Yes – there are still Pokémon games other than Pokémon Go. Ahead of the November release of Pokémon Sun and Moon, six new beasts have been revealed as joining the roster.
We’ve already met some of the new Pokémon set to appear in the upcoming Nintendo 3DS titles, with the reveal of the new starters Litten, Popplio, and Rowlet, to Legendary Pokémon Solgaleo and Lunala. There was even a trio of regular Pokémon shown at E3 – but the latest batch are some of the strangest yet.
The new additions includes Bewear, a pink-and-black bear who looks uncomfortably close to a questionable meme character; Wimpod, a purple isopod that scavenges the ocean depths; and Mimikyu, a ghost/fairy that wears a crude Pikachu cosplay and never reveals its face. Check out their full details below:
Name: Wimpod Type: Bug/Water Wimpod is the Turn Tail Pokémon. This Pokémon is a cowardly scavenger which eats or stores anything that’s been dropped in the sea, so it’s highly valued across the Alola region as a cleaner of the sea. Wimpod has the new Ability Wimp Out, which causes this Pokémon to run away or swap out for another Pokémon when its HP drops below half in battle.
Name: Bewear Type: Normal/Fighting Bewear is the Strong Arm Pokémon that must never be approached carelessly. With its stout and highly developed arms and legs, Bewear loves to give crushing bear hugs which will split anything in two.
New gameplay features have also been revealed for Pokémon Sun and Moon, including a revamped ‘Pokémon Global Link’. This allows players around the world to trade and battle Pokémon, and will be updated to accommodate Sun and Moon. It will also introduce Friendly Competitions, “a new function which allows players to become competition hosts and hold their own original competitions, where they can set the regulations.”
Two types of Friendly Competitions will be offered – Online and Live. In Online, players are matched over the internet and compete for the “best rating”. The can be open to all comers or invite-only. Live competitions are hosted locally, with participants scanning QR codes generated by their “Digital Player ID” to take part.
Developer Game Freak is also adding a new ‘Hyper Training’ feature, which can power up a Pokémon beyond the level 100 maximum. Players will visit Mr Hyper, a new character who lives in the Alola region, and trade a new Bottle Cap item in order to boost a Pokémon’s individual stats and skills. Magearna, a Mythical Pokémon planned for distribution in Europe after the game’s release, will arrive with a Bottle Cap as a held item, while others will be obtainable in the game.
Hyper Training should bolster the game’s competitive side nicely. Being able to breed unfamiliar moves into certain Pokémon has long made for interesting combinations of Pokémon’s elemental types, but now allowing players to more heavily customise and individualise their creatures should make each match even more unpredictable.
