PokéTunes part III: Rest & Relaxation
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Art by MamOwOswine.
TMan87
Most RPGs may become popular due to their characters, storyline, or even gameplay. However, one crucial factor for such a type of game is its soundtrack. From FFX's To Zanarkand to Mother 3's Love Theme, each track strives to create the perfect atmosphere. This atmosphere is channeled through the choice of instruments, the rhythm, and also the general picture that spontaneously comes to mind whenever one listens to this particular music. Good tracks are enjoyable on their own; masterpieces give birth to feelings and memories, never to be forgotten. They are forever linked to the game they originate from, usually contributing to its popularity in one way or another.
Nintendo is pretty good at that exercise, and of course with Pokémon being more than 20 years old you can expect a wide variety of good tracks. This article, though, will be focusing on the most relaxing melodies we found in all Pokémon games. Melodies that just want you to take a break, or maybe those that feel warm and cozy. Melodies of serenity, and melodies of peace.
Obviously we couldn't list all of them, since there are way too many good and relaxing tracks across the games. We also stuck to the core games, excluding the Mystery Dungeon games as well as all GameCube games. Nonetheless, grab a pillow, put your headphones on, make yourself comfortable, and dive into our selection of soothing Pokémon music!
Selection 1: Pokémon Center (Night) (DPP)
Decem
Ah yes, the Pokémon Center. Oftentimes during long journeys Pokémon trainers have to visit Pokémon Centers often in order to make sure their Pokémon are ready to fight as they leave for the next city and continue hunting for badges. Personally as a Pokémon player, I find hearing the same repetitive song every time I make an entry into a Pokémon Center can get tedious at times. Diamond and Pearl being the first Pokémon games in the era of the Nintendo DS greatly improved their soundtrack, along with their graphics. Compared to the other Pokémon Center themes, this one in particular sets itself apart. As it takes place in the nighttime, its soothing tune contains traces of melancholy and happiness at the same time, allowing you to rest assured that your Pokémon will be healed up safe and sound.
TMan87
This is so jazzy it screams "Sinnoh" at each note. Now, just picture the following: it's 2AM, you and your Pokémon are hungry and exhausted. This route you wanted to explore took much longer than you had anticipated this morning because you bumped upon a Vespiquen and its cohort, which proceeded to angrily chase you throughout the tall grass, where several other Pokémon attacked you. Now, three of your Pokémon are KOed, one is paralyzed, and the remaining two are looking worse for wear.
Then, a shining ray of hope: the Pokémon Center's light. Tearing up at the reassuring and familiar sight, you reach its gates. There, under the soft light, Nurse Joy, on duty to welcome nightly Trainers like you, smiles at you. This soothing music is playing in the background, as if to say "hey there, buddy, you're safe now, take it slow". Barely walking, you manage to reach for your Poké Balls and give them to the Nurse, who takes them with the utmost care before shooing you towards the cafeteria. There, you grab a sandwich and a soda at a vending machine, gulping them both in a minute. Finally, you come back to the counter where you get your healed Pokémon back, grab a room key for a room upstairs, thank Nurse Joy, then wave at her as you take the stairs to your room, where you plop onto the bed, listening to the same soothing music. Soon enough you're going to the Dream World.
While this track is basically a slowed-down version of the regular PC theme, it is very good at what it does, that being giving an impression of calm and safety, almost like a lullaby. Many young Pokémon players may have fallen asleep to this while playing at night. It uses the same instruments as other Sinnoh tracks and really makes me want more Pokémon Center night themes!
locri
Okay, I'll be honest, I really dislike most Pokémon Center themes (especially Alola's). However, Sinnoh's Pokémon Center theme, specifically the night theme, is just so smooth and enjoyable, as it takes a melody I'm not fond of and turns into a mesmerizing and relaxing tune. It really kind feels like a day of adventures is over once you listen to it, especially the part towards the end, just before it starts looping again, as it keeps only light instruments, playing a very beautiful and soft melody with soothing chords in the back. The coziness and jazziness of this theme are just outstanding, it really makes you feel relaxed and ready for something new. It makes me really sad that the newer games didn't make a night version of the Pokémon Center theme; in my opinion it is a very interesting concept to use a more relaxing tune at night as opposed to a more upbeat one during the day, so kudos to Sinnoh for doing that.
Yet, despite being that relaxing, the song sure has lots of chord movement, with surprising amounts of tension and resolution, including diminished chords and dominant sevenths, the driving force behind the jazz feel. In a similar way, the constant change of keys and borrowing and of chords also give some jazz characteristics. But arguably the element that truly defines the jazz style of the tune is the walking bass, which was carefully designed to leap as little as possible, oftentimes half-steps, recreating a very common jazz technique. With this approach, the theme seems to fit well with most of Sinnoh's city themes, as they all share the same genre, giving almost some casualness to the piece. On the other hand, the soothingness of the tune mainly comes from its voicing. While guitars aren't the most relaxing instrument out there, they can definitely feel relaxing in the right setting, which the tune is full of, namely the mellow melody, the jazz approach, and the slow tempo. The other main instrument, the piano, is naturally quite a relaxing instrument, but the same settings amplify that relaxation into something truly beautiful. Overall, this tune just fits so well with the Pokémon Center; we all know Game Freak's jazz reharmonizations are like the best (shoutouts to Hau'Oli at night and XY's Jubilife remake), so while the track keeps a bit of the original theme's identity, it has a brand new feeling to it, and I can almost picture myself delivering my Pokémon to Nurse Joy and taking a nap waiting for them to be fully healed. All in all, this piece has a very big place in my heart as one of the most nostalgic, jazzy, and relaxing tracks I've ever heard.
Selection 2: Village Bridge (BW)
yogi
"I am a geezer standing in the dusk, mesmerized by the gulls"
Perhaps one of the most unique locations in the entire series, this inconspicuous location is welcome respite for any weary travelers, including the player. Village Bridge was always an area I sped through on my bike, or completely ignored in the case of BW1, as it doesn't appear to offer anything significant to the player nor contribute to the story. However, on closer inspection, it offers one of the most memorable soundtracks to have ever graced Pokémon, combining several elements of music that are seldom seen elsewhere in the series; these include vocals and beatboxing, which helps create a calm and relaxing atmosphere for the listener.
The main drive for this being such an interesting location is the player's ability to actually interact with the music presented via talking to various NPCs that are scattered around Village Bridge, allowing the player to feel almost a sense of immersion as they dictate what sounds are present and what are not. All the NPCs are also specially named too: Derleth the floutist, Aickman the guitarist, Russo the beatboxer, and Koontz the singer, which makes them feel significant not only to the soundtrack but also to the location itself. Interacting with these NPCs for the first time was actually an incredible feeling, almost as if I was slowly building up an orchestra or choir, and still sends chills down my spine when I introduce each character to my ensemble.
The singing will probably be the most standout part of this track, and for good reason, as it introduces vocals to Pokémon, something that was basically unheard of at the time. What, at first, may appear to be random noises turns out to be a style of traditional Japanese singing called "Enka" and roughly translates to:
I am a geezer standing in the dusk, mesmerized by the gulls.
I am a geezer standing in the dusk, mesmerized by the gulls.
I am a geezer standing in the dusk, mesmerized by the gulls.
I am a geezer standing in the dusk, mesmerized by the gulls.
Gazing fixedly into the blue sea, I bemoan with shed tears,
as I yearn for the lovely gulls soaring above the blue harbor.
Upon learning this I personally was astounded at the depth that the composers put into one track and location, rooting cultural references and lyrics to a seemingly forgettable and non-important area. It's somewhere for you to stop and think and ponder, not rush through, and it does this by captivating the listener with its mellow and almost traditional-sounding music.
DurzaOffTopic
As somebody who didn't really talk to as many NPC's as I should have during my in-game playthroughs, it was only on my second or third time playing through Black and White when I realized that the Village Bridge was even more special than I thought before. The base theme is very simple and heartwarming, but I didn't particularly find it any more special than any other track in the game. It was actually an accident, where I talked to one of the NPC's and I was shocked that I wasn't met with just a spray of dialogue but with new sound as well.
The beatboxer, who is the bald headed man on the bridge and the first of the musicians you will encounter, adds such a unique and personal sound that isn't seen in any other piece of Pokémon music that I can remember. The guitarist adds a simple yet interesting rhythm that flows in a way that intertwines with the bass line of the theme, engaging the ear. The vocal line and the flute shadow each other, creating a fine melody that relaxes the innermost parts of the soul.
Derleth the flutist, Aickman the guitarist, Russo the beatboxer, and Koontz the vocalist all come together as the "Dark Musicians of Village Bridge", and they each bring their own unique aspect to the song as it comes together as one full masterpiece. If you take a look at the particular order I listed the names, and look at their first initials, you may notice that they spell out a certain word—Dark. Some may attribute this to mere coincidence, but I promise you, it was intentional. In the Japanese translation, the initial kana of these very NPCs' names make up the sound of the word tasogare, which translates to one of the most prominent words in the song—Dusk.
TMan87
Village Bridge certainly has the most unique soundtrack in Black and White, and probably in the Pokémon games as a whole. Just imagine: you're playing the game, then come across that location called "Village Bridge". It's a village, but on a bridge, so that's unique enough. If you have your volume turned on, you may stop a bit to listen to the music and say "hmmm, that's not bad in the melancholic department, a bit bland though". Then, since you're a RPG player, you'll want to explore. While exploring, you'll probably talk to the guitarist, and now the melody also has guitar in it! "Oh, cool, they did the same thing as in Accumula here", you say. Then you explore some more and stumble upon a guy that starts beatboxing and seemingly moaning out of nowhere, which is strange enough on its own, but also unheard of in any previous Pokémon game.
Now the music is rich enough, you'd think. But no! Around a patch of grass stands another musician, aptly playing the grass flute. This musical layer is where the melody really starts, and what a melody! It feels melancholic yet relaxing, as if a tribute to past times. A last bit of exploration finally nets you the final and most known layer: an unmistakable singing man. His voice is the final piece of this musical puzzle and the final result is astoundingly beautiful.
Village Bridge takes the idea of interactive tracks as used in Accumula Town and cranks it up to eleven for a very satisfying effect and an original way to reward players for exploring a seemingly uninteresting area. This is probably the reason why a place barely meeting the requirements to be called "town" has become one of the most famous places in Unova.
Selection 3: Virbank City (BW2)
locri
Virbank City's theme definitely left a great impression the first time I heard it. It's just really smooth and relaxing while still remaining highly interesting, jazzy, and cool with elements such as the slap bass and the electric guitar; the piano is also key to adding some ambience and relaxation to the theme. Virbank's song excels at keeping interest by constantly giving its listener tension and release, especially the transition that makes the tune loop, as well as the several parts that leave a bit of silence or an unexpected change of instruments to keep the listener on its toes. Nonetheless, despite all these intriguing elements, the music gets very relaxing after a couple loops, and the soft and somewhat subtle melody gives some kind of relaxing feel to the track. Furthermore, the jazz approach along with the smoothness of the theme also helps on the relaxation department, giving the music kind of a big-city feel.
Speaking of city feels, the theme seems to perfectly describe Virbank's style. While it may not seem like the first kind of music you'd think about for a port city, it fits pretty well with the more polluted and jazzy feel of the city. Its slogan 'City of falling fog and rising stars!' also matches the ambience given by the song quite well, with an emphasis to Roxie herself being a musician and relating to the toxic and jazzy theme of the city. And while the theme doesn't properly have any toxic elements (which would be too aggressive for a city theme), it does kind of imply it by borrowing chords from parallel modes, thus giving the chord progression at lot more life and emotion. Its opening line already gives a bit of a surprise to the listener by corrupting the common subdominant—dominant—tonic chord progression in a way that makes it impossible to be played on any one scale (at least the typical scales used in western music). In fact, the jazzy feel of the song can be mostly attributed to these types of moves. While this does create a considerable amount of tension, it also creates a lot of interest, making the song much more enjoyable. And, to top things off, the tension is shortly released with the constant harmonic changes of the track as well as a couple of seconds of a full stop from all instruments, including the bass, also contributing tremendously to the enjoyability of Virbank's song.
Overall, the song leaves lot of good memories from Black and White 2—arguably the whole series's most overlooked games, which did a fantastic job at introducing new areas such as Lentimas Town, Humilau City, and of couse, Virbank City. The attention to detail is also something truly impressive not only from this tune, but also from the whole series and its main characters; it feels like every note and instrument were carefully placed to make this tune as smooth and jazzy as possible; other notable cases of attention to detail include a piece of Koffing graffiti in Virbank and even Roxie's bass being stylized to resemble the Venipede evolutionary line. So, truly, this track, as well as the city it's themed to, is an outstanding work of art on Game Freak's part.
Decem
First-time players of Pokémon Black and White 2 don't know what to expect compared to the original versions when they first open up the game. One of the features that stands out in these games is the ability to visit a few newly built locations in Unova, and Virbank City is one of them. Fueled by a jazzy tune and filled with interesting locations such as the Virbank complex, Virbank City is the stop sign as you drive toward Unova's mainland. If you've ever heard of this city before, you'd guess the theme would be exciting and upbeat, as the Gym Leader of the city—Roxie—is a rock star, and her Gym's upbeat music supports this. However, as you step outside the Gym door, you will find that Virbank City's slow and moving calm music flows contrary to the music that greets you when you enter Roxie's Gym. I really like this song's calm atmosphere. The song itself contains traces of a guitar and piano as you scale up and down the city.
DurzaOffTopic
Although the Gym Leader of Virbank City is a hardcore rock star, which is anything but relaxing, as long as you stay away from the Pokémon Gym your ears will be flooded with this jazzy tune. The tune consists of a gorgeous syncopated melody played over a low bassline gluing everything together, which sandwich soft but meaningful chords that fill the harmonies out. Well-timed pauses and subtle countermelodies along with some offbeats give this track a very funky yet relaxing feel to it. A lot of other jazzy tunes in the Pokémon games tend to be very active, not letting you catch your breath to relax. Virbank is able to achieve this goal of letting the listeners breathe while keeping it complex enough to keep us interested.
It's actually pretty fascinating how such a city like Virbank has such a relaxing theme to it. To me, it completely contrasts the entire premise of the city—toxicity. Roxie, the Poison-type Gym Leader, has a rock song in the background of her Gym, which is also a music club. Just south of the City is the Virbank Complex, which is filled with Electric- and Fire-type Pokémon, and the eerie, haunting, and chromatic music that is there is actually the same as, well, the Castelia Sewers, and we all know how notorious sewers are for being noxious. Virbank itself is actually a port city as well—another thing that doesn't mix well with the pollution that inhabits the city. It even has a newly built amusement park and movie studio to add to its list of features. Even with all the action that is going around the city, it still has the calm, relaxed, theme that treats you as you travel around it. The "City of falling fog and rising stars", as Virbank is described, will rise your spirits as well as let you chill out to its music.
Selection 4: Coumarine City (XY)
TMan87
When you ask people about the most striking town in Kalos, you'll probably get Lumiose, Laverre, Snowbelle or maybe even Anistar as likely answers. Coumarine, while being a two-section town and even hosting a Gym Champion, is easily forgotten. What's worse, the previous two generations had set incredibly high standards for city tracks, and XY had to deal with a new sound engine, which, while a situation full of opportunities, meant it couldn't simply base itself off its elders. Quite a worrying case from the beginning.
However, the city perfectly embodies a seashore-located place, which translates rather well into the music. The intro, packed with rapid-fire piano notes, evokes a panoramic, high-speed shot of the coast, panning over the coastline, capturing even the slight sea breeze and the rustling grass. It sounds like a rolling wave, full of energy yet not menacing in the least, before it crashes down and the sea as well as the music reverts to a calm, almost lazy state.
Then the main melody kicks in, inviting you to lounge around a bit at Hotel Coumarine, where you could find a balcony and just look at the ebb and flow for hours. Or maybe it's the kind of music you'll hear while taking the monorail to go to the other side of this town as you look out the window and start daydreaming. Coumarine City's theme has a distinct jazzy theme to it that reminds of some of Sinnoh's soundtracks, and it would fit right at home in a playlist you'd tune in when going for a walk. The slow drums, the gentle piano notes, and especially the saxophone create that warm and fuzzy atmosphere and synergize really well with the town's marine city status. It even manages to double as a nice shopping theme if you stop by to check out the various Incenses an NPC has to offer, or if you grab the free Berry per day at that one abandoned stand that somehow mysteriously gets refilled every day.
All in all, Coumarine's theme is one to promote calm and serenity, as if encouraging you to take a break and stroll along the beach and let the salty wind cleanse your mind or maybe go rent a room at the city's hotel for the night and fall asleep to the sound of the waves' nightly ballet. Then, once your determination is renewed and stronger than ever, you can shoot a last glance at the sea and continue your journey.
So, don't immediately discard it when you find out you can have a NPC play Unwavering Emotions in this town, okay?
locri
Kalos's main port city has a very interesting theme; it already kicks off with a lush and beautiful introduction that in all honesty almost makes you want to leave the city and come back just to hear that part. The strings create a delightful voicing that just seems to wash away your ears with clear modal interchange (borrowing chords from a parallel mode) from the get-go, giving the song a lot more emotion and presence. After that, the combination of a saxophone and a piano already brings the music to a clear jazz environment until the drums finally kick in and the song gains momentum. From there onward, the song starts to develop, giving the listener a very relaxing yet adventurous feel, almost as if you're taking a bit of a break from the troublesome path to becoming the very best like no one ever was. The multiple sections and transitions of the song clearly emphasize a bit of an antithesis, the contrast between the saxophone jazzy part with the string melodic part, but that's extremely fitting, since Coumarine itself is built on one antithesis as its premise: the city's slogan, "The city where bay and butte are bound," perfectly describes the contrast of a port city built on a cliffside, and so does its music, with the alternation of upbeat and downbeat sections perfectly representing the antithesis of the sea and the hills. In fact, many parts of the city seem to relate to this idea, such as the presence of two monorail stations, one on the seaside, and the other on the hillcrest; in actuality, Coumarine is the only City or Town in the entire series to consist of two separate geographic locations.
Overall the city seems like a very peaceful place, as evidenced not only by its majestic tune but also by the Coumarine hotel and the city's Gym Leader specializing in Grass-types, displaying care for the nature. Coumarine's Gym is also one of the most unique yet overlooked of the series; the idea of making the Gym in a tree also adds to the link to nature the city displays, and it honestly makes for quite an intriguing puzzle. In addition, Coumarine really reminds of my days of playing Platinum in Sinnoh, thanks to its jazzy feel and coziness, which really does make the track feel almost kind of nostalgic even though it's a very recent one. The tune just seems to carry you away, which led to me spending a lot of time just sitting there appreciating the music. So, overall, the throwback to Sinnoh music, the serenity and tranquility promoted by the song, and the contrast of sea and land make Coumarine, both the theme and the city, excellent additions to the world of Pokémon, capable of bringing a true smile to my face just by listening to that lush introduction.
yogi
I'll have to admit I never really enjoyed X and Y as a gen, as the main game is rather boring in comparison to previous entries, and it was just rather bland in terms of what you can actually do. Other games in the series, like BW2 and FRLG (yes, HGSS too), had far more to do and explore compared to X and Y. However, one thing that I can't bash this gen on is its music. The jump to a new console clearly gave the developers more tools to use to work on the sweet soundtrack presented in these games.
I really think Coumarine City does the new system justice in showing off a smooth and relaxing soundtrack that resonates as you move around the harbor city and thoroughly immerses and captivates you, which is pretty rare in my opinion for Pokémon music to do. The track just has such a pretty flow to it that allows it to be looped easily without it becoming boring or too repetitious. I'm sadly not very good at explaining beat and instrument use like other people writing with me, but I do think the slow tempo and almost jazzy vibe lull you into a very relaxed state after being there long enough. The music in X and Y is one of the games' few saving graces; this track is a perfect example of music done right, and music like this made my playthrough of the game less arduous.
Selection 5: Soaring Illusions (ORAS)
DurzaOffTopic
One of the greatest new additions to the Hoenn remakes was the ability to soar on the back of a legendary Dragon, and this new feature was made complete by the incredible music that accompanied the breathtaking views of the landscape and skyline. Despite not being as energetic as its daytime counterpart, Soaring Dreams, the nighttime theme was able to give me an aura of comfort and relaxation. This tune always brings me back to fond memories of using the Eon Flute in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire to summon a Latios or Latias by my side and watch in awe as it brought me soaring above the Hoeen region that I had grown up loving.
The feeling of doing graceful tricks and acrobatics while soaring or watching a flock of Murkrow fly across the sky was able to take my mind off worrying about my quest to become the Champion or defeat my next opponent, whoever it might be. It's a mellow track with a calming atmosphere that makes the piece easy on the ears and gives you the feeling of being immersed in the sound. Despite the relaxing atmosphere, it has enough action to keep you interested and stop you from getting bored while listening. The piano and guitar share intertwining melodies over a subtle syncopated bass pattern that gives the track another layer of sound, achieving a perfect rhythmic and harmonic blend of sensations. The piano has the primary theme, and the guitar carries a more sentimental and embellished take on the melody between the uplifting sections featuring the piano. And to top it all off, when you had reached your destination or had finished your relaxing nighttime flight, you were always brought back down with an inspiring dismount from your companion Pokémon.
I used to soar over Hoenn at times just to hear the wonderful music for long periods of time—something I believe many other Pokémon lovers did as well, and it never got old to me. Despite the original 3rd Generation games having an incredible soundtrack of their own, a bar that many thought the new games would not be able to meet, tracks like this demonstrate how the remakes were able to remaster the original tracks we all love while creating more music that lives up to their high standard.
yogi
A stark contrast from the upbeat theme that plays during the day, the night version of Soaring Illusions helps in creating a calm and soothing atmosphere. It really makes you appreciate the world around you rather than just rushing off to your next destination and battle, which is sorely lacking in most games where Fly is just a button click away. I mean, like, riding on the back of a legendary Dragon is already hella cool, but doing so with two amazing themes is just amazing; especially since RSE was the first generation I played, and I loved the Lati twins in them.
It's quite cool that you can waste five to ten minutes just flying around and doing tricks to a good orchestral backdrop, searching for hidden islands, fighting other Flying Pokémon, and just taking in the vast region of Hoenn. It makes it actually appealing to fly this way, especially considering instant flight has been a mainstay since Generation One. It also gave the mainstream Pokémon games something it'd never had before, a sense of open-worldness. Usually you're confined to a set path and such that it feels extremely linear, but, even though you still have to find a place on foot first, you can still go to special areas and explore them at will.
I think that the music not being too powerful makes listening to it again and again enjoyable rather than a growing irritation, as it'll be the track you'll probably hear the most in the game outside of the trainer/encounter theme, so I think they nailed it when it comes to replayability.
Decem
Imagine this: it's nighttime, you've just brushed your teeth, and you're playing your Nintendo 3DS in bed. You decide to give your version of Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire a go after a long day of hard work and play, ready to have a bit of fun before you finally fall asleep. As you jump onto Mega Latias or Latios's back in order to catch new species of Pokémon and further fill your Pokedex, this calm theme fills your ears, relaxing your mind as you zoom off into the sky. The actual song is a slower version of Soaring Dreams, the music that plays when you decide to take a ride on Latias or Latios in the daytime, which is understandable seeing as life seems to move slower around us in the nighttime—people falling asleep and relaxing. If you ever decide to whip out your DS in the nighttime and explore the skies on the back of a legendary Dragon, this song perfectly accompanies you as you do tricks in the sky or search for legendary Pokémon alike.
Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mention 1: Ecruteak & Cianwood City (GSC)
DurzaOffTopic
Old Generation freaks, you can rest easy! Ecruteak City, which has the same music as Cianwood City in the GSC games, is one of the most calming tunes in the era of older Pokémon music. Despite 8-bit music's inherent nature of having a much less melodious and resonant timbre, this tune has a very distant feeling to it that is well fitting with the old-fashionedness of the cities that lay claim to it. I actually prefer the GSC rendition to the remastered version of Ecruteak City in HGSS, and while the newer track has a more smooth feeling to it, it can never match the charm and nostalgia of the original.
Honorable Mention 2: Undella Town (Autumn, Winter, Spring) (BW)
Decem
One city that sticks out to me when I remember the Generation Five games is Undella town. Undella town's reputation throughout Black and White is a town where you can stop, take a rest, heal your Pokémon, and continue on your way into Opelucid City, where you can challenge the final Gym Leader, and conquer the Elite Four. The song perfectly reflects the city's role in autumn, winter, and spring, as it's a calm, moving song in contrast to its upbeat and happy summer version, when the beach resort is occupied. All sorts of different things happen inside the city when summertime arrives, including Cynthia taking a break of her duties as Champion of Sinnoh and hanging out in Catilin's Villa, and many other tourists and Unovans chilling about around the city and playing in the sea. As things begin to calm down in the town and the season changes, you start to hear this music coming from your DS that signifies that summer is over and that the town has returned to its slow-moving atmosphere, staying that way until next year's summer arrives and the town is once again filled with excitement. As the excitement dies down and things return to normal in the calm city, the waves slowly hitting the beach shore become extremely noticeable in the song, in contrast to the summer, when you can barely hear the waves due to the paparazzi. Undella being the only beach resort in all of Unova provides a haven of rest for you and your Pokémon before you embark on your long journey to conquer the Pokémon league, and this song complements Undella Town's calm nature very well.
Honorable Mention 3: Seafolk Village (Night) (SM)
locri
And to close things off with the third night theme of the article, Seafolk is truly one of the most interesting locations in the entire Pokémon franchise. The idea of a village constructed on wooden decking above the sea is clearly an homage to Pacifidlog, but the Pokémon boats being used as houses is also quite a creative idea that adds to the experience of the city. Meanwhile, the song perfectly matches Poni Island's humble village by expanding that fantasy feel; it's honestly majestic and mesmerizing at the time, and it really gives you that feeling of a Village with its own culture and folklore. Really making you think about the dozens of legends they probably tell their children daily about a certain deity of hope. Overall, the song achieves this eerie quality thanks to its voicing and melody. On one hand, the bells, flute, and piano composing the tune really add that layer of fantasy to the mix. On the other hand, the well-crafted melody emphasizes an adventurous yet relaxing feel, which creates the fantasy and folklore sensation associated with the city. All in all, this is one of the best tunes ever made by Game Freak, making it really deserve this honorable mention.
Click on the images to read our panelists's thoughts!
yogi
Hey you! Glad you were here with us to travel to some, yawn, relaxing and restful places, because we sure as heck needed a break. We hope that you had some memories or good times sparked by these tracks, because I know I certainly did n_n. Be it lush ocean resorts, quaint old towns, or vivid skies, we've tried to cover all of our favorites here. Now that we're done, I've got a Strawberry Sunrise waiting for me at Dewford, so ciao!
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