The gen VIII gyms seem to have learned from Gen VII. One of the things I liked about the Island Challenge is how they were willing to try new puzzles and challenges that wouldn't have been possible with standard gym leaders. SWSH returned to normal gyms, but the puzzles definitely felt a lot fresher than they have in a while.
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Outside of the actual battles (WOAT AI and horrible teams and movesets) the Gyms were *finally* done justice in Galar. Definitely one of the best things about the base game.
Yung Dramps
awesome gaming
I don't care what anyone thinks about this game, these alt costumes are great and I can't wait to see more of em. Sir Aaron Lucario is a gnarly anime callback when games rarely do them outside of special events and beach/boomer Garchomp is just hysterical.
I don't care what anyone thinks about this game, these alt costumes are great and I can't wait to see more of em. Sir Aaron Lucario is a gnarly anime callback when games rarely do them outside of special events and beach/boomer Garchomp is just hysterical.
I suddenly want to see Beach Garchomp's full model so much. Also Old Man Talonflame
The Distortion World.
This is an absolute gem of a location. The climax of Platinum is probably the best in the series for me, or at least tied with Emerald/ORAS, and this location tells that. After following the legends of Sinnoh into here, I felt a sense of urgency and dread, compounded by the fact that if we didn’t stop Giratina, Sinnoh and perhaps the whole PokéWorld would cease to exist and it’s an awesome bucket of events (If not a bit cliche, but they did this right). The music is the best part imo, as it has this tranquil but menacing aura coming from it as you descend through the area. I suppose it’s akin to a maze as well, I got lost here on both of my plays through, and the strength puzzle is cool as well, though it can take a while if you don’t know hat you’re doing.
If there’s one thing I have to critique, it’s the Giratina fight, personally, as it has two stat boosting moves, Ominous Wind and Ancient Power. On one of my runs it got the omniboost 3 times in a row, and even if that has a small chance of happening, I can never feel like I wasn’t cheated, but oh well.
This place is awesome, and I’m going to go so far as to say, that there’s no other place like this in Pokémon (I haven’t even played all the games so I’m going out on a limb here but I’m willing to bet that if I do, there will be no place like the Distortion World elsewhere for me).
This is an absolute gem of a location. The climax of Platinum is probably the best in the series for me, or at least tied with Emerald/ORAS, and this location tells that. After following the legends of Sinnoh into here, I felt a sense of urgency and dread, compounded by the fact that if we didn’t stop Giratina, Sinnoh and perhaps the whole PokéWorld would cease to exist and it’s an awesome bucket of events (If not a bit cliche, but they did this right). The music is the best part imo, as it has this tranquil but menacing aura coming from it as you descend through the area. I suppose it’s akin to a maze as well, I got lost here on both of my plays through, and the strength puzzle is cool as well, though it can take a while if you don’t know hat you’re doing.
If there’s one thing I have to critique, it’s the Giratina fight, personally, as it has two stat boosting moves, Ominous Wind and Ancient Power. On one of my runs it got the omniboost 3 times in a row, and even if that has a small chance of happening, I can never feel like I wasn’t cheated, but oh well.
This place is awesome, and I’m going to go so far as to say, that there’s no other place like this in Pokémon (I haven’t even played all the games so I’m going out on a limb here but I’m willing to bet that if I do, there will be no place like the Distortion World elsewhere for me).
Yeah I mean you're pretty much right about the distortion world being a unique place in Pokemon. I guess the closest thing to it would be ultra space perhaps? (unless anyone can correct me otherwise) But that's nowhere near as expansive or fleshed out as an area. In a similar vein (EDIT: wait, that's a pun!), the underground (another masterpiece but for multiplayer reasons) is kinda a 'different world' so to speak in the sense that it's subterranean. Wow, look at Sinnoh giving us all these different 'dimensions'. But yes, I don't recall anything since coming close to the distortion world outside of ultra space in terms of uniqueness (but who really remembers ultra space fondly? I think I visited once and forgot about it until now. Others may have differing experiences however).
Everyone has gushed over that GOTCHA music video they released last year, but I thought this was a nice breakdown of it on a technical level and why it works so well.
But also it pointed out other details I never noticed that make me love it even more, especially in the type section:
-Silver puts on a slight smile when he recognizes Lyra, so its specifically meant to be post game silver
-Crobat is fleeing just as the psychic types come up
-The fairies are singing which is why the dragons are sleeping in the next shot
-Jasmine reacts for like, 2 frames to the guy getting hit on the head
-He didnt point it out in the video but I somehow never noticed during the segment where Brendan & May turn to the camera its because Wally just walked in from off screen
-The woman sleeping on the couch is the video's director Rie Matsumoto.
But also it pointed out other details I never noticed that make me love it even more, especially in the type section:
-Silver puts on a slight smile when he recognizes Lyra, so its specifically meant to be post game silver
-Crobat is fleeing just as the psychic types come up
-The fairies are singing which is why the dragons are sleeping in the next shot
-Jasmine reacts for like, 2 frames to the guy getting hit on the head
-He didnt point it out in the video but I somehow never noticed during the segment where Brendan & May turn to the camera its because Wally just walked in from off screen
-The woman sleeping on the couch is the video's director Rie Matsumoto.
I thought it was to replace Chansey in general? They both are normal types that couldn't evolve originally, have HP has the highest stat, give off huge experience points, and are always rare encounters.
Which is also why we probably have Comfey and Indeedee. No confirmation of this, just a fan theory. Gen VI didn't have a Chansey-expy (likely because GF not only went back to using older gen Pokemon to fill the dex but also cut down on the number of new Pokemon) but the anime didn't just want to reuse either Chansey or Audino (likely deciding Chansey was for the Japanese-based region). So for Kalos they had Nurse Joy use Wigglytuff, likely because it was a "pink blob" that was in the Kalos Dex and had recently been made Fairy-type. Looking through the new Kalos Pokemon I could sort of see why none of them fit the mold of "Nurse Joy" helper, but I imagine the anime staff didn't like the compromise and so may have requested GF if for each future gen they could have a "Nurse Joy helper" Pokemon.
Once again, this is all theory, but I'd say if Gen 9 comes and we see it too has a "Nurse Joy helper" Pokemon then I would say there's strong support of the anime staff having asked for a certain kind of Pokemon fulfillment (not that they haven't done so before, Ash-Greninja was specifically made for the anime).
It was both
From Nintedo Dream's series of gen 5 interviews about the pokemon and characters http://lavacutcontent.com/ken-sugimori-nintendo-dream-3/
Random and minor thing I thought about recently (interestingly, it was talked about in some recent posts here too): I really like Pokémon Centers. Being able to heal your entire party (or all your Pokémon in Gen 8) completely for free is something I really appreciate in the Pokémon games. Pokémon Centers also have many other great features. They have always had a PC, they had trading centers during Gen 1-5, including Wi-Fi in Gen 4-5 and even a GTS in Gen 5! They have also had a Mart since Gen 5 (apart from in OR/AS), a changing room in Gen 6 and a café in Gen 7/8. On the whole, they are really awesome. It is easy to take them for granted, but I am very happy that they exist.
I thought a bit more about things I like in spin-off games, and one other thing I really like from Pokémon XD is how it featured two Pokémon from Gen 4, Bonsly and Munchlax, long before they made their first appearance in the main series (D/P). Munchlax was completely unobtainable from what I can remember (I think it was mostly an overworld Pokémon you could interact with a bit, haven't played XD in forever), but you could use Bonsly in battles with a special card at the Battle Bingo minigame. I also like how some other spin-off games from the late Gen 3 era also showcased some Pokémon from Gen 4. I know that Pokémon Dash and the first Mystery Dungeon did this, not sure if there were any other games that also did it apart from these (and XD). While I have never played Dash or the PMD games myself, I still appreciate this and I think it was really cool.
I also want to give more praise to some individual Pokémon. This time, it is a specific group of Pokémon. The Ultra Beasts. I think they are really awesome. They succeeded extremely well with their concept. It takes serious skill to make something that's actually weird (in a good way) and succeed with it. It can’t have been easy, but I think they really nailed it. The Ultra Beasts look so weird, I think they are very different from what could be typically considered “Pokémon”. I love them. On the whole, I consider the Ultra Beasts to be some of the greatest Pokémon ever made in terms of raw design.
I want to give some specific praise to two of my favorite Ultra Beasts, Celesteela and Blacephalon.
First, there’s Celesteela. What is this even? A lazy bamboo-rocket-princess which is levitating, and with the arms separate from the main body. It’s color scheme and robotic appearance has always reminded me of the Sanctuary Fortress from Metroid Prime 2. I love everything about its design and it is without any doubt my favorite from the original UBs, as well as my overall favorite from all of the UBs. I have had great success with Celesteela in battles as well. The most notable is with the Celesteela that is a member of my team for Super Double at the Battle Tree in Moon, which is currently my most successful team at the Battle Tree as it stands at 300 wins in a row at the moment.
Next up, Blacephalon. A clown with a disco ball as a head, it has a signature move in which it takes of its head, throws it up in the air and makes it explode. That’s just genius. I love its design and color scheme as well, it is my favorite from the new UBs.
I thought a bit more about things I like in spin-off games, and one other thing I really like from Pokémon XD is how it featured two Pokémon from Gen 4, Bonsly and Munchlax, long before they made their first appearance in the main series (D/P). Munchlax was completely unobtainable from what I can remember (I think it was mostly an overworld Pokémon you could interact with a bit, haven't played XD in forever), but you could use Bonsly in battles with a special card at the Battle Bingo minigame. I also like how some other spin-off games from the late Gen 3 era also showcased some Pokémon from Gen 4. I know that Pokémon Dash and the first Mystery Dungeon did this, not sure if there were any other games that also did it apart from these (and XD). While I have never played Dash or the PMD games myself, I still appreciate this and I think it was really cool.
I also want to give more praise to some individual Pokémon. This time, it is a specific group of Pokémon. The Ultra Beasts. I think they are really awesome. They succeeded extremely well with their concept. It takes serious skill to make something that's actually weird (in a good way) and succeed with it. It can’t have been easy, but I think they really nailed it. The Ultra Beasts look so weird, I think they are very different from what could be typically considered “Pokémon”. I love them. On the whole, I consider the Ultra Beasts to be some of the greatest Pokémon ever made in terms of raw design.
I want to give some specific praise to two of my favorite Ultra Beasts, Celesteela and Blacephalon.
First, there’s Celesteela. What is this even? A lazy bamboo-rocket-princess which is levitating, and with the arms separate from the main body. It’s color scheme and robotic appearance has always reminded me of the Sanctuary Fortress from Metroid Prime 2. I love everything about its design and it is without any doubt my favorite from the original UBs, as well as my overall favorite from all of the UBs. I have had great success with Celesteela in battles as well. The most notable is with the Celesteela that is a member of my team for Super Double at the Battle Tree in Moon, which is currently my most successful team at the Battle Tree as it stands at 300 wins in a row at the moment.
Next up, Blacephalon. A clown with a disco ball as a head, it has a signature move in which it takes of its head, throws it up in the air and makes it explode. That’s just genius. I love its design and color scheme as well, it is my favorite from the new UBs.
Wait, so does that mean Bonsly is kinda like Meltan and Melmetal where they were available in a "sort of spinoff but the core gameplay is still pretty similar to a mainline game" game before being made available in a mainline game? Reading over Battle Bingo's page on Bulbapedia, I'm not entirely sure how it works.
Ya know, it's remarkably fascinating looking at those interviews Dr. Lava posted and seeing how the Gen 5 Pokemon were designed and the thought process behind them. Gen 5 is my personal favorite Pokemon generation so far and it's interesting seeing how many of the Pokemon were designed (no Krookodile or Scolipede talk from what I can see though :( )
My favorite design process mentioned in that interview is oddly enough, that of the elemental monkeys. Knowing they are designed to be Pokemon who can cook actually makes them even more interesting in my mind, even if they were designed around Cilan, Chili, and Cress. I just love imagining the prospect: seeing Pansage go out and gather+prepare some amazing vegetables for the dishes, Panpour preparing the water for the cooking, and Pansear setting up the flame to actually cook and heat the dishes: it's perfect! Especially in the context of the Striaton Gym, which is a restaurant, I can only imagine the monkeys themselves being the chefs that cook the dishes, and then Cilan, Chili, and Cress serving as the waiters who communicate with their Pokemon and later the monkeys give the triplets the prepared dishes for them to give to the customers. The imagery is absolutely perfect and I love it! It's especially further reinforced by the monkeys appearing in X and Y, where they are used by none other than the chefs at the Lumiose Fine Dining restaurants. Imagine all those fine dining restaurants in Lumiose, and when people go to them, the chefs have the elemental monkeys serve up the dishes, and also battle the Trainers while those nicely cooked up meals are waiting to be ready. It's so perfect!
Even better is that they mention that the monkeys have distinct personalities and that the evolved forms were made to emphasize that. Yeah, I can totally see it:
"Pansage is a bit of a punk". Hell yeah it is, and it shows with Simisage. Look at that rad hairdo, those delinquent like mannerisms, and just the way this Pokemon shows off. And look at that thumbs up it's giving! This bad boy is rad af!
"Pansear is carefree". Yep, look at Simisear. Shrugging, giving off a nonchalant look, and that movement. It's just going "yeah, life is good, of something happened? Eh, life's great man!". It's so carefree and easygoing and it shows.
"Panpour is gentle, or some might say smug". Look at Simipour. It might look a bit smug, but it's sitting there with a nice look and it's waving it's hand constantly like it's saying hi!
I didn't really care much about the monkeys, but after looking at and reading about the design process behind them I've warmed up to them quite a lot.
Another interesting tidbit is seeing how difficult it was to design the Oshawott line, and the overall process of distinguishing the three starters in each generation.
Another fascinating one is the Timburr line, which were specifically designed around construction workers. It's emphasized heavily in the games too since construction workers in BW, XY, and Sword and Shield all use the Timburr line, and the dex entries talk about Timburr loving construction work, and Gurdurr excelling at demolition. I can only imagine how these Pokemon alongside Copperajah and Gigalith work with construction workers to help out on those projects. They would probably come off as incredibly obnoxious to the people nearby though, much like construction workers IRL.
But in any case, the monkeys and the Timburr line are some of the fascinating standouts because their designs clearly function around interaction with people and helping them out: and one of BW1's main themes is the relationship between people and Pokemon, and those Pokemon in particular were designed in a way that really shows that and I like those lines for that.
My favorite design process mentioned in that interview is oddly enough, that of the elemental monkeys. Knowing they are designed to be Pokemon who can cook actually makes them even more interesting in my mind, even if they were designed around Cilan, Chili, and Cress. I just love imagining the prospect: seeing Pansage go out and gather+prepare some amazing vegetables for the dishes, Panpour preparing the water for the cooking, and Pansear setting up the flame to actually cook and heat the dishes: it's perfect! Especially in the context of the Striaton Gym, which is a restaurant, I can only imagine the monkeys themselves being the chefs that cook the dishes, and then Cilan, Chili, and Cress serving as the waiters who communicate with their Pokemon and later the monkeys give the triplets the prepared dishes for them to give to the customers. The imagery is absolutely perfect and I love it! It's especially further reinforced by the monkeys appearing in X and Y, where they are used by none other than the chefs at the Lumiose Fine Dining restaurants. Imagine all those fine dining restaurants in Lumiose, and when people go to them, the chefs have the elemental monkeys serve up the dishes, and also battle the Trainers while those nicely cooked up meals are waiting to be ready. It's so perfect!
Even better is that they mention that the monkeys have distinct personalities and that the evolved forms were made to emphasize that. Yeah, I can totally see it:
"Pansage is a bit of a punk". Hell yeah it is, and it shows with Simisage. Look at that rad hairdo, those delinquent like mannerisms, and just the way this Pokemon shows off. And look at that thumbs up it's giving! This bad boy is rad af!
"Pansear is carefree". Yep, look at Simisear. Shrugging, giving off a nonchalant look, and that movement. It's just going "yeah, life is good, of something happened? Eh, life's great man!". It's so carefree and easygoing and it shows.
"Panpour is gentle, or some might say smug". Look at Simipour. It might look a bit smug, but it's sitting there with a nice look and it's waving it's hand constantly like it's saying hi!
I didn't really care much about the monkeys, but after looking at and reading about the design process behind them I've warmed up to them quite a lot.
Another interesting tidbit is seeing how difficult it was to design the Oshawott line, and the overall process of distinguishing the three starters in each generation.
Another fascinating one is the Timburr line, which were specifically designed around construction workers. It's emphasized heavily in the games too since construction workers in BW, XY, and Sword and Shield all use the Timburr line, and the dex entries talk about Timburr loving construction work, and Gurdurr excelling at demolition. I can only imagine how these Pokemon alongside Copperajah and Gigalith work with construction workers to help out on those projects. They would probably come off as incredibly obnoxious to the people nearby though, much like construction workers IRL.
But in any case, the monkeys and the Timburr line are some of the fascinating standouts because their designs clearly function around interaction with people and helping them out: and one of BW1's main themes is the relationship between people and Pokemon, and those Pokemon in particular were designed in a way that really shows that and I like those lines for that.
Gen 5 was such a treat for design process, it's like the only gen that had full itnerviews like these. I believe in the full set (not all of which are translated) they covered jsut about every Pokemon line and the important trainers.
It was always a shame they didn't keep doing that for subsequent generations.
It was always a shame they didn't keep doing that for subsequent generations.
Celesteela is the best Ultra Beast, and probably the best thing Gen 7 has ever produced, and yes all you need to succeed in the gaming industry is to take inspiration from GOAT Trilogy Metroid Prime.
But I digress.
I've grown to like the Wild Area a lot. The beginning of most Pokémon games is a slog filled with copious amounts of dialogue and or pointless backtracking and then SwSh hits you with that much-needed break that just says "Here, chill. Go explore. Play a bit. The story will wait. Catch some mons."
For the purposes of this, think of it a bit like the Battle Factory; you're allowed the use of this Pokémon in a battle, but it's not yours to keep. It was a pretty smart way of introducing a Pokémon before its gen.
As said, it has been a very long time since I last played XD... but adding on to what Kurona said, I remember that the Battle Bingo allowed you to play a bingo card where you were given a "starter" Pokémon that you could use to face opposing Pokémon or find items on some spots (notably Master Balls, unsure if there were other items). With the Master Balls, you could catch opposing Pokémon and use them for battles as well. You were not allowed to keep any of the Pokémon after the bingo, but you could get other rewards like items (to be used in the actual game) and Poké Coupons. Don't know if this makes sense, maybe someone who has played XD and the Battle Bingo in more recent times can give a better explanation of how it works.
Here's also a video of the Bonsly Bingo being played, not sure if it makes you understand it better either:
I guess you could say that Bonsly's entry in XD is similar to Meltan and Melmetal in LGP/E in a way, but I'm not sure if I agree. Bonsly was only playable in the Battle Bingo in XD, while Meltan and Melmetal could be used everywhere in LGP/E (from what I understand).
And on the topic of minigames in XD, I should say that I really like them. The Battle Bingo was really fun, the same goes for the Battle CDs which offered many different types of battles and challenges. Some of them also served as tutors for advanced battle strategies. For instance, it was thanks to one of the Battle CDs that I learned about how Critical Hits ignore opposing defensive stat boosts. Some were really challenging too, I remember having a very heard time with the one that featured the Lati@s against Lugia and Ho-Oh. So yeah, those were really great minigames, I had tons of fun with them.
So I just finished Pokemon Ultra Sun, which is a game I never played when it originally came out. I think I tried playing it but got bored since I had played through Sun not too long before. I got "Supernova Sun" which was the edit by Dio Vento to make it more challenging and increase pokemon. Aaaaanyways, I had a really good time!
One of the things I really appreciate was just how lived-in the Alola region felt, especially this time around! There are countless moments where regular NPCs will have moments that leave a little impact or that go beyond just dialogue. For example, there's the kid who takes his brother's pokemon and has a moment with his brother encouraging him after battling you. There's the woman who is an aspiring actress who studies Oricorio to enhance her career. There's the "mistress" of the ranch who ends up being a Miltank, who tries to calm down a new Tauros who is upset. So many fun little moments like that as you go through the game!
Not to mention, there are lot of pokemon in the overworld that you could play with! I will admit the playing could be a little boring with there only being four options for small interactions, but the fact that it's there in the first place is really sweet and I always went out of my way to play with the various pokemon. Also, finding out that they will come to you excitedly when they see you because they want to play more was just so precious!
One more thing I liked, which might be a little more niche, was that there was a lot of Hypno love this gen! Hypno got to participate in not only one mini event, but two! The mini event at the school also gave a perspective we don't usually see to Hypno, one of a caring Hypno who was the guardian of a little girl and tried to comfort her and make her better even after her death while she was a ghost. On top of that, there were soooo many Hypno in the overworld! I'd wager that Hypno was in the top 15, maybe even top 10 pokemon encountered in the overworld. Hypno is my fave so this just made me really happy <3Especially since Hypno was dexited in gen 8
Finally, the character development in Alola is amazing. Lillie is one of my favorite characters in the series because of her journey that we get to witness, but I was glad to also see characters like Hau, Guzma, Lusamine, Gladion, and Plumeria all get more characterization and have their own little arcs we could follow too.
Overall, I had a favorite outlook toward Alola before, but after playing Supernova Sun (mind you, the changes in this edit made it more enjoyable, but the story remained the same) I could confidently say that gen 7 is one of the best pokemon gens. The level of immersion into the region, the relationships you form with the characters, and the beautiful region all stood out for me as big strengths to the Alola region. I enjoyed it very much and I'm glad I decided to finally getting around to playing it. :)
One of the things I really appreciate was just how lived-in the Alola region felt, especially this time around! There are countless moments where regular NPCs will have moments that leave a little impact or that go beyond just dialogue. For example, there's the kid who takes his brother's pokemon and has a moment with his brother encouraging him after battling you. There's the woman who is an aspiring actress who studies Oricorio to enhance her career. There's the "mistress" of the ranch who ends up being a Miltank, who tries to calm down a new Tauros who is upset. So many fun little moments like that as you go through the game!
Not to mention, there are lot of pokemon in the overworld that you could play with! I will admit the playing could be a little boring with there only being four options for small interactions, but the fact that it's there in the first place is really sweet and I always went out of my way to play with the various pokemon. Also, finding out that they will come to you excitedly when they see you because they want to play more was just so precious!
One more thing I liked, which might be a little more niche, was that there was a lot of Hypno love this gen! Hypno got to participate in not only one mini event, but two! The mini event at the school also gave a perspective we don't usually see to Hypno, one of a caring Hypno who was the guardian of a little girl and tried to comfort her and make her better even after her death while she was a ghost. On top of that, there were soooo many Hypno in the overworld! I'd wager that Hypno was in the top 15, maybe even top 10 pokemon encountered in the overworld. Hypno is my fave so this just made me really happy <3
Finally, the character development in Alola is amazing. Lillie is one of my favorite characters in the series because of her journey that we get to witness, but I was glad to also see characters like Hau, Guzma, Lusamine, Gladion, and Plumeria all get more characterization and have their own little arcs we could follow too.
Overall, I had a favorite outlook toward Alola before, but after playing Supernova Sun (mind you, the changes in this edit made it more enjoyable, but the story remained the same) I could confidently say that gen 7 is one of the best pokemon gens. The level of immersion into the region, the relationships you form with the characters, and the beautiful region all stood out for me as big strengths to the Alola region. I enjoyed it very much and I'm glad I decided to finally getting around to playing it. :)
Let us not forget in recent games that on your Birthday, when you enter the Pokemon Center, they fire off confetti, a special version of the Pokemon Center theme plays, a birthday cake appears on the healing monitor, and the nurse wishes you a happy Birthday everytime you heal your Pokemon. It's a nice little thing to have, especially as an adult player where Birthdays aren't as special anymore.
But yeah, a Pokemon Center is a underappreciated locations in not just Pokemon but I'd say in all gaming that deserves some more recognition. It's essentially a "safe space" for the player as much as its a place for healing, buying supplies, switching out party members (not so much this anymore), forgetting/remembering moves, changing clothes, and other little helpful things you wouldn't think to be thankful for until you can't do it (and for free). Like, the first thing I do whenever I enter any major town/city in the game is go straight for the Pokemon Center to heal up, talk with the NPCs in there, maybe buy supplies, & save (I may even skip over part of the route I'm exploring just to get to the next Pokemon Center before going back to the route). And before any story event I also make sure to pop-in to heal up & save even if my team doesn't need it or I have more than enough supplies (and I can save anywhere I want); the Pokemon Center just gives off that vibe of a location a player can go to safely prepare themselves.
I think this mentality could be exemplified with the Pokemon Center in Po Town in Alola. Due to being rundown, it doesn't offer any service other than healing and to do even that the Skull Grunt charges
Yeah, I really like the Ultra Beast concept... which is why it makes me sad we'll probably rarely get new UBs anytime soon. GF has given themselves a chance to make Pokemon designs outside the restrictions they usually apply to themselves, maybe even make a wild concept or strange mechanic into a Pokemon... but their so strict in their mindset that even when they give themselves a chance to introduce new UBs they didn't take it. Oh, so UBs have invaded the Dynamax Adventures in the Crowned Tundra and GF has even made new members of the Legendary Titans and Galarian versions of the Legendary Birds, this would be a good chance to do some new UBs as well!... Oh, they didn't? I guess all the CRAZY ideas they've had for UBs they done already? Fine I guess.
I'd say wait till Gen 9, if they introduce a "nurse" Pokemon then I would say it's a regional archetype to keep in mind.
Here’s another interesting tidbit about the elemental monkeys, specifically their connection to the “Three Monkeys” and their basis off of Japanese delinquent culture (all of them, not just Simisage). As per TV Tropes:My favorite design process mentioned in that interview is oddly enough, that of the elemental monkeys. Knowing they are designed to be Pokemon who can cook actually makes them even more interesting in my mind, even if they were designed around Cilan, Chili, and Cress. I just love imagining the prospect: seeing Pansage go out and gather+prepare some amazing vegetables for the dishes, Panpour preparing the water for the cooking, and Pansear setting up the flame to actually cook and heat the dishes: it's perfect! Especially in the context of the Striaton Gym, which is a restaurant, I can only imagine the monkeys themselves being the chefs that cook the dishes, and then Cilan, Chili, and Cress serving as the waiters who communicate with their Pokemon and later the monkeys give the triplets the prepared dishes for them to give to the customers. The imagery is absolutely perfect and I love it! It's especially further reinforced by the monkeys appearing in X and Y, where they are used by none other than the chefs at the Lumiose Fine Dining restaurants. Imagine all those fine dining restaurants in Lumiose, and when people go to them, the chefs have the elemental monkeys serve up the dishes, and also battle the Trainers while those nicely cooked up meals are waiting to be ready. It's so perfect!
Even better is that they mention that the monkeys have distinct personalities and that the evolved forms were made to emphasize that. Yeah, I can totally see it:
"Pansage is a bit of a punk". Hell yeah it is, and it shows with Simisage. Look at that rad hairdo, those delinquent like mannerisms, and just the way this Pokemon shows off. And look at that thumbs up it's giving! This bad boy is rad af!
"Pansear is carefree". Yep, look at Simisear. Shrugging, giving off a nonchalant look, and that movement. It's just going "yeah, life is good, of something happened? Eh, life's great man!". It's so carefree and easygoing and it shows.
"Panpour is gentle, or some might say smug". Look at Simipour. It might look a bit smug, but it's sitting there with a nice look and it's waving it's hand constantly like it's saying hi!
I didn't really care much about the monkeys, but after looking at and reading about the design process behind them I've warmed up to them quite a lot.
“Simisage, Simisear, and Simipour each represent a different subset of them [Japanese delinquentSimisage has the yankii pompadour and foul temperament. Simisear is bosozoku, as shown by its fingerless glove markings on its hands, the collar of fur on its neck giving it the appearance of wearing a jacket, and its hands reach out to grab invisible handles bars as if it's on a motorcycle. And Simipour is all dolled up like a kogal would-be. This means that all three of them failed at their assigned Wise Monkey roles. Yankiis are foul-mouthed and rude, Bosozoku are loud because they purposely take the mufflers off their bikes, and Kogal care about appearance above all else.”
Makes me wonder what a potential fourth monkey would be like, given that the fourth Wise Monkey is Do No Evil (granted, GF would most likely eschew the hands-in-lap pose for the less-depicted (and less likely to be misinterpreted) cross-armed pose).