The Pokémon Company International and Nintendo revealed some new information on their upcoming Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon games, both for the Nintendo 3DS. Included in the news are powerful Z-Moves in addition to new characters and Pokémon that can be found in the new Alola region.
The new characters and Pokémon will appear when the games launch in North America on November 18th.
Z-Moves
Z-Moves are a new element that has been introduced into the Pokémon battles in Pokémon Sunand Pokémon Moon. Z-Moves are powerful moves that can only be used once during battle. The explosive force of a Z-Move is the result of both the Trainer and Pokémon releasing their full power together when their wishes resonate with each other. All Pokémon are capable of using Z-Moves in battle.
To use Z-Moves, two key items are required: a Z-Ring and a Z-Crystal. The Z-Ring fits on a Trainer’s arm, and Z-Crystals are set into it. If a Pokémon holds the same variety of Z-Crystal as its Trainer, the two will be able to resonate with one another.
Z-Ring
TOMY International will be releasing the Z-Ring for sale at participating retailers. When a player uses a Z-Move in Pokémon Sun or Pokémon Moon, their real-life Z-Ring will light up, vibrate, and play sounds to go along with the video and sounds in the game.
Alola Region and Trials
Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon take place on an archipelago of tropical islands—four nature-filled islands and one man-made island. The Alola region is known as a resort area that attracts tourists from all over the world.
Alola is surrounded by the sea and has a diverse ecology made up of Pokémon that are native to the region along with Pokémon that have more recently arrived in Alola from other regions. In Alola, humans and Pokémon coexist in a very close relationship and a culture has developed that is different from that in other regions.
One aspect of the unique Alola culture is the island challenge, an adventurous rite that involves traveling through each of the four islands. This event helps young people grow into better Pokémon Trainers. As the main character of Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, each player is destined to attempt this island challenge. To complete the island challenge, young trial-goers must overcome the trials on each of the four islands. These trials are not limited to battling with Pokémon. They take a variety of forms including finding items or completing tests of knowledge.
At the end of each trial, a mighty Pokémon known as a Totem Pokémon will be waiting. A Totem Pokémon is much larger than others of its species, and its body is enveloped in a special aura. When Totem Pokémon battle, they summon ally Pokémon to join them. With the support of these allies, the Totem Pokémon become more powerful. Pokémon other than Totem Pokémon sometimes also call on allies to aid them.
The final trial on each island is called the grand trial where Pokémon battle against the kahuna who leads that island. If a trial-goer succeeds in clearing this grand trial, they will be publicly recognized as having cleared all of the island’s trials and can move on to the next island.
Captains
Each trial has a captain whose role is to provide guidance to trial-goers. All of the captains are Trainers who undertook trials in their own island challenge several years earlier.
Lana is a captain who is an expert with Water-type Pokémon. She is dedicated to her family and is a reliable older sister who watches over her younger sisters. Captain Mallow is an expert with Grass-type Pokémon. She loves cooking, but it seems that sometimes her taste is a bit particular. Specializing in Electric-type Pokémon, Captain Sophocles is good with mechanics and has invented various machines. Captain Kiawe’s expertise is in Fire-type Pokémon, and together with his Marowak, he studies the traditional dances that have been passed down in the Alola region.
Kahunas
Each of Alola’s four islands has a leader, called the island kahuna, who governs the island. Kahunas are chosen by the Pokémon known as guardian deities, which are also found on each island. Hala is the kahuna of Melemele Island, where the main character has just moved to, and he is also the rival character Hau’s grandfather. Hala’s skill is renowned in the Alola region. He gives the player their first partner Pokémon and expects great things from them.
Poké Ride
In the Alola region, certain Pokémon help people reach places that are not accessible using human strength alone. This practice, known as Poké Ride, is typical of the culture of the Alola region, where humans and Pokémon are closely bound together. These Pokémon do not join the player’s team, but they can be called upon anytime for help.
The newly revealed Pokémon include:
Name: Oricorio
Oricorio changes its form by sipping the nectar of certain flowers. Since it has four different forms—the same as the number of islands in Alola—it would seem that different Oricorio live on each of the islands.
• Baile Style
Type: Fire/Flying
The Baile Style Oricorio is very passionate, and power fills its body when it dances. It sends downy fluff flying during its intense dances.
• Pom-Pom Style
Type: Electric/Flying
The Pom-Pom Style Oricorio is very friendly toward people, and it uses dancing to encourage Trainers who are feeling glum. When it dances, its feathers are charged with static electricity.
• Pa’u Style
Type: Psychic/Flying
The Pa’u Style Oricorio acts at its own pace, which sometimes makes it difficult to deal with. It sharpens its spirited moves through dance, which increases its psychic power.
• Sensu Style
Type: Ghost/Flying
The Sensu Style Oricorio is quiet and collected. By means of its dance, it gathers the spirits drifting about in an area and borrows their power to fight.
Name: Minior
Type: Rock/Flying
Minior are formed in the stratosphere and live by absorbing the detritus around them. When they’ve consumed a large quantity of particles, their bodies become heavy, and they fall toward the planet’s surface. Minior has a hard and heavy outer shell with a core within.
Name: Gumshoos
Type: Normal
Gumshoos is the Evolution of Yungoos. It will call on Yungoos allies and stand in the way of trial-goers.
Name: Fomantis
Type: Grass
Fomantis is nocturnal, and it performs photosynthesis while it sleeps during the day by spreading out its leaves in all directions. Because of the danger of staying in the same location two days in a row, Fomantis begins its search for the next day’s spot as soon as the sun sets.
Name: Lurantis
Type: Grass
Lurantis draws opponents near to itself with its flowerlike appearance and aroma—and then it takes them down. It’s said to be the most gorgeous of all Grass-type Pokémon, due to its brilliant coloration and elegant moves.
Name: Mudbray
Type: Ground
Mudbray could once be found all over the world but is now a protected species. It’s said that the Alola region is the only place in the world where Mudbray can still be found in the wild.
Pokémon Adapted to the Alola Region
Some Pokémon have adapted to the distinctive microclimates of the Alola region and have taken on different forms than they have in other regions. These Pokémon are called regional variants. After taking root in the Alola region, they live like native Pokémon. These regional variant Pokémon can have different appearances and types, and their way of living can also differ from that of the forms previously known.
Name: Alolan Exeggutor
Type: Grass/Dragon
Unlike other Exeggutor, the Alolan Exeggutor has a fourth head—on its tail! This fourth head controls the tail independently and can take on opponents to the rear that can’t be reached by the main heads’ attacks.
Name: Alolan Vulpix
Type: Ice
It is said that Vulpix came to the Alola region together with humans, but the Fox Pokémon moved to the snowy mountain peaks to avoid the normal habitats of other Pokémon, and thus it ended up taking on this form.
Name: Alolan Ninetales
Type: Ice/Fairy
Alolan Ninetales is able to produce ice crystals from the fur that covers its body. It can use these ice crystals to block attacks, or it can form balls of ice, which it fires like bullets at opponents. These ice missiles have enough power to pulverize rock.
Name: Alolan Sandshrew
Type: Ice/Steel
Sandshrew have historically lived in desert areas, but the frequent eruptions of nearby volcanoes drove them to abandon the desert and migrate to snowy mountains where they took on this form.
Name: Alolan Sandslash
Type: Ice/Steel
The Alolan Sandshrew of the snowy mountains evolve into Alolan Sandslash with spiny backs that are covered in ice. Alolan Sandslash hide themselves in the snow when strong enemies appear, leaving only their needles exposed and ready for business.
