we get a glimpse of what's coming, and we can start to figure out instead of wish. Wishes are fine for some things (personal entertainment), but often ultimately fruitless. Figuring out new features feels like unraveling a mystery, with the grand prize waiting for us at the end.

I look forward to see the new Pokémon. "What does that one do?" "Does it evolve?" "Man, that thing looks strong. Is this blurry picture the first hint of a new era in competitive battling?". The wonder of seeing something we don't quite understand, but which will be central to our game experience in the months and years to come. "What's the deal with that one?" "Is that a legendary?" "I never expected a design basis like that, but it's really clever and works well". So many possible Pokémon, so many possible reactions.

I look forward to see what the new generation does with old Pokémon. Ever since the first rumours of Gold and Silver appeared online (or print magazines, as was the norm back then), new generations have changed how we regard previously introduced Pokémon. Gen II gave us many evolutions and pre-evolutions. Suddenly, there was a new power level to strive for for Onix, Scyther, Seadra, Golbat, Porygon and probably more I've missed. In Gen III, Abilities turned previous failures into powerhouses. Dugtrio, Wobbuffet, Gyarados... with the new generation, there was a new level of complexity to them that made them stand out in battle. Gen IV gave us the physical-special split, turning everything we knew topsy-turvy, and there were more new evolutions that turned Gen II's most forgettable Pokémon into potential powerhouses. Sneasel, Togetic, Piloswine, Gligar and others were now filled with potential to be top-tier contenders. In Gen V, we "only" got a new set of Abilities for certain Pokémon, but my oh my were things shaken up. Players went out of their way to find Politoed and Ninetales, which would have been unthinkable in generations past. Dragonite suddenly had a trump card in its long-standing rivalry with Salamence. Pokémon like Xatu, Blaziken and Nidoking were turned relevant again. In Gen VI, Mega Evolution once again shaked the metagame. Old crapmons such as Mawile, Altaria and Kangaskhan were lifted up to the top of the viability rankings. Pinsir was one of the biggest threats in OU for a while. Even Beedrill and Lopunny were made into powerhouses. What will Gen VII do? Something, that's for sure, but right now we don't know yet. Go to Smogon's NU page and have a look at the Jokémons residing there. It's pretty certain that at least some of those Pokémon will be on everybody's lips ten months from now. Those rags-to-riches stories that come with every generation is one of the finest aspects of Pokémon, in my eyes.

I look forward to see the new region. What will its geography be like? What natural features will mould our play experience? We've previously explored the deeps of Hoenn's oceans, the peaks of Sinnoh, the marvelous bridges of Unova and the cliffs on Kalos' coasts (plus the hardware-limited blandness of Kanto and Johto). What places will we go? What will we see? Where will we have to stop mid-game to watch the scenery and listen to the music? What landmarks will we explore? Will it be the vast halls of some huge buildings, the edges of perilous cliffs, or the crooked alleys of a big city? Will we see biomes we've never thought of before?

I look forward to meet new NPCs. We've sailed the seas with Mr. Briney and his darling Wingull named Peeko. We've listened to the enthusiastic ramble of the chairman of the Pokémon fan club. We've seen a circle of mimes match our steps in the tall grass. We've found shelter in an old couple's house in the midst of a howling snowstorm. We've dived for treasures in a sunken city, and got rich selling them to a billionaire. We've listened to ghost stories in a shady hut at the edge of a bog. We've watched spectacular fireworks with our best friend. We comforted a dying man by lending him a cute Pokémon to ease his passing. Who will we meet this time? What stories will we hear?

I look forward to play a new adventure. Starting out in a small town (or not?) with a single companion by my side. Together, we'll have friendly fights against wild Pokémon. We'll assemble a team, watch them grow, teach them new tricks, try our skills against other trainers, explore the world, and one day take the title of Pokémon Champion. We'll meet strange creatures, explore deep caves, buy stuff we don't need from village shops, go off the beaten path to see if treasure lies around the corner, impress little kids in the towns we pass through, find rest in small cabins far from civilization, sail the seas, trade and battle with friends, stop villains, help people in need, and trespass on a lot of private property. No door will be locked for us, no person unwilling to talk, there won't be a patch of grass without monsters to battle. It'll be a merry adventure, and at the very end we'll go back home to see mom.

Screw the villanous team, though. That plot is way too overused and needs to be discontinued.

 

[Kurona]

From Pokémon's twitter.
There we go. Now we know it's species, height and weight. ... it's really sad to say, but there's more 'news' from this than from Corocoro.

edit: also, not sure if we had this movie poster

https://o.twimg.com/2/proxy.jpg?t=H...s=VznD2fSP_ewQxS5Zl9H5tpJ6YV0JO18faOwvqozifoc

He's also got Mega Beedrill, Banette, Tyranitar, Swampert, Houndoom, Sableye and Salamence. Jarvis must be really pissed at Stark...