Compatibility with Home was confirmed to be the same day as launch, on the 8th of April.
-
Smogon Premier League is here and the team collection is now available. Support your team!
-
Follow our Instagram!
-
Welcome to Smogon! Take a moment to read the Introduction to Smogon for a run-down on everything Smogon, and make sure you take some time to read the global rules.
-
Congrats to the winners of the 2025 Smog Awards!
Pokémon Champions - releasing April 8, 2026
- Thread starter Codraroll
- Start date
Could you link the news post / timestamp of a video where it confirms this, please? I did not spot this info on any of the news posts on the official sites when I looked for it.
In the other thread, CynicalGiant replied with an image which seems be a translated version of the end of the Japanese (also in Chinese/Korean) live-action trailer from Pokemon Day that has an extra 10 seconds at the end that isn't present in the other versions. I don't know where he got the English version since it's not on Pokemon Asia ENG but in general these are saying that HOME link is on the same day as Champions release.
同日 = same day
當天 = same day
mid-post EDIT:
https://press.pokemon.com/en/releases/Pokemon-Continues-30th-Celebrations-with-the-Unveiling-of-Pokemon-Wind
The Pokemon Press site has an English equivalent under Champions screenshots from the press release of Pokemon Day.
(This is not the same image as the one in the other thread either.)
(And also on the same page it says "Later this year, Trainers will be able to connect the Pokémon Legends: Z-A game to Pokémon HOME." as if that's a separate ordeal.)
So was this all needlessly obscure? Yeah I'd say so, because it says to check the website for details and they aren't even there. And also this info has technically been out for a month but they don't seem to be committing to reposting it publicly so who knows what'll happen.
Thank you, I was going nuts trying to find something like this.
It's not encouraging that the paragraph about ZA compatibility seems to leave open the possibility that it might come after champions compatibility, but surely, surely they wouldn't tout bonuses for linking ZA to champions if they weren't going to release ZA compatibility at the same time. Right? ...right?
They've said in the past not all pokemon will be available in this and that they'll add more over time, but seems like a very sizable roster.
..which makes me wonder if pre-evolutions are just out and its final stages cause we haven't seen a single pre-evo or mention of eviolite yet.
EDIT: I forgot pikachu exist
Legendaries will probably be whats drip-fed over time.
..which makes me wonder if pre-evolutions are just out and its final stages cause we haven't seen a single pre-evo or mention of eviolite yet.
EDIT: I forgot pikachu exist
Legendaries will probably be whats drip-fed over time.
welcome back original japanese exclusive pokemon stadium
we also haven't seen any move with increased PP, I know some people on youtube have speculated they might be removing PP Ups entirely?
i think its interesting that it seems to be 66 evs max which i think would be increased assuming each one is actually raising something. that brings up the question of leveling as based on the current system you need to have l100 not 50 for every stat being raised, id have to rewatch again and its too late for that.
given that Clefairy is used a lot in VGC they might allow a lot of mid stage evos like itThey've said in the past not all pokemon will be available in this and that they'll add more over time, but seems like a very sizable roster.
..which makes me wonder if pre-evolutions are just out and its final stages cause we haven't seen a single pre-evo or mention of eviolite yet.
EDIT: I forgot pikachu exist
Legendaries will probably be whats drip-fed over time.
I think Pokémon availability will be the same as it is in the main series. I.e if Persian is available then all Meowths & evos will be available.
There are a few NFEs who are used in VGC but picking and choosing and just implementing those that are “used” like Clefairy, P2 etc defeats the creativity around team building.
I imagine Seasonal rotations will work like regional dex’s. Like around 350-400 available mons each time, I just hope they’re creative with their choices so we can have VGC eras that are free of nasty overplayed tier threats.
There are a few NFEs who are used in VGC but picking and choosing and just implementing those that are “used” like Clefairy, P2 etc defeats the creativity around team building.
I imagine Seasonal rotations will work like regional dex’s. Like around 350-400 available mons each time, I just hope they’re creative with their choices so we can have VGC eras that are free of nasty overplayed tier threats.
It's nice to finally have new information, and so great to see Meganium receive another boon in Mega Sol. GameFreak must have really felt bad about how underpowered it has been all of these years, to give it a Mega with good stats, coverage in Dazzling Gleam and Earth Power, and now Mega Sol. I can't wait to try it out!
The footage continues to support the idea that you cannot change IVs via the training feature. I wonder if that means that Pokémon visiting from HOME will have their stats automatically changed to be the equivalent of all 31 IVs? I think they have to be, otherwise players with access to HOME will have a significant advantage with 0 IVs in Attack/Speed etc.
There was also no indication that PP can be increased for moves. This makes perfect sense to me after GameFreak reduced the majority of healing moves to have a base 5 PP, as this further reduces the potency of full stall tactics. Pressure and Spite might actually pose a threat now.
I have to give this game massive props for having very clear descriptions of what the moves do, with none of the flavor text from the core titles. Compare the usual move description of Dragon Rush to that of Champions:
"The user tackles the target while exhibiting overwhelming menace. This may also make the target flinch."
"Has a 20% chance of making the target flinch. If the target has the Minimized status, this move's power will be doubled and it will be sure to hit."
It's a night-and-day difference, with the usual description being vague and even leaving out information. And it doesn't end there- the moves also have a description of their Range for targetting as well as tags such as whether the move makes Contact. I'm guessing move characteristics such as Sound, Wind, Dance, Healing, Slicing, etc. will have similar tags on the appropriate moves.
I noticed that Outrage now gives the user a viewable status called "Rampaging," which lets players know that it's currently locked into such a move. All of this makes it truly feel like they are trying to make battles as transparent as possible so that players don't have to memorize every single hidden detail and/or interaction between Pokémon types, moves, abilities, etc. It's quite promising.
The footage continues to support the idea that you cannot change IVs via the training feature. I wonder if that means that Pokémon visiting from HOME will have their stats automatically changed to be the equivalent of all 31 IVs? I think they have to be, otherwise players with access to HOME will have a significant advantage with 0 IVs in Attack/Speed etc.
There was also no indication that PP can be increased for moves. This makes perfect sense to me after GameFreak reduced the majority of healing moves to have a base 5 PP, as this further reduces the potency of full stall tactics. Pressure and Spite might actually pose a threat now.
I have to give this game massive props for having very clear descriptions of what the moves do, with none of the flavor text from the core titles. Compare the usual move description of Dragon Rush to that of Champions:
"The user tackles the target while exhibiting overwhelming menace. This may also make the target flinch."
"Has a 20% chance of making the target flinch. If the target has the Minimized status, this move's power will be doubled and it will be sure to hit."
It's a night-and-day difference, with the usual description being vague and even leaving out information. And it doesn't end there- the moves also have a description of their Range for targetting as well as tags such as whether the move makes Contact. I'm guessing move characteristics such as Sound, Wind, Dance, Healing, Slicing, etc. will have similar tags on the appropriate moves.
I noticed that Outrage now gives the user a viewable status called "Rampaging," which lets players know that it's currently locked into such a move. All of this makes it truly feel like they are trying to make battles as transparent as possible so that players don't have to memorize every single hidden detail and/or interaction between Pokémon types, moves, abilities, etc. It's quite promising.
I don't get how Drought is a better ability. The only thing Drought has for it over Mega Sol is Drought allows Meganium to be your Sun-Setter, so you can opt to use it over Torkoal or Nines if you are going for that team archetype, but if you are using Mega Meganium as a standalone mon in other team structures, it is literally better Drought.
It doesn't care about Politoed, Alolan-N, T-tar or whoever switching in. You don't have to predict anything before firing a STAB Solar Beam from 140+ base SpA because all those 3 get utterly rekt and OHKO/2HKO on the spot. Drought cannot allow to do that and has to use Energy Ball or you get yourself into a terrible position when the Sand/Hail/Rain overrides your Sun in the turn you click Solar Beam. Your healing is also non-weather related so you always get the hyperhealing from boosted Synthesis and your Meganium shitting on Scizor and other steels doesn't rely on the weather (aka coverage-in-a-timer).
You could, also, run this on Rain teams where Fire attacks are weakened while you keep using those moves as if Sun was going but on Rain instead. Aside from using Meganium as your sun setter, sun doesn't provide anything that Mega Sol doesn't already but better.
Not setting Sun =/= not supporting the rest of the team. Sun is absolutely irrelevant in terms of your progression/team support unless your team archetype is based on said weather (be it fully or partially, fully meaning standard Sun team and partially because maybe your offensive core has some shit that spams specs fire stab like idk, tera fire heatran, while not being a sun team).
Meganium has great utility moves like Knock Off, Screens, phazing options in tail, that actually help the team a lot. Mega Sol doesn't mean you have to go for 252 SpA Evs Modest, it just means that your Meganium, even your support Meganium, has boosted Synthesis and 120 BP STAB 1-turn-charge move even when uninvested.
as opposed to what? it´s not like they could call it dragonite
I could see that, since the simplification removes the 2 wasted EVS allowing for 32/32/2, they might be removing the EV bump to compensate
Honestly that is kind of why I am expecting Mega Clefable to come with Friend Guard.
I don't see why they'd do that. Back into the recruit gacha with you.
Apparently Mega Dragonite keeps Multiscale while Froslass gets Snow Warning
This is just the tutorial but varying PP Ups seem to exist (with non-multiple of 5 values), and also move base PP values are different.
Bullet Seed nerfed to 20 PP from 30, Zen Headbutt nerfed to 10 base PP from 15, Body Slam/Flamethrower/Fire Punch/Fly all down to 10 from 15.
On bluesky Serebii noted that attack drops finally happen simultaneously
...but in his written review he noted that psychic terrain expanding force hit each target separately.
2:01 Mamoswine
Bite down to 20PP (25PP)
Ice Fang down to 10PP (15PP)
2:02 Furfrou
Wild Charge down to 10PP (15PP)
Dark Pulse down to 10PP (15PP)
U-turn remains at 20PP.
2:06 Froslass
Thunderbolt down to 10PP (15PP)
2:07 Hisuian Decidueye
Shadow Sneak down to 20PP (30PP)
Smack Down down to 10PP (15PP)
2:07 Snorlax
Protect down to 5PP (10 PP)
Probably the most notable change so far so I'll post this right now.
Bite down to 20PP (25PP)
Ice Fang down to 10PP (15PP)
2:02 Furfrou
Wild Charge down to 10PP (15PP)
Dark Pulse down to 10PP (15PP)
U-turn remains at 20PP.
2:06 Froslass
Thunderbolt down to 10PP (15PP)
2:07 Hisuian Decidueye
Shadow Sneak down to 20PP (30PP)
Smack Down down to 10PP (15PP)
2:07 Snorlax
Protect down to 5PP (10 PP)
Probably the most notable change so far so I'll post this right now.