Say Aloha to Alola!

By nv and ~Eternally. Art by Koumashiki. Official art by Ken Sugimori.
« Previous Article Home Next Article »
Say Aloha to Alola!

Rowlet

Rowlet artwork

Introduction

Rowlet having a Grass / Flying typing is a bit of a nostalgic feel thanks to it being the first starter to have a dual typing since Bulbasaur in Generation 1. Rowlet's design may be one of simplicity, but despite that, its leafy bowtie and sleek fur coat portray not only that it is an owl, but also that it is the fan favorite of the three starters.

In-Game Viability

With a somewhat unique Grass / Flying typing, Rowlet will most likely perform very effectively in early stages of the game, as it fares really well not only against common early types, such as Bug, Rock, and Ground, but also against the potential early Gyms, as most games have a Gym early in the game that is Rock- or Bug-type. However, this typing could potentially be a double-edged sword due to the myriad of weaknesses it brings forth, such as towards Fire- and Ice-types. As Pokémon Sun and Moon are based on Hawaii (a collection of islands), it is sensible to assume that there will not be as many Ice-type Pokémon in the region, which might lessen the burden of Rowlet's 4x weakness to the type. Rowlet also has the unique advantage of being able to use its Flying typing to potentially have an easier time against your rival, since your rival usually picks the Pokémon that is strong against you.

Litten

Litten artwork

Introduction

Litten's pure Fire typing is somewhat commonplace in the Pokémon world, as every Fire-type starter has started out with a single type. That being said, only one Fire-type starter has stayed pure Fire-type, which was Typhlosion, so there is near certainty that Litten will become a dual-typed Pokémon. Its dark and sleek look may give an idea as to what its secondary typing may be, but nothing concrete has been stated about it.

In-Game Viability

As a pure Fire-type, Litten may struggle against the potential early-game Rock- and Ground-types, as it lacks any real way to get around them. Its lean body may portray the idea that Litten will be the speediest starter of the three, meaning it will be able to threaten a lot of the Pokémon early-game, as it can hit them hard before it gets hit, assuming it will have average defenses. Having common weaknesses to Water, Ground, and Rock also makes Litten a much harder choice over the other two starters, as plenty of common Pokémon with these types are bound to be on these islands of Alola.

Popplio

Popplio artwork

Introduction

With a sole Water typing, Popplio follows the trend of all previous Water-type starters. In an exclusive gameplay preview from E3, Popplio is seen to have learned Disarming Voice, a Fairy-type move, meaning a dual Water / Fairy typing is very likely when it is fully evolved. However, quite a lot of Psychic-types, such as Slowbro, Slowking, and Alakazam, learn Fairy-type moves as well, making a Water / Psychic dual typing a contender. Moreover, Popplio seems to be the most well-rounded of the three starters, as alluded through its description, which states that it has "a variety of different strategies and attacks in battle", and its similar all-around stats in the E3 gameplay.

In-Game Viability

As the Alola region is based on the island of Hawaii, it is likely that there will be an abundance of Ground-, Rock-, Fire-, and Water-type Pokémon around. With that being said, Popplio's pure Water typing should prove to be very advantageous in a majority of these matchups. Furthermore, at level 8, Popplio learns the Fairy-type move Disarming Voice, giving it a neutral coverage move to hit the Grass-type Rowlet, which the protagonist's rival will pick. With this Fairy-type coverage, Popplio will also be able to comfortably take on Dark- and Fighting-types early in the game. In addition, as Water-types are generally rather bulky starters (with the exception of Froakie), Popplio should serve as a safe pick that performs consistently and effectively throughout the game.

Pikipek

Pikipek

Introduction

Being the obligatory starter bird, Pikipek is doomed to not live up to the standard of the more powerful Pokémon that are to come. That is normally the case for most of the "starter route" birds, but in recent generations, with the starter birds getting some love, such as Staraptor and Talonflame, there is hope Pikipek can follow in their footsteps. Starting out with the ability Skill Link definitely means it could, as early-game, it can potentially have a powerful STAB Fury Attack or even nice coverage in Bullet Seed thanks to its official description saying that it "will attack distant opponents by zipping seeds at them".

In-Game Viability

With access to a very decent ability in Skill Link, Pikipek has the potential to be a really good Pokémon throughout the early parts of the game. Gaining access to Bullet Seed could give Pikipek a nice move to hit the Rock-types that resist its STAB moves. Being a starter route bird can, however, prove to be underwhelming based on the history of past starter birds such as Unfezant and Noctowl, meaning Pikipek could easily go both ways in terms of being a very good pick or a very bad pick for the game.

Yungoos

Yungoos

Introduction

As the starter rodent of Sun and Moon, Yungoos is bound to be a disappointment based on its past ancestors such as Rattata and Furret. The funny thing is that Yungoos may have a saving grace with two very decent abilities in Stakeout and Strong Jaw. Having a simple design that represents Donald Trump means it probably won't stand out too much from the massive number of new Pokémon that are bound to be coming in Sun and Moon. However, Yungoos could get a lot of weird coverage moves, since most of the previous starter rodents have random moves they learn, such as Flame Wheel on Raticate and Thunderbolt on Zigzagoon.

In-Game Viability

Yungoos, with its seemingly unique ability in Stakeout, won't be as potent in-game as it would be in competitive play, since the AI in-game tends to not switch out their Pokémon. However, by having access to Strong Jaw and potentially the "fang" moves, which could be possible with its design and its official description saying "it has strong fangs, so it can crush and consume the hardest of objects", it is bound to be a good Pokémon early-game. Sadly, it only gets one evolution, which means it may not be as strong as the starter bird or some mid-game Pokémon, though it will definitely be a nice option for the beginning of the game.

Conclusion

With all these potentially good "early in-game" Pokémon, Alola is looking to have a plethora of options to serve anyone who wants to be strong in the early- to mid-game; however, outside of the starters, these Pokémon may struggle to stay prominent throughout the rest of the game.

« Previous Article Home Next Article »