Pokemon Sun and Moon are out! Alola, MoTK!

[Third Eye Lem]

Everyone else in my household made fun of me for not pre-ordering on Amazon. Guess who has his game right now and who doesn't.

I imagine your face looked somewhat like Bonnie's face here when you got your copy first.

[ふねん1]

Whew, taking Mustache Dog around to check for items took a while longer than I thought. And who knew

Spoiler:

a Zygarde Cell was just chillin' in your room the whole time like a boss

? :V

Anyway, made it up to the location of the second trial at the end of day 1, though I haven't gone in there yet. It's early, but I'm liking the game so far. My first impressions:

- Hard to tell what other kinds of mechanics changes may have been made beyond things revealed in trailers, so everything still feels mostly the same as in Gen 6, which isn't a bad thing. Though I noticed poison and burns now do a lot less damage per turn - maybe Nintendo's answer to people attempting to stall opponents out in single player? I could see that being tempting for Totem Pokemon otherwise.
- Well, Z-moves are a thing. I know they're supposed to be used only once per battle, but given how few Pokemon the CPU opponents tend to have early on, that weakness doesn't really come up much. Especially when you have a 140 base power Fighting Z-move off Brick Break (iirc this is the earliest I've seen Brick Break be available on its own too, which is nuts).
- I've heard that the story and characters end up being really good, and I'm seeing the early stages of that play out. Team Skull is too much fun, and I'm anxious to see where the character arcs go.
- On the flip side, I'm not really feeling the music in this game. Like, at all. Again, it's early, so hopefully this'll change as I hear new tunes, but what I've heard so far just doesn't sound that interesting. Doesn't help that each island seems to have its own leitmotif, so you end up hearing the same melodies everywhere, which kinda hurts the variety and ends up making each region pretty hit-or-miss.
- I don't really have much to say about any of the new Pokemon that hasn't already been said, since quite a few were revealed before release. The only brand new mon I've seen is

Spoiler:

Trumbeak

, Pikipek's first evolution. But I ended up swapping it out not long after evolving it since I already had Wingull and it didn't seem that strong to begin with (at least not at this stage).

Here's my team just before the second trial:

- Torracat: Lv. 20
- Grubbin: Lv. 18
- Crabrawler: Lv. 18
- Fomantis: Lv. 15
- Magnemite: Lv. 16
- Wingull: Lv. 15

[Bio]

I had my doubts about Wishiwashi, but I can say that this guy rolls through npcs.

[triangles]

So how long until I get to catch a Vulpix this is important

[Sect]

Me and wolf roomie played drunk Pokemon last night. We're having a blast right now, even though we've both barely scratched the surface of the game.

[commandercool]

So how long until I get to catch a Vulpix this is important

I still haven't found it yet. Sandygast either. Would ve just my luck that they're both postgame-only or something... Will let you know as soon as I find Vulpix, anyway.

[Edible]

Wonder Trade -> Litten

WE IN BUSINESS NOW

[Chaore]

Meanwhile: i still haven't beaten the first trial because festival plaza is fun help (also I really want to make my pichu become pikachu already)

[BT]

I finished my Let's Watch of the game yesterday and I have to say, it really charmed me, despite how I tend to be a snob about these new gen Nintendo games and how amateurish they are. The new gameplay elements (trials, Z moves, etc.) are an awesome addition to the franchise both in theory and in practice, and the main characters have their place despite how they're written at the end of the day. There's a lot of love put into the game from the lower levels of the dev team and it shows. I'm happy I forced myself to experience the game, since I never really had the chance to do it with XY and I didn't watch full playthroughs either. My love for the franchise has rekindled a bit, even if it's only catering to its fans at this point. <3

[Sect]

(also I really want to make my pichu become pikachu already)

UGH. Level 18 and still Pichu. Kill me.

[Chaore]

UGH. Level 18 and still Pichu. Kill me.

Yeah, that's the fear. There's SUPPOSEDLY a festival house that can give friendship but i've yet to find it.

[commandercool]

Alright. The fire challenge (challenge four I think)

Spoiler:

made me laugh my ass off. That may have been the funniest thing I've ever seen in a Pokemon game, and these games tend to be really silly.

[ふねん1]

Alright. The fire challenge (challenge four I think)

Spoiler:

made me laugh my ass off. That may have been the funniest thing I've ever seen in a Pokemon game, and these games tend to be really silly.

Yeah, I loved just how it plays with our expectations. The first dance is like "oh that's about as easy as I expected, let's see how much harder this gets", then the second dance is like

Spoiler:

"wait what the hell is that dude doing there?"

Then the third dance is like

Spoiler:

"surprise motherfucker it's the Totem Pokemon!"

So good. :V Takes some of the sting out of the fight if you're not fully prepared for it lol.

It's getting way too late, so I stopped fishing futilely for Corsola on Route 9, just before the second kahuna's hometown. I gotta say, these Totem Pokemon are adding some real challenge that this series hasn't seen in a long time. The 2-on-1s are already potentially nasty enough, but all the support capabilities I'm seeing out of the summoned mons are crazy. Things like

Spoiler:

Alomomola healing Totem Wishiwashi back up

and

Spoiler:

Castform using Sunny Day to give Totem Lurantis free Solar Blades and stronger healing

just take these fights to the next level. I wonder if future fights will even get any easier as I start getting stronger mons and moves, like in previous gens.

Team update after day 2. Originally I didn't want too many really slow mons on my team, but I decided to add Mudbray for his Ground and (eventual) Steel coverage, which my planned team was sorely lacking.

- Torracat: Lv. 26
- Charjabug: Lv. 23
- Crabrawler: Lv. 23
- Mudbray: Lv. 23
- Wingull: Lv. 22
- Magnemite: Lv. 18

[The Greatest Dog]

I just want to point out how awesome Ribombee is

Spoiler:

60/55/60/95/70/125 is pretty optimized for 464 BST, but damn that movepool. Quiver Dance, Roost, Moonblast, Dazzling Gleam, Bug Buzz, Pollen Puff, U-Turn...
Learning a signature move with 90/100 Bp/Acc at level 25 is hella cool too

[BT]

Spoiler:

Learning a signature move with 90/100 Bp/Acc at level 25 is hella cool too

Spoiler:

That move is Psychic with more PP -and- gives a heal in doubles. Crazy.

[Sect]

Fifteen calls for help. That Wishiwashi called for help fifteen times.

[Edible]

Fifteen calls for help. That Wishiwashi called for help fifteen times.

Yeeeah, this mechanic can go straight to hell.

[Teewee]

Haven't played pokemon since Gen 5, and have been getting back into it now. Surprised they let you find Eevee in the wild o.o Been having a lot of fun, though!

Just beat the second trial against that Totem Wishiwashi. Was surprisingly tough, but I beat it on my second try by making sure it couldn't use its berry (and to not kill that first ally; the alomomola that comes later is a pain in the ass). Echoed Voice + Pluck at mid-health made it pretty easy, actually :v

Yeeeah, this mechanic can go straight to hell.

On the bright side, it lets you get the pokemon of the gender you're looking for, provided you stall enough. :V

[BT]

It's kinda cool watching people bitch about the

Spoiler:

Water trial, or the Fire trial, or the Grass trial

according to their starter. It's a pretty braindead idea for the second island but it's effective because of the difficulty.

[Janitor Morgan]

Fifteen calls for help. That Wishiwashi called for help fifteen times.

Yeeeah, this mechanic can go straight to hell.

Supposedly paralysis and sleep both stop the mon from calling for help; perhaps carry something with Thunder Wave or Stun Spore around?

[Sect]

Alright. The fire challenge (challenge four I think)

Spoiler:

made me laugh my ass off. That may have been the funniest thing I've ever seen in a Pokemon game, and these games tend to be really silly.

The second island overall is the funniest damn thing ever. From

Spoiler:

Lana trolling the hell out of you to Kiawe's dance to Mallow's cooking challenge

it's been a real blast. I also love how Team Skull is just a bunch of losers to the point that the people they're trying to intimidate don't even take them seriously.

[Edible]

blergh

Game I just want a female salandit without a completely awful nature, why is this so hard :|

[Chaore]

FInally got the damn friendship Parlor. I have no idea how easily those with me friended can ACCESS it for all my work, but I'm gonna atleast try and fill my festival plaza with good shit eventually.

I -like- Plaza, but the randomness of facilities is too much of a factor. I'm assuming which facility is your reccomendation is random when asked (Maybe weighing towards higher star rarities), and that only works if it assumes everyone plays plaza (HInt, they don't.). Thus, best way to get shit is from rankups- Which while not too tedious, can get boring due to the most efficient method in every possible way being 'Just do type matchup'.

But hey, the food did the trick and I have both Nasty Plot and Electro ball on a Pikachu and that's gonna be good fun. I didn't even use it on obligatory first boss.

[commandercool]

OH MY GOD GUYS

THIS IS HUGE

THE TEAM SKULL BOSS SWITCHED OUT OF A BAD MATCHUP.

Does this game have... SMART AI?

I mean granted he had just used Swords Dance with his weird freaky bug creature and then he switched which isn't greeeat, but he actually gave me just a little trouble with his two Pokemon because he didn't play like a total dunce. I am so on board with this.

Edit: Also, I think Vulpix is near. I can feel Vulpix being near...

[commandercool]

YES!

Farmed Vulpixes for all after I get home from work tomorrow.

[BT]

OH MY GOD GUYS

THIS IS HUGE

THE TEAM SKULL BOSS SWITCHED OUT OF A BAD MATCHUP.

Does this game have... SMART AI?

I mean granted he had just used Swords Dance with his weird freaky bug creature and then he switched which isn't greeeat, but he actually gave me just a little trouble with his two Pokemon because he didn't play like a total dunce. I am so on board with this.

Edit: Also, I think Vulpix is near. I can feel Vulpix being near...

1.

Spoiler:

Guzma's fuglybug has an ability that ejects it out of battle if it goes under 50% health. Comically horrible ability on slow mons, and that thing has 40 base HP! It's even funnier that he uses Swords Dance.

2. A friend said an AI from the game had to choose who to switchi into battle after a KO, so it chose a type-disadvantageos mon just so it could Whirlwind away stat boosts. There have certainly been some buffs to the AI, which is awesome.

[Edible]

Farmed Vulpixes for all after I get home from work tomorrow.

You are a hero and a scholar.

[MatsuriSakuragi]

Sad little easter egg:

Spoiler:

There's a Pokemon Breeder in the cemetery named Ikue who fights you with a Pikachu. Her defeat text is "Pikaa...". She then goes on to say her Pikachu died and she speaks to it with its own words.

Also, I really don't like the time shift in Moon. It feels unnecessary and just downright strange for the time to be opposite of what time it actually is IRL.

[Sect]

Also, I really don't like the time shift in Moon. It feels unnecessary and just downright strange for the time to be opposite of what time it actually is IRL.

I think that whether or not it is a problem depends on when you typically play the game. Moon seems to have more special events during the game's night, such as fights and evolutions, while Sun has them during the day. Me and wolf roomie found it really convenient when trying to level up and evolve certain Pok?mon.

EDIT: That said, it is really inconvenient for the people that have to work and so will miss part of their day cycle at least five times out of a week.

[commandercool]

Alright, I'm home and have ten extra Vulpixes. Anybody who wants one is welcome to one.