Judge A Pokémon Express: Alcremie, Duraludon, and Rolycoly
| « Previous Article | Next Article » |
Codraroll
As promised, we're back again for another round of Judge A Pokémon Express! While we still had the two cover legendaries left to judge from the Pokémon Direct, there were also two other new Pokémon that we got a sneak peak of at the E3 Treehouse playable demo: Yamper and Impidimp! Even though these two haven't gotten an official unveiling yet, our panelists got shown plenty of material for them to be able to dig their teeth into them and share their opinions. Without further ado, let's get to it!
| Alcremie | Duraludon | Rolycoly |
| Click on the images to reveal everyone's thoughts! | ||
heritage
Okay, so, is Game Freak running out of ideas again? No idea why they're so obsessed with food Pokémon, but hey, at least this one looks... better? I dunno, honestly I hate this thing's design, especially its Gigantamaxing forme (screw that word and concept), which it didn't deserve over any other Pokémon, but it's not as bad as Slurpuff or Vanilluxe, so, I guess it's fine? I dunno, I can't get over how different the official art looks from every other Ken Sugimori artwork. There's just something off about it; could be the shading. The whole design tries too hard to come off as cute and is more annoying than anything. Common trend, I suppose. The designs were just getting good, and then these three come out; disappointing, but I won't get too stressed about it, and hopefully they pull it back for me.
tondas
As Game Freak's third attempt to make a dessert Pokémon, this is arguably the most convincing; Alcremie actually looks edible with its creamy white swirls and strawberries. By comparison, Vanilluxe looks like plain shaved ice over icicles someone found dangling from their house's roof, and Slurpuff, while having cotton candy undertones, looks distinctively like a creature. I also get Marshadow vibes from Alcremie, which only adds to its appearance of a small treat with cream trailing behind it, much like Marshadow's ghostly smoke enveloping it. Though, I'm not sure what Game Freak is going for, making Pokémon that people might want to eat...
Max. Optimizer
Initially, Alcremie's design immediately reminded me of Swirlix and, logically, Slurpuff. These 3 dessert-themed fairies also share the exact same regular ability: Sweet Veil. This Pokémon seems to be the proverbial crème de la crème, since the pastry chefs from all over the Galar region wish to use its cream to improve their culinary chefs d'œuvres. The fact that Alcremie uses the soothing effect of its cream to deter potential attacks from foes leads me to believe that, unlike Slurpuff, it will be a more passive and defensive Pokémon that relies on lowering the offensive stats of its foes. Funnily enough, the soothing effect of Alcremie's cream is an accurate reference to how sugary snacks can boost the human brain's serotonin levels. We have seen a lot of clever references, but this one definitely takes the cake! I do not see Alcremie gaining offensive powers anytime soon, but that is to be expected, since you cannot simultaneously have your cake and eat it too. However, with that in mind, I also welcome the opportunity to quote Karl Pilkington, who compares the concept of happiness to cake by saying that you can get sick of it when having too much of it.
Ryota Mitarai
A notable trait among all these Pokémon I saw in the trailer was that they somehow resembled other Pokémon, and thus I got confused as to whether they were just alternate formes. Alcremie, in this case, resembles Slurpuff a little bit, most notably in the eyes and the color scheme. As seen in its Gigantamax forme, it takes the appearance of a giant wedding cake. I feel like it will have a Dex entry that says it's common to have one at weddings because it brings some fortune or other similarly magical things. While its pink colors do make it look like a Fairy-type, I feel like they could have also made it into an Ice-type as well, due to it looking like a strawberry ice cream.
Estronic
Okay, I wasn't really fond of Alcremie at all the moment it was announced. I'm always down for some personification, but something about a girl made of whipped cream is, uh, certainly not something Game Freak came up with first, to say the least. Though, as time went on, Alcremie began to seem not as bad as I originally thought it was. It's actually quite cute, and besides, when we have a literal ice cream cone as a Pokémon (which I believe shares its artist with Alcremie), it shouldn't really be a bother to anyone. So yeah, that's really all I've got to say about this thing. Can we talk about its Gigantamax forme, though? Ever have a food crisis? I guess sacrificing someone's Alcremie is a viable option, unless the extreme risk of diabetes isn't really your cup of tea. Cake does go well with tea, though, so a piece couldn't hurt that much.
TJ
Oh look! Another food-based Pokémon, and this one looks quite delicious too! While Alcremie gives off strong vibes of Swirlix and Slurpuff at first glance, these Pokémon are quite different from one another because the latter two are more offensive, while it is said that Alcremie will serve as more of a support Pokémon. Alcremie is more or less what you would expect out of most Fairy-type Pokémon. It has the cute looks, as well as a colorful personality, and it even helps chefs by serving them ingredients such as whipped cream for delicious pastries. Speaking of pastries, Alcremie is one of many different Pokémon that will have the ability to Gigantamax in Pokémon Sword and Shield. By Gigantamaxing, Alcremie will turn into a 98-foot wedding cake and will be able to heal its team with its unique attack, G-Max Finale. I think seeing Gigantamax Alcremie will surely spread the taste of defeat to your opponent, so be sure to bring your plates.
Pikachu315111
It was only a matter of time before Pokémon introduced a cute slime girl. Well, a cute whipped cream girl; I'll let you decide whether that's better. Let's get our mind out of the gutter and into the kitchen, err, battlefield. Right off the tray, Alcremie feels like a copy of Slurpuff; if this were before Generation 5, it could have been a split evolution for Swirlix. They share the same typing, ability, and love from pastry chefs (though for different reasons. Alcremie actually makes delicious whipped cream the happier it is; Slurpuff just smells out for the best ingredients). It may also play a similar role to Slurpuff. It's one of the first few Pokémon confirmed to get a Gigantamax forme, where it becomes a 100-FOOT TALL WEDDING CAKE (only in Pokémon)! It's said its body hardens the more hits it takes, so Alcremie likely plays defensive and supportive roles (its exclusive G-Max move even heals all Pokémon on Alcremie's side). But it may have more bite to it than that; it launches high-calorie cream missiles, and if the concussive damage and supposed numbing secondary effects don't get you, then maybe the heart attack from too many calories will. ;P
{Pokemon_Vigilante}
Who wants a strawberry sundae? Good news, it even comes in a new size! They call it Gigantamax, and it will leave you wondering a few things. First among them, you ask? That's simple: what kind of power can a giant pile of ice cream have? Secondly, and most importantly (at least to me), is: who would be afraid to fight this Pokémon? If you're worth your merit as a Trainer, you'd better say that you don't fear Alcremie. Nothing about this pink beast is worth being afraid of because nothing about it is imposing. Even its name makes me more hungry than afraid. I'm all for new Pokémon, but at least make them somewhat believable as characters.
Conni
Alcremie is what seems to be the long lost child of Slurpuff and Vanillish, as the pink dessert vibes from the former combining with the latter's icy swirl create a cute new Pokémon deserving of its Fairy typing. However, if one were to look closely, you could also see that it may just be a happy Fomantis covered in heavy cream and berries. Regardless of its origin and appearance, you shouldn't take Alcremie lightly—literally. It can become a giant cake tower that can potentially suffocate or crush a Pokémon under those thick layers of pastry and possible unhealthiness. So unless you're a Snorlax or a Poison-type, I'd recommend you not underestimate Alcremie, especially if it's Gigantamaxed.
Codraroll
Sometimes you see a design and think it is pretty bad at first, but then it slowly grows on you later. I feel that I had the opposite reaction to Alcremie, a Pokémon I liked at first but gradually became less fond of. Aside from the fact that its base concept seems to borrow heavily from Slurpuff, it is a very generic design. A small humanoid with an exaggerated feature, in this case its giant hair (er, cream lumps). It seems to me that if you put an Alcremie in the shower, you'd end up with a gnome in a dress. Being made out of a strange material (in this case, cream) nets it some points for originality, and I must say its strawberries provide some great contrast to the pastel colors, but overall this Pokémon is a few notches too human-like for my taste.
Jordy
While the idea of a Pokémon that competes with Tyranitar is cool, and I believe that they did actually capitalize on this pretty well by virtue of its typing, I cannot get over the fact that Duraludon looks like a fridge. To add onto that, it looks like they ran out of ideas to make it unique and simply slapped a laser onto it, which I really don't think makes sense on an otherwise very physically inclined design like Duraludon's. When Duraludon originally got released, I really wondered why it wasn't an Ice-type, considering how well its design is streamlined and such. However, considering that it's made of alloy and is adapted to fight Tyranitar, I guess the typing we got makes sense. Also seems to be inspired by Mecha Godzilla, which is admittedly pretty awesome.
Ivy
I was so excited to hear secondhand news of a non-legendary Steel / Dragon type on the Discord, but upon reading about it, it seems rather disappointing. Its chunky appearance, relatively useless abilities, and appropriation of a previously legendary-exclusive typing all reek of Turtonator 2. One can only hope that the countless allusions to its "light body" imply a great Speed stat and viable attacking stats. A bit of a stretch, but it could possibly have a new move that gets stronger the lighter it is, giving it motivation to run Light Metal. It is shown toe-to-toe with Tyranitar in habitat and battle, so it is a likely candidate for the pseudo-legend of this generation, assuming it gets some pre-evolutions. Finally, its attacking animation in battle turns it into a vaguely gun-like shape, so here's the Gun Pokémon we've all been wanting from this generation. I'mma firing mah lazor!
heritage
As excited as I am for another Steel / Dragon Pokémon, this one drops the ball. There are a lot of Pokémon designs that just don't feel practical, and this is one of them. Like, if this were a real animal and every Pokémon existed as well, how would it survive being like that? Apparently it's light too, so it's not like its armor is super sturdy. The way its mouth opens in the trailer and in the official CoroCoro art is dipping so far into uncanny territory, which they've... already done this generation, so no points there. It has some potential lore-wise, which I've been hoping they go deeper into, but I dunno, the design just doesn't have the "oomph" of a lot of other Pokémon with background lore. It's just unbelievably ugly, and if this is the pseudo-legendary of this generation, it's the first one I dislike, so hopefully that isn't actually the case. Hey, it's a good paperweight. Actually y'know, its signature move is actually really neat, there you go, there's your positive note.
tondas
I like to be optimistic about Pokémon like this that get exquisite treatment through their typing and signature move, but Duraludon just looks ridiculous. Any way you look at it, this is something you'd see on someone's desk at the office, whether you interpret that as a stapler or some kind of old action figure someone found at a garage sale. Its entire body is essentially a big cannon, and I can't imagine it being mobile with its stubby hands and legs. The world was introduced to this Pokémon engaging with a Tyranitar, which may be an implication that we have this region's pseudo-legendary, so we can only hope it exceeds competitive expectations.
Kalalokki
A Gigalith made out of aluminum that also doubles as a lighter? Sign me up! Reminds me a bit of the T-1000 Terminator, with its shiny, blocky, and sharp features when it solidifies its liquid metal to form weapons. Not the design I would've expected for the return of the coveted Steel / Dragon typing, though; hopefully it won't disappoint in performance like Turtonator did when it brought back the Fire / Dragon typing. I've seen a lot of speculation on whether this would be this region's pseudo-legendary, as it has a rivaling relationship with Tyranitar, but I just can't see it make that cut. I'm guessing they'll instead want to have some new Gigantamax forme for one when that comes around.
Max. Optimizer
Initially, Duraludon's design, specifically the head and the eyes, immediately reminded me of Gigalith. I was honestly fairly surprised that Duraludon had a Steel / Dragon typing. The Steel-type part is self-explanatory, but there is absolutely nothing about its design that even remotely resembles a dragon. If anything, its design rather invokes the idea of Steel / Rock typing a la Aggron. Duraludon even shares its Heavy Metal ability with Aggron. By taking a closer look at its other ability, Light Metal, which stands in great contrast to Heavy Metal, one can notice that Duraludon, despite its initial bulky appearance, can actually be a lot more agile than one would originally give it credit for! Moreover, it is interesting to see that Game Freak introduced another example of rivalries among Pokémon sharing the same habitat. Much like how Zangoose and Seviper had a notorious rivalry in the Hoenn region, Duraludon appears to have a similar rivalry with Tyranitar! Its intact armor suggests that it has been able to defend itself up until now, but there is also a saying that claims that "a knight in shining armor is a man who has never had his metal truly tested"!
Ryota Mitarai
Obviously, I am not gonna elaborate much on the "RIP DIALGA'S SIGNATURE TYPING" meme. Duraludon, in this case, resembles Tyranitar a lot. When I saw the trailer, I found Tyranitar and Duraludon really similar in terms of their models, and I legit thought it was some new forme of Tyranitar. Duraludon looks like the pseudo-legendary of this generation due to it being a Dragon-type and incorporating many elements from previous ones as well: the Steel typing from Metagross and the similar model to Tyranitar (i.e., huge, monstrous, and powerful-looking). Seeing the little blaster and plug-like holes also makes me believe it is gonna end up in a similar situation as Genesect, a Pokémon that got features artificially added to it. There is still a lot that we don't know about it, but it surely looks interesting!
BackAtYouBro
Oh look guys, Galaran forms have been confirmed! Here, take a look at Galaran Gigalith! This Pokémon is seriously janky. It's a funky form of steel tendons and pistons molded into a misshapen bipedal body. Long story short, this Pokémon sucks. I don't understand what the direction was for this Pokémon. It has a rivalry with Tyranitar. OK, but with its stubby digits and sluggish body it couldn't do so much as topple onto Tyranitar and accidentally cuddle it. It looks like the red button that resides on the top of its head could be poked at and Duraludon would immediately disassemble and then be rebuilt again like LEGO bricks. In the end, stick with the real dragon of steel, Dialga.
TJ
From what we can tell, Duraludon will most likely be a pseudo-legendary Pokémon in the Galar region, as it shares a habitat with Tyranitar and looks like it doesn't evolve. Its Steel / Dragon typing gives competitive battlers something to be excited for, as only Dialga, a box legendary, has this insane type combination. The Steel / Dragon typing is good both offensively and defensively, as it can hit Fairy-type Pokémon for super effective damage and resists a plethora of typings. Duraludon's design is very unique because it doesn't look like your standard Dragon-type Pokémon either. It actually looks like Gigalith and Avalugg fused together. Surprisingly, Duraludon only weighs 88.2 pounds, so chances are you are actually heavier than this beast. Due to it weighing just shy of 90 pounds, I hope that this Pokémon will be quite fast, as it looks like a hard-hitting special attacker. Along with this, Duraludon gets a signature move. We don't know the name of this move yet, but we do know that it will be a Steel-type version of the move Mind Blown, hitting very hard but costing the user half of its HP.
{Pokemon_Vigilante}
So when I saw this new power tower, I fell in love! There was a running joke between myself and some of my friends that there needs a Pokémon Gun version. Well, hello there! Here's all the gun you need! Now onto the design. The mostly white color scheme seems a bit extreme to me, but the figure and details of this design surely do make Duraludon look pretty scathing to battle. I believe Duraludon may be the single most aggressive-looking Pokémon that isn't legendary to be revealed thus far. Corviknight may now be number 2, but I can't be any happier with this concept and design!
Blitzamirin
"Deformed Palkia!" was the first thing I thought of when I saw this thing using Flash Cannon in the trailer. At first glance, the little head crest, white protrusion, hind legs, and the neck were too similar to my eyes. Digesting the official art later on has proven slightly more effective, as I can fully appreciate its blue features and... oh, its head looks like a lighter. In all, Duraludon just looks very weird to me—the amount of art I've seen parodying its unique design has incited plenty of comments on what this is supposed to be. These comments include how the "incomplete" design begs the question of whether it evolves further, how its rivalry with Tyranitar is sparking discussion on whether it's the pseudo of the generation, and parallels to the likes of single-staged dragons like Turtonator. Design musings aside, however, the Steel / Dragon typing is great, and that sky-high Special Attack after it blasted Tyranitar away in one blow makes it a very enticing Pokémon to look out for.
Ivy
This hunk of junk is cute as all get out. The first evocation from glancing at this beauty is the Moto Bugs from Sonic games. It apparently poops out coal on the regular, a bit of an upgrade over Darumaka's mere cow pies; Trump would love this clean source of coal. A weird nitpick of mine is the slanted "eyelid" giving an asymmetrical angry appearance—Honedge manages to be a symmetrically grumpy cyclops. As for the signature Steam Engine ability, this possibly hints at some sort of train 'mon evolution like the fabled Mega Klinklang… one can only hope!
Kalalokki
Steampunk-powered unicycle, if steampunk aesthetic meant just a pile of coal; Rolycoly seems very fitting for the region responsible for the industrial revolution. Surprised that even its lore information mentions it being a popular Pokémon for outdoor activities, since a slab of sooty rock wouldn't otherwise be the ideal choice if you couldn't throw your kids on it to ride it around. Its new Steam Engine ability seems to be the first ability to boost a stat by 3 stages in one go; it activates when hit by a Fire- or Water-type move, which will probably cause it to be even more of a nuisance in traffic, with all the teenagers throwing water on it to make it all souped up illegally.
BackAtYouBro
It's a rock! No wait, a Beyblade! A Beyblade rock! Maybe even a little Hot Wheels in the mix! It's safe for me to assume that this Pokémon is the three-stage rock evolution of this game, similarly to Geodude and Roggenrola. I will say that there do need to be faster Rock-types, and Rolycoly is definitely living up to this. Outside of that, it's a forgettable Pokémon. The only interesting thing about it is its stone-cold eyes that could petrify you with a single look. The cavernous stare makes your hair stand up like stalagmites as it erodes you from the surface. Now I'd better roll away from the rock puns like the rhyming boulder of Rolycoly and just say that in the end, this Pokémon's design is meh. It doesn't take anyone with some marbles to figure that out.
Estronic
Rolycoly might look like a dumb rock at first glance, but upon further inspection, it's actually a dumb rock with a wheel on its bottom. Wow! In all seriousness, I feel like Rolycoly had a lot more potential than what was put into its design here. I'll give the benefit of the doubt, though, since you don't really have a lot to work with when you're giving life to a lump of coal and some rocks. Well, whoever designed this certainly came up with something unique, and it's kind of funny to me. It's pretty ironic that this Pokémon is using a piece of coal, which was used for fuel on some locomotives, as an actual wheel. Moving on, I hope that Rolycoly doesn't end up being a disappointment and has an evolution line (looking at you, Komala). I can definitely see it evolving into some sort of rock train thing, where it can actually use coal correctly as fuel, but it'll still be funny if its wheels are still pieces of coal. Also, similar to the Alcremie situation I made up, what would happen if someone's supply of coal went scarce? Would they just pull it out of the Rolycoly? Pretty brutal if you think about it.
Pikachu315111
~Oh, he's Rolycoly Olie, he's small and smart and round...~ Okay, I'll stop there. It's more like a Moto Bug from the Sonic games, anyway. It makes sense for the coal-based Pokémon to be made into a vehicle, especially in the region that is based on where the Industrial Revolution mainly took place and has a steampunk-like city. I'm hoping this means it's going to get an "out there" evolution like a locomotive or a tank (possibly the latter, as it's shown able to fire the coal slabs around its body). Funny enough, despite being coal, its abilities make it even more resilient to Fire-type moves (on top of its natural Rock-type resistance to Fire). Many would know Heatproof as the (former) signature ability of the Bronzor family, but the new Steam Engine I feel would be the ability of choice. While it gives no additional resistances, gaining +3 Speed when hit by a Fire- or Water-type move could give it a niche as a switch-in revenge killer (though hopefully it can take the Water-type moves, taking a lesson from the Sandygast family's problem with Water Compaction). Its lore is also cute and gives Galar some neat history.
Conni
Who knew a Pokémon that looked like a one foot tall lump of coal could be so cool? At first it looks like a Geodude that got a coal-related upgrade due to their similar body type (minus the arms); however, upon further inspection, Rolycoly is much more interesting than a simple Geodude. This Pokémon can literally speed through coal mines thanks to the small lumps of coal on its body that can function as a wheel. Imagine a bunch of Rolycoly coming at you at full speed as you venture down a mine; they may be small, but a bunch of these sturdy-looking Pokémon dashing right at you would surely be troublesome, especially if you activate their Steam Engine ability! What better Pokémon could you rely on to guide you through a mine? With its torch-like eyes and ability to quickly check for dead ends, it will be a great underground navigator. I guess we'll have to wait for its evolution to see if it stays a small, fast rock or becomes the perfect minecart package.
Blitzamirin
If it weren't for the last few days, I'd say this thing looks like an enemy you'd encounter in Super Mario Galaxy. However, Rolycoly has warmed up (haha) considerably to me. That Wishiwashi-esque name on a simple design like this one is as cute as it gets, and it is surprisingly very expressive with the way its body works in tandem with the eye. Lore-wise, it is important in the history of the Galar region due to it aiding in cooking and heating, and it's also something everyone wants to have! What's not to like? As many fans have remarked worldwide, the potential for a train- or minecart-based evolution is also alluring, and who wouldn't want to ride that throughout the region?
Codraroll
As others have said before me, Rolycoly has a very simple design. It's all in its name, really: It's roll-y and coal-y. Sharing some similarities with Geodude (a rock with arms) and Roggenrola (a rock with feet), Rolycoly (a rock with a wheel) has all the hallmarks of a first-stage evolution. That being said, I'm surprised at how many different elements they managed to squeeze into its simple design. Aside from the obvious resemblance to a lump of coal and a monowheel, it also looks like a miner's helmet, complete with the glowing headlamp. Its side protrusions give the design some balance; otherwise, the "eye rock" would have made Rolycoly too front-heavy. I hope Rolycoly is fun to use in-game because I'm going to catch one and name it Coalyroll.
Codraroll
One of the things I like the most about Judge-a-Pokémon is how I learn to look at the featured Pokémon in a new light after reading what others had to say about them. This time was no exception; there were some recurring comparisons I had never picked up before. It really goes to show that we get different first impressions even if we're all seeing the same pictures and videos! I hope you enjoyed this article as much as I did! See you later!
| « Previous Article | Next Article » |