Pokemon GO may be all the craze right now, but the true attraction, at least for long time series fans, comes later this year, when Pokemon Sun/Moon finally launch on the Nintendo 3DS. The game is going to be the seventh generation of Pokemon, and so far, not a whole lot is known about it, in spite of the gameplay footage we have received for it in copious amounts.
But now, a major leak, apparently originating in China (via NeoGAF), has spilled the beans on some major details from the game. From this point on, there will be heavy spoilers about Pokemon Sun/Moon– so hit that back button on your browser right about now if you would rather go into the game blind.
- Rowlet, Litten, and Popplio evolve into an archer, a wrestler, and a siren respectively (and the implication is that Litten will be another Fire/Fighting starter, contrary to speculation)
- In addition to the recently revealed Salandit, there are new Pokemon based on a mushroom, a dolphin, a sea cucumber, a snowman, and something that is being called a rugby monkey. If and when these Pokemon continue to be revealed over the coming months, the veracity of this leak should be established
- Apparently, special areas known as ‘Districts’ which house powerful Pokemon called ‘Overlords,’ which may either refer to very strong Pokemon, or legendary Pokemon.
- In what might be the most dramatic change to the series’ structure yet, there will be no Gym Leaders. It seems that the plot of the game involves forming a League, with each Island being protected by an Island Leader. An actual Elite Four will eventually appear, though, perhaps in the post-game.
- The diamonds seen in the logo can also be seen in the bracelets the playable characters wear. They are collectible and they will apparently unlock what is being billed as the ‘moves’ equivalent of Mega Evolution, in a mechanic known as ‘Super Move.” More details on the feature aren’t exactly clear yet, but it is being speculated that this mechanic may be used to access Ash-Greninja from the anime.
- You can ride almost any Pokemon- what this means in terms of the extent of Pokemon that can be ridden, and how, remains to be seen. However, Pokemon X/Y and OmegaRuby/AlphaSapphire both explored riding Pokemon in some form or another, so this does not necessarily sound like much of a stretch.
Pokemon Sun/Moon are due out exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS this November.