Yes. That Stage 2 Litten is absolute utter garbage and you know it.
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Gen VII: Pokemon Sun and Moon Discussion MKII
- Thread starter DHR-107
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Dragon in name only isn't that great. I'd rather a Pokemon's aesthetics match, at least somewhat, its type. Exeggutor does not look like a dragon. Also looking at the images of Dragon Palms they don't even look like they're that tall or that thin. Exeggutor aside, the other Alola Pokemon are pretty good design wise at least. Especially Sandslash-A and its ice spikes on its back.
There is a good number of Dragon-types that don't look like dragons - reptilian or dinosaurian at best. Fine examples are Flygon, Garchomp, Haxorus and Goodra.
Does Exeggutor resemble a dinosuarian or a reptilian?
Oh darn it... Now I have to nickname my Litten "John Cenya" to go with my "(9)tales" Alola Ninetales.
"at best"
Flygon and Goodra don't look like those either. Same with Garchomp, but it at least is scaly (Just a different kind of scales, but whatever). Also, Zygarde is a Dragon-type that is a dog, a snake and then a mecha.
(I'm seeing a pattern here - all three Dragon/Ground-types are not dragonlike)
(Although it's still true that Exeggutor is the first that is not based on an animal at all)
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Love the new abilities they've come up with so far this gen. At first I thought Oricorio's ability was super gimmicky, but thinking about it it could be very good in Double and Triple battle - pair it with something that has Quiver/Dragon/Swords Dance, and you can set up for free essentially.
Moves that have Dance in their (English) names - I've bolded what I feel are the better ones:
Comatose is a cool ability as well - essentially it's Limber, Water Veil, Immunity, Own Tempo (?) and Magma Armor all in one.
I hope they do some more Alola formes, I really like what they've done so far.
Moves that have Dance in their (English) names - I've bolded what I feel are the better ones:
Swords Dance
Petal Dance
Rain Dance
Feather Dance
Teeter Dance
Dragon Dance
Lunar Dance
Quiver Dance
Petal Dance
Rain Dance
Feather Dance
Teeter Dance
Dragon Dance
Lunar Dance
Quiver Dance
Comatose is a cool ability as well - essentially it's Limber, Water Veil, Immunity, Own Tempo (?) and Magma Armor all in one.
I hope they do some more Alola formes, I really like what they've done so far.
I thought the Pokemon has to have a matching move on the set (one of the four). That's how I understood it anyway. Could be wrong.
As mentioned earlier in the thread, Rain Dance in Japanese is more like "Rain Prayer" so it's unlikely to count.
Speaking of Dancer though, it's a good thing they've added a convenient way to see every Pokemon's current stat stages since crazy boosting like this will make battles even more hectic!
Shit, there goes my double rain dance strategy.
wait
wait
How does bellosom have dancer? o.O
It doesn't (currently at least), they implimented it as an example of how the ability would perform.
Most likely already programming abilities.
Before this announcement I complained that, till now, we've only been getting new Pokemon info and glimpses of new mechanic. And that's great, I love seeing new Pokemon and the neat stuff I can do in the game. But I wanted more info on the Alola region. From the screenshots and videos we're given it looks beautiful and something feels new and even refreshing about the characters we've seen that past game characters hadn't really given off. Well, I guess GF and TPC must have agreed with me as this announcement I got my wish and I got it! Though still much about the Alola region itself isn't known (though with CoroCoro advertising a guide of the Alola region and another update on the 12th I imagine that will be rectified soon), we got more characters... and possibly a replacement of the Pokemon League system as we know it!
THE RITE OF THE ISLAND CHALLENGE!
Hey, remember the 2nd season of the anime, The Orange Islands arc (well you should this board is named after it)? The Orange League was unique as there was only 4 Gyms but each Gym required trainers to do more than battle, if you even battled at all. Trainers need to work with their Pokemon by winning target tests, water races, mountain climbing, freezing geyser, carving a sled, tobogganing, and when there was battles the battles were (at the time) different than normal battles. And at the end the trainer battled the Champion who had strong Pokemon. Fans had attempted to make a game replicating the Orange Islands to limited success while the closest we ever got in the main games to this was the Battle Frontier which had unique battling rules. However the main games have never had anything exactly resembling what was done in the Orange Islands, until this announcement. Everyone, welcome to the Orange Islands 2.0!
While we were waiting for news of the Pokemon League (with rumors floating around that there wasn't one), this new announcement revealed that in Alola there is something called The Island Challenge. The Island Challenge has you going to each island, completing trials set up by Captains, battling a powerful "Totem" Pokemon to complete the challenge, and then defeating the island's toughest trainer known as a Kahuna. Doesn't sound too far off of being a substitute for the Pokemon League, does it? Well let's take a closer look:
Island Challenge Trials: Starting off, each island looks to have a set of "Captains", strong trainers who will issue you a Trial to complete. But like with the Orange League Gyms, the Trials aren't limited to just battles. The Trials are different for each Captain and we got a sneak peak of four of the Captains and mention of what their Trial is:
With each Captain having a type of expertise they do sound like the replacement for the Gym Leaders. It's mentioned each island has more than one Captain, and being you face a Kahuna (we'll discuss them soon) it's like your facing the Pokemon League is increments: facing a few Gym Leaders and a member of the Elite Four. Though it sounds like there might be more than 8 Captains so we may have more "bosses" than in previous games. Which is alright by me, I wouldn't want their to be a Captain for every type (that's a bit much) but if they have, say, between 10 to 15 I would say that's a nice amount to keep things going without bogging it down too much.
As for the trials themselves, honestly they sound like they just combined the Gym's puzzle with getting the "badge". In previous games the puzzles always felt like tacked on, your main goal was to battle the Gym Leader with the puzzle just an extra step in your way. But with Trials the challenge IS the puzzle which I can see being a splitting point for fans but I'm personally looking forward to something new. Also I'm sure there will still be plenty of battles (infact Lana's challenge is defeating a powerful Water-type Pokemon), even if the Trial doesn't sound like it would have battles I don't think GF would leave the main mechanic of the game hanging like that. For example, Mallow's Trial involves you to search for four items (ingredients for a dish she's making); it would be easy to just stick trainers around the location the items are you need to battle to get the item. Of course that might not always be the case, Kiawe's Trial has him performing two different dances and you need to point out the differences in the dance and I can't think of anyway to put battles in their. But the point is even if battling isn't the main point of the Trial that doesn't mean there won't be battles (there's also the Totem Pokemon and the Kahunas).
One final note, I want to talk about is possible "Badges" substitutes. If you look at each Captain's official artwork you'll see each of them is wearing a four petal flower pendent with only the top petal colored in the Captain's color. Could these be the "Badges" you get upon completing a Trial? Is it just a symbol denoting they're a Captain (and if so what are the "Badges" of the game, I mean you gotta prove somehow to the Kahuna you completed the Trial)? Could you maybe have your own flower pendent that you need to fill the petals in and they give you the color petals (which would mean that each island would have 4 Captains each, 16 in total which might be a bit much in my opinion). Eitherway I thought it might be something worth pointing out.
Totem Pokemon & SOS Battles: Upon completing a Trial, even if the Trial itself didn't require any battling, you will have to face against a powerful Pokemon known as a "Totem Pokemon". Totem Pokemon are both unique and not unique Pokemon, they're normal Pokemon but are larger than a normal member of their species and are surrounded by an aura, making them stronger than usual. In addition to that the Totem Pokemon don't battle you normally but rather use a new way of battling called "SOS Battles". The Totem Pokemon summons allies which you'll need to deal with in addition to the Totem Pokemon (and from what it looks like you'll still only be allowed to use one Pokemon). Totem Pokemon we know so far is a Gumshoos for Thicket Cave on Melemele Island (Captain unknown) and a Lurantis for Mallow's Trial in the Lush Jungle on Akala Island (which is actually the island that has the volcano, at least according to Bulbapedia). Gumshoos summons Yungoos to aid it.
All this sounds interesting. For a while now I've been thinking that with all the tools a player gets that the normal battle system really puts the game bosses at a disadvantage. I thought maybe letting the game bosses (Gym Leader, Elite Four, Champion, villain team elites and bosses, maybe Rivals) being able to do something outside what the player can do to give them some sort of edge like increasing one of their stats upon sending their Pokemon out or auto curing/preventing negative effects on their Pokemon. Well, Totem Pokemon seem to be what I was thinking taken to the highest gear. They're stronger versions of normal Pokemon and their battles does things outside of what the player can do. I quite like this idea, I think it'll put the game bosses back on the level of the player, at least for these Totem Pokemon. As a final note, I want to predict something: Kiawe's Trial Totem Pokemon is going to be his Marowak, except its an Alolan Pokemon having become a Fire-type.
As for SOS Battles, I also like the idea though I wonder how it would exactly work. Will you be able to attack the Totem Pokemon or would you first need to knock out the Pokemon it summons (meanwhile the Totem Pokemon probably would still be able to attack you because deal with it)? Is their a limit to when and how many Pokemon can be summoned (if you can attack the Totem Pokemon but its given a large amount of HP and defense I can see the support Pokemon becoming a major nuisance, especially if some can heal the Totem Pokemon (not to mention if they have any that induce status ailments or stat reductions)). I can see SOS Battles being very tense depending on how its handled (and how much more stronger they make the Totem Pokemon). Of course they do note Totem Pokemon aren't the only ones who will do SOS Battles. I can't really see it be used for normal wild and trainer battles as these sounds like they'll be scripted to an extent. Maybe Legendaries will also be fought in SOS Battles? Ooh, or how about the villain team using SOS Battles to sort of be like they're ganging up on you (it took us till ORAS to get that in the form of Trainer Horde Battles... which they only did 2 times despite advertising it like its a major feature)!
Overall I'm excited for boss battles again! Even if they do turn out just as easy as previous Gym Battles it'll at least be something new so no loss there (and maybe even innovate Gym Battles if they're brought back). :)
Grand Trials & Kahunas: Finally we know Hala's role in the game!
After beating all the Trials you're allowed to do the Grand Trial which is a battle against the island's Kahuna. The Kahuna is the leader of the island and thus probably the strongest trainer on the island, having even been chosen by the island's Guardian Deity. Once you defeat the Kahuna you're allowed to move onto the next island to challenge its Trials. The Kahuna for Melemele Island is none other than Hala; the one who gives you your Starter and is the grandfather of your rival, Hau.
If the Captains are the Gym Leaders than the Kahunas I guess are like an Elite Four member. Okay, it's not an exact 1:1 comparison but hey, that's why I'm liking it as its something new and plays with expectations. The Kahuna sounds like a straight up normal battle, THOUGH do recall Hala called Tapu Koko in one of the trailers to battle so maybe each Kahuna will use the Guardian Deity that chose them to battle you! It may not be a SOS Battle, but going up against a Legendary sounds like you're going to struggle all the same. ;)
Possible Replacement For Pokemon League: While I like the Pokemon League system, a change of pace is also welcome. Sure it hasn't been confirmed if this is the case, but a lot of evidence after going through points it to being the case. And it makes sense. Alola feels like a small but tightly knit community. "Big" regions have Pokemon Leagues as trainers from all over the world would travel to them and compete in their League. But Alola is secluded, the rest of the world probably see it more as a vacation spot (not to mention The Island Challenge sound like its only for locals) so it has no need for a major organization like the Pokemon League. So instead they have a rite of passage challenge for their young trainers, presenting them with trials based on the Captain's own creation and then a final test against the Kahuna to prove how far they've grown in their experience. It's more of a personal journey it feels than a big event run by an organization. Would I want all future games to be like this? No, as I said I like the Pokemon League system and would rather have it be the default, but I wouldn't mind once in a while to have a region where it has a Pokemon League substitute if it calls for it. And as I said, I hope things done here also helps improve the Pokemon League system.
NEXT TIME: The New Cool Features! Z-Moves and Poke Rides!
THE RITE OF THE ISLAND CHALLENGE!
Hey, remember the 2nd season of the anime, The Orange Islands arc (well you should this board is named after it)? The Orange League was unique as there was only 4 Gyms but each Gym required trainers to do more than battle, if you even battled at all. Trainers need to work with their Pokemon by winning target tests, water races, mountain climbing, freezing geyser, carving a sled, tobogganing, and when there was battles the battles were (at the time) different than normal battles. And at the end the trainer battled the Champion who had strong Pokemon. Fans had attempted to make a game replicating the Orange Islands to limited success while the closest we ever got in the main games to this was the Battle Frontier which had unique battling rules. However the main games have never had anything exactly resembling what was done in the Orange Islands, until this announcement. Everyone, welcome to the Orange Islands 2.0!
While we were waiting for news of the Pokemon League (with rumors floating around that there wasn't one), this new announcement revealed that in Alola there is something called The Island Challenge. The Island Challenge has you going to each island, completing trials set up by Captains, battling a powerful "Totem" Pokemon to complete the challenge, and then defeating the island's toughest trainer known as a Kahuna. Doesn't sound too far off of being a substitute for the Pokemon League, does it? Well let's take a closer look:
Island Challenge Trials: Starting off, each island looks to have a set of "Captains", strong trainers who will issue you a Trial to complete. But like with the Orange League Gyms, the Trials aren't limited to just battles. The Trials are different for each Captain and we got a sneak peak of four of the Captains and mention of what their Trial is:
From The Site said:
With each Captain having a type of expertise they do sound like the replacement for the Gym Leaders. It's mentioned each island has more than one Captain, and being you face a Kahuna (we'll discuss them soon) it's like your facing the Pokemon League is increments: facing a few Gym Leaders and a member of the Elite Four. Though it sounds like there might be more than 8 Captains so we may have more "bosses" than in previous games. Which is alright by me, I wouldn't want their to be a Captain for every type (that's a bit much) but if they have, say, between 10 to 15 I would say that's a nice amount to keep things going without bogging it down too much.
As for the trials themselves, honestly they sound like they just combined the Gym's puzzle with getting the "badge". In previous games the puzzles always felt like tacked on, your main goal was to battle the Gym Leader with the puzzle just an extra step in your way. But with Trials the challenge IS the puzzle which I can see being a splitting point for fans but I'm personally looking forward to something new. Also I'm sure there will still be plenty of battles (infact Lana's challenge is defeating a powerful Water-type Pokemon), even if the Trial doesn't sound like it would have battles I don't think GF would leave the main mechanic of the game hanging like that. For example, Mallow's Trial involves you to search for four items (ingredients for a dish she's making); it would be easy to just stick trainers around the location the items are you need to battle to get the item. Of course that might not always be the case, Kiawe's Trial has him performing two different dances and you need to point out the differences in the dance and I can't think of anyway to put battles in their. But the point is even if battling isn't the main point of the Trial that doesn't mean there won't be battles (there's also the Totem Pokemon and the Kahunas).
One final note, I want to talk about is possible "Badges" substitutes. If you look at each Captain's official artwork you'll see each of them is wearing a four petal flower pendent with only the top petal colored in the Captain's color. Could these be the "Badges" you get upon completing a Trial? Is it just a symbol denoting they're a Captain (and if so what are the "Badges" of the game, I mean you gotta prove somehow to the Kahuna you completed the Trial)? Could you maybe have your own flower pendent that you need to fill the petals in and they give you the color petals (which would mean that each island would have 4 Captains each, 16 in total which might be a bit much in my opinion). Eitherway I thought it might be something worth pointing out.
Totem Pokemon & SOS Battles: Upon completing a Trial, even if the Trial itself didn't require any battling, you will have to face against a powerful Pokemon known as a "Totem Pokemon". Totem Pokemon are both unique and not unique Pokemon, they're normal Pokemon but are larger than a normal member of their species and are surrounded by an aura, making them stronger than usual. In addition to that the Totem Pokemon don't battle you normally but rather use a new way of battling called "SOS Battles". The Totem Pokemon summons allies which you'll need to deal with in addition to the Totem Pokemon (and from what it looks like you'll still only be allowed to use one Pokemon). Totem Pokemon we know so far is a Gumshoos for Thicket Cave on Melemele Island (Captain unknown) and a Lurantis for Mallow's Trial in the Lush Jungle on Akala Island (which is actually the island that has the volcano, at least according to Bulbapedia). Gumshoos summons Yungoos to aid it.
All this sounds interesting. For a while now I've been thinking that with all the tools a player gets that the normal battle system really puts the game bosses at a disadvantage. I thought maybe letting the game bosses (Gym Leader, Elite Four, Champion, villain team elites and bosses, maybe Rivals) being able to do something outside what the player can do to give them some sort of edge like increasing one of their stats upon sending their Pokemon out or auto curing/preventing negative effects on their Pokemon. Well, Totem Pokemon seem to be what I was thinking taken to the highest gear. They're stronger versions of normal Pokemon and their battles does things outside of what the player can do. I quite like this idea, I think it'll put the game bosses back on the level of the player, at least for these Totem Pokemon. As a final note, I want to predict something: Kiawe's Trial Totem Pokemon is going to be his Marowak, except its an Alolan Pokemon having become a Fire-type.
As for SOS Battles, I also like the idea though I wonder how it would exactly work. Will you be able to attack the Totem Pokemon or would you first need to knock out the Pokemon it summons (meanwhile the Totem Pokemon probably would still be able to attack you because deal with it)? Is their a limit to when and how many Pokemon can be summoned (if you can attack the Totem Pokemon but its given a large amount of HP and defense I can see the support Pokemon becoming a major nuisance, especially if some can heal the Totem Pokemon (not to mention if they have any that induce status ailments or stat reductions)). I can see SOS Battles being very tense depending on how its handled (and how much more stronger they make the Totem Pokemon). Of course they do note Totem Pokemon aren't the only ones who will do SOS Battles. I can't really see it be used for normal wild and trainer battles as these sounds like they'll be scripted to an extent. Maybe Legendaries will also be fought in SOS Battles? Ooh, or how about the villain team using SOS Battles to sort of be like they're ganging up on you (it took us till ORAS to get that in the form of Trainer Horde Battles... which they only did 2 times despite advertising it like its a major feature)!
Overall I'm excited for boss battles again! Even if they do turn out just as easy as previous Gym Battles it'll at least be something new so no loss there (and maybe even innovate Gym Battles if they're brought back). :)
Grand Trials & Kahunas: Finally we know Hala's role in the game!
After beating all the Trials you're allowed to do the Grand Trial which is a battle against the island's Kahuna. The Kahuna is the leader of the island and thus probably the strongest trainer on the island, having even been chosen by the island's Guardian Deity. Once you defeat the Kahuna you're allowed to move onto the next island to challenge its Trials. The Kahuna for Melemele Island is none other than Hala; the one who gives you your Starter and is the grandfather of your rival, Hau.
If the Captains are the Gym Leaders than the Kahunas I guess are like an Elite Four member. Okay, it's not an exact 1:1 comparison but hey, that's why I'm liking it as its something new and plays with expectations. The Kahuna sounds like a straight up normal battle, THOUGH do recall Hala called Tapu Koko in one of the trailers to battle so maybe each Kahuna will use the Guardian Deity that chose them to battle you! It may not be a SOS Battle, but going up against a Legendary sounds like you're going to struggle all the same. ;)
Possible Replacement For Pokemon League: While I like the Pokemon League system, a change of pace is also welcome. Sure it hasn't been confirmed if this is the case, but a lot of evidence after going through points it to being the case. And it makes sense. Alola feels like a small but tightly knit community. "Big" regions have Pokemon Leagues as trainers from all over the world would travel to them and compete in their League. But Alola is secluded, the rest of the world probably see it more as a vacation spot (not to mention The Island Challenge sound like its only for locals) so it has no need for a major organization like the Pokemon League. So instead they have a rite of passage challenge for their young trainers, presenting them with trials based on the Captain's own creation and then a final test against the Kahuna to prove how far they've grown in their experience. It's more of a personal journey it feels than a big event run by an organization. Would I want all future games to be like this? No, as I said I like the Pokemon League system and would rather have it be the default, but I wouldn't mind once in a while to have a region where it has a Pokemon League substitute if it calls for it. And as I said, I hope things done here also helps improve the Pokemon League system.
NEXT TIME: The New Cool Features! Z-Moves and Poke Rides!
Oh okay. I thought it meant like, in the movepool. @_@
Not sure if this was bought up but I just noticed the Electric Captain has a Gameboy with a Link Cable on his T-Shirt and a D-Pad on his belt. Nice detail for the 20th Anniversary. EDIT: On closer inspection it is not a D-Pad but the symbol for the Captains (it's also slightly rounded)
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I'm very curious how Z-Moves will work with Status moves like Will-O-Wisp and Quick Guard. If Z-Moves still function as ridiculously strong offensive moves even when the pokemon is using a status move, then I can see a ton of Pokemon like Talonflame get a lot of mileage out of using it for a One-time coverage move against one of its normal counters like tyranitar.
Bulk Up Talonflame with Fighting-type Z-Move (and maybe Acrobatics if the crystal is consumed) to deal with Tyranitar and Heatran could be nice.
So I've got a few questions about breeding, since I assume there will be breeding in Sun & Moon. For example, will Mimikyu be in the undiscovered egg group? Will it need to take off its disguise in order to breed or something? :o
Additionally, I'm wondering if Pokemon will be able to breed in their Alola forms, like Ice / Steel Sandslash or 60-foot tall Exeggcutor. This could give a lot of potentially unique moves to Pokemon, like for example Ninetales passing down Ice Beam and Sheer Cold to different Fire-types! That would be cool. But how would Alola's Exeggcutor breed with anything…
Anyway, I am excited about the gym news! I like how Game Freak has chosen to shake things up and not keep giving us the same formula for progressing through the game, over and over. Though I still don't really understand how the whole process really works in Alola, I'll have to watch the trailer again. I'm also agreeing with Pikachu315111 that I like how they've given us info about the region and such, maybe we'll get some island lore next :P
edit: I also generally like the creative idea (and potential) behind the Alola forms of Pokemon. The idea that "some Pokemon have been doing really well in the Alola region!" is fantastic and creative and god I love it! It references to Darwin's theory of evolution in a way, how different animals (or Pokemon in this case) evolved based on where they live. Though again, to reference Exeggcutor's crazy new form, why would Exeggcutor evolve such a long neck and total height? Wouldn't that be a detriment to it? Nevertheless I am lovin' the new forms especially Ninetales which looks really pretty, so I say Game Freak, keep 'em comin'!
I wonder how Alola forms would impact the competitive scene though. Would they work like Mega Evolution? How would you obtain one? Are their stats at all different? Abilities? Typing and movepool have both shown to be changed and I am very curious. .O.
Additionally, I'm wondering if Pokemon will be able to breed in their Alola forms, like Ice / Steel Sandslash or 60-foot tall Exeggcutor. This could give a lot of potentially unique moves to Pokemon, like for example Ninetales passing down Ice Beam and Sheer Cold to different Fire-types! That would be cool. But how would Alola's Exeggcutor breed with anything…
Anyway, I am excited about the gym news! I like how Game Freak has chosen to shake things up and not keep giving us the same formula for progressing through the game, over and over. Though I still don't really understand how the whole process really works in Alola, I'll have to watch the trailer again. I'm also agreeing with Pikachu315111 that I like how they've given us info about the region and such, maybe we'll get some island lore next :P
edit: I also generally like the creative idea (and potential) behind the Alola forms of Pokemon. The idea that "some Pokemon have been doing really well in the Alola region!" is fantastic and creative and god I love it! It references to Darwin's theory of evolution in a way, how different animals (or Pokemon in this case) evolved based on where they live. Though again, to reference Exeggcutor's crazy new form, why would Exeggcutor evolve such a long neck and total height? Wouldn't that be a detriment to it? Nevertheless I am lovin' the new forms especially Ninetales which looks really pretty, so I say Game Freak, keep 'em comin'!
I wonder how Alola forms would impact the competitive scene though. Would they work like Mega Evolution? How would you obtain one? Are their stats at all different? Abilities? Typing and movepool have both shown to be changed and I am very curious. .O.
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