The starter Pokémon for the new Pokémon Sun and Moon and their first evolutions have been revealed, along with the first look at gameplay and new features for the upcoming 3DS title.
Players jumping into the latest Pokémon generation will have to choose between Litten, the “Fire Cat Pokémon”; Popplio, the water-type “Sea-Lion Pokémon”; and Rowlet, a small owl referred to as the “Grass Quill Pokémon”. Rowlet offers a slight change from previous starters though – it’s not just a grass-type, which has always rounded out the starter creatures in previous instalments, but a grass and flying-type. The dual-type could offer some interesting progression early on in the game, giving players a starter with strengths and weaknesses against more Pokémon that will be encountered on their journey.
Obviously, as an angry-looking kitty with fire-breathing powers, Litten is the best though. There’s probably no shame in preferring the razor-leaf wielding Rowlet or the acrobatic Popplio though, who can apparently “create balloons made of water from its nose”.
Things get even better when they reach their second evolutionary stage. Litten evolves into Torracat, which “has a great love for battle and will attack relentlessly.” It’s still only a Fire-type Pokémon, but we wouldn’t be surprised if its final evolution adds a second Dark type, based on its design.
Rowlet changes into Dartrix, which “attacks by throwing its knife-edged feathers”. It also looks like it relaxes a little, with a looser ‘bow tie’ and floppy head feathers giving it a more chill vibe than its uptight-looking base form. Compared, Popplio looks even more upbeat in its second form, Brionne – it’s officially described as “always cheery and positive”, and attacks using the power of dance.
A new trailer for the game shows the three in action, as well as revealing a bit more about the games. Pokémon Sun and Moon take place in the Alola Region of the Pokémon world, which seems to be inspired by Hawaii. The games see a return of explorable 3D areas, introduced to the series in Pokémon X and Y, and more detailed environments. There’s no sign of this trio’s evolved forms yet though.
Also glimpsed are the new Legendary Pokémon, Solgaleo and Lunala, which also grace the cover art of the respective versions of the game and reflect this generation’s duality – Solgaleo is a sun-themed giant lion, while Lunala is a moon-themed colossal bat.
Along with the new evolutions, the Pokémon Company has also revealed two new modes for the game. ‘Festival Plaza’ uses the 3DS communications features to gather players in a virtual fairground, where they can take on requests and host missions of their own, earning Festival Coins to buy rare items.
Poké Pelago, meanwhile, lets the Pokémon not in your party train on a series of virtual islands. Pokémon stored in a PC Box can “explore a variety of isles, play on athletic equipment and enjoy other fun activities”. The more Pokémon you send to explore these islands, the more facilities are developed there, unlocking even more items and training bonuses.
Pokémon Sun and Moon launch on Nintendo 3DS on 23 November, but you can get an early start on 18 October when a ‘Special Demo Version’ of the games will be released on the Nintendo eShop. There’s more incentive than just getting an advance look at the game, though – you’ll get an Ash-Greninja, a variant of the usual Greninja based on the character as it appears in the anime series. This exclusive version will then be transferable to the full game at launch.
