Pokemon Sun and Moon are out! Alola, MoTK!

[Drake]

probably because johto is literally connected to kanto and you go to kanto in gsc and the events in the games are related

[Raikaria]

*quietly bathes in salty tears of gen 1 hate*

It's not hate.

It's annoyance at the ignoring of the other generations while Generation 1 continues to get special treatment.

A significant part of Pokemon's target audience probobly wasn't even alive back when Gen 1 came out. In fact, a significant amount of their target audience probobly wasn't even alive when FR/LG came out. And older fans won't suddenly stop playing if Gen 1 dosen't get special treatment. Freaking PIKACHU wasn't in Gen 5 and did Pokemon bomb then? No. In fact; in Black/White; there wasn't a single pokemon from another generation until postgame. Did the games bomb because they ignored Gen 1? No. Nintendo seems to have got it into their heads that the older fanbase will vanish if they stop worshipping the 151.

Was it though? I really don't remember this much. Seemed to me that most of the popular non-new pokemon got mega evolutions and new spotlights. Eg: ampharos, gardevoir, lucario, etc. The gen 1 starters getting new attention was to be expected considering it was mega evo's first unveiling, and gen 3's starters just got their megas as well. With the new crop of people being reintroduced to pokemon through pokemon go, which only has first gen mons, it seems like a pretty reasonable thing to do.

1: Your first wild pokemon encounter in the game is forced to be a Pidgey. Not a new pokemon. The first pokemon you can catch in X/Y will always be a Pidgey.
2: Regional Professor supplies you with; and uses in battle; Kanto starters. He also gives you a Mega Stone for said starters; meaning they'll outshine your Kalos starter. So much for repping your trio Sycamore.
3: Snorlax in the road and Pokeflute quest mandated in the game
4: First Mega Stone you can obtain that isn't plot-mandated? Aerodactyl. Also you can get an Aerodactyl before Gym 2 conveniently.
5: Free Lapras; also Lapras gets a special surf model, and not a minor edit to the blob's shape. An actual model.
6: The legendary birds are in Kalos for absolutely no reason.
7: Mewtwo is in Kalos for absolutely no reason; which means all the Gen 1 legends are in Kalos because... uh... muh Genwun pandering?
8: TWO Mega Charizards! TWO Mega Mewtwos! No other pokemon got this treatment. Meanwhile Gen 5 has to wait until ORAS for a single Mega. [Which gave a lot of love to gen 3 but it's the gen 3 remakes it actually has an excuse]
9: The vast majority of Megas in X/Y were Gen 1.

It honestly felt like in X/Y they were pushing Gen 1 pokemon harder than the actual new Gen 6 pokemon.

You can probobly tell people are a little annoyed now it looks like Gen 7 is going to stuff Gen 1 down our throats and give it special treatment again what with Alolan Oak who'll probobly outshine the actual regional Professor, and Alolan forms thus far being a purely Gen 1 thing.

We get it. The 151 are cool. But you know what? There are 571+ other pokemon who deserve love as well.

[Bardiche]

I think it's simply a case of renewing the oldest Pok?mon first to re-introduce them to a new public.

Kids who pick up XY may not even have been alive for Pok?mon Red & Blue, so to them, Charizard and MewTwo are completely new Pok?mon they've never heard of before.

The added benefit is those players from back then get hit with some nostalgia by seeing their old Pok?mon again.

You get two birds with one stone: your older fanbase stays engaged because they see things that are familiar in their Pok?mon games, whereas the newer public has a reason to be engaged and fall in love with the first Pok?mon generation. It's win-win.

[BT]

1) It dips into old fans
2) It dips into brand recognition - people immediately recognize it as Pokemon
3) Maybe they're just really self-depreciating and think people like their new designs less, so they go for what worked in the past (and they're right)(this is a pretty good sign that the franchise is a dead horse)

By the way did any of you guys watch the S&M anime preview? It's pretty baaaad.

[commandercool]

3) Maybe they're just really self-depreciating and think people like their new designs less, so they go for what worked in the past (and they're right)(this is a pretty good sign that the franchise is a dead horse)

You think so? Weighted a bit for the smaller size I think generation 6 is arguably the best-designed set of Pokemon yet. And at this point I'm trying to avoid further generation 7 spoilers, but it looked pretty solid given what I saw of it.

[BT]

You think so? Weighted a bit for the smaller size I think generation 6 is arguably the best-designed set of Pokemon yet. And at this point I'm trying to avoid further generation 7 spoilers, but it looked pretty solid given what I saw of it.

I'm not saying they're objectively better or worse than the old designs, I'm saying it's consensus that most fans (a lot of whom are old fans) like the older designs because of bias. Now it seems like Nintendo are also on board with the "heck yeah, old designs" thing.

[The Greatest Dog]

So. Version exclusives, new Z-moves announced today.

Spoiler:

Rugby seems like it'd be cool in doubles. Receive Wonder Guard from Shedinja, Parental Bond, whatever really - as long as you time bringing it in well.
Oranguru sounds like it'll just tank everything possible while Instruct is used to give glass cannon partners 2x attacks. Telepathy even means you don't have to fear using Earthquake, Surf, etc.
Pikachu's Z-Move better be damn strong if it has to forgo Light Ball. Awesome animation though.
Eevee's Z-Move turns him into the premium Baton Pass user. If he can survive the two turns needed to use Evoboost and Baton Pass, without the safety of Focus Sash...

[ふねん1]

Another big update just dropped, and we got some pretty juicy info to hold us over for a while (or not, since there's always more to it lol).

- The first evolutions of the starter Pokemon are finally revealed! I personally think they flow well from the designs of their first forms, which is getting me even more curious about their final stages. And so far there's no Fighting-type to be seen in LItten's evolutionary line, which is a relief. Someone in the comments mentioned a circus theme going on with the starters, which differs from the "archer-wrestler-dancer" theme that people had gathered from the "leaked" pictures of their final evolutions.
- This new Festival Plaza looks like the games' main hub for online player interactions, and you can even get items and play games to increase your mons' stats.
- Another new feature in Pokemon Pelago. Now Pokemon in your PC can be useful aside from just being there for your collection lol. The revealed features include attracting wild Pokemon, mining for items in a cave, and even more ways to increase your Pokemon's stats.
- Z-rings also support Mega Evolution, as previously theorized, though no new Mega Evolutions are shown this time.
- Finally, a demo version of the game will be available on October 18th! Not only that, but we get to play through it with a very special Pokemon:

Spoiler:

Ash-Greninja

! The trailer says it can even be transferred over to the main games once they come out, though I wonder how many people will opt not to use it to avoid breaking the game, a la Victini in Gen 5.

[MatsuriSakuragi]

Oh no, I didn't like Popplio but Brionne is adorable as hell.

And I know I won't be using the ~*~special~*~ pokemon-- that just seems completely game-breaking. I'll still get it for the box though, I guess.

[Raikaria]

Oh no, I didn't like Popplio but Brionne is adorable as hell.

Really? I thought Team Popplio would be crying themselves to sleep.

That said; Litten's evo is literally 'Bigger Litten'. And Rowlet turns into an Emo.

Still think Popplio's worst off.

Also no thank you I don;t want to take Easymode stuff.

[Chaore]

Really? I thought Team Popplio would be crying themselves to sleep.

Anyone who liked Popplio (Self included, Popplio looked very smooth and well-designed like literally all of this gen's starters) definitely likes Brionne and I'm not sure why you'd think otherwise, It's basically a slightly modified Popplio made to look 'prettier' which is what the mon was going for already.

This goes for most of the second stages, whats prolly more worrying people is Camp Litten who is desperately fearful the final stage turns into a bulking werecat with that terrifying /fighting attached.

tldr; It's exactly what people liked from stages 1 in most cases, Rowlett getting the worse because it's suddenly becoming ~dapper~ and people like rowlett for being dorbs.

Gotta say, I really do find Sun/Moon has probably some of the best aesthetic stylings since two.

[MatsuriSakuragi]

I'm down with the dapper owl myself. Definitely conflicted between it or Popplio now.

[commandercool]

I was trying to avoid spoilers but I had to look at the starter evolutions. I love 'em all, but I' m still behind Rowlet 100%.

[Chaore]

I'm down with the dapper owl myself. Definitely conflicted between it or Popplio now.

The hair is honestly kind of goofy, but yeah, I'm alright with the dapper owl myself.

It's just waiting the payoff that the final stage's ULTIMATE BUTLER OWL will bring.

[commandercool]

The hair is honestly kind of goofy, but yeah, I'm alright with the dapper owl myself.

It's just waiting the payoff that the final stage's ULTIMATE BUTLER OWL will bring.

Oh gosh that sounds great. Maybe a serving tray made out of a slice of tree trunk?

[BT]

- Finally, a demo version of the game will be available on October 18th! Not only that, but we get to play through it with a very special Pokemon:

Spoiler:

Ash-Greninja

! The trailer says it can even be transferred over to the main games once they come out, though I wonder how many people will opt not to use it to avoid breaking the game, a la Victini in Gen 5.

YOU CAN'T JUST

Spoiler:

DROP ASH

IN A MAIN SERIES GAME

YOU DON'T DO THAT MAN

[Drake]

oh god brionne is great help

[Raikaria]

This goes for most of the second stages, whats prolly more worrying people is Camp Litten who is desperately fearful the final stage turns into a bulking werecat with that terrifying /fighting attached.

Well I have bad news for Team Litten; if you look on the Sun/Moon website...

The cat punch that this Pok?mon can dish out with its strong forelegs is extremely powerful. It can bend iron bars and knock out large men with a single blow!

So... it punches. With it's forelegs. And it's feats are 'bending metal' and 'knocking people out'.

So bipedal Fire/Fighting final form all but confirmed.

Also I find this bit of fluff that will have no in-game consequence interesting:

At times, this Pok?mon feels so bothered by its dirty or ruffled feathers that it can?t focus on battle. When it loses its focus, it sometimes even retires from the battle on the spot! It?s up to each Trainer to help Dartrix overcome this troublesome stage. If this Pok?mon is with a Trainer who helps it through, its strength will grow hugely!

[The Greatest Dog]

So... it punches. With it's forelegs. And it's feats are 'bending metal' and 'knocking people out'.

So bipedal Fire/Fighting final form all but confirmed.

You know what Pok?mon has this Dex entry?

It attacks with retractable horns. It throws a punch that's the equivalent of the force of a hundred pro boxers.

Spoiler:

Goodra

Nothing is confirmed yet, I would say.

[commandercool]

Also I find this bit of fluff that will have no in-game consequence interesting:

I don't know about no in-game effect. Last generation's starters all got semi-unique hidden abilities, so maybe Rowlet will get one that addresses this. A stat boost when it's at full health or not statused maybe?

[The Greatest Dog]

inb4 Rowlet actually loses half of its Atk/SpA when damaged because it gets Defeatist as a second ability

[commandercool]

Wouldn't be the first time a Pokemon has gotten a hidden ability with a drawback for flavor. Like Truant Durant.

[Phasm]

I really hope that the information our friend the " Chinese Riddler " leaked is actually true so that we get the awesome Archer Rowlet evolution which would mark Rowlet as the first badass grass starter since Treeko, and that beautiful Siren evolution for Poplio which looks so majestic i love it so much, unfortunately if that were the case then that would mean that Litten becomes a fighter/ becomes bipedal like the rest of the fire starters...  :ohdear:
On the other hand the " Chinese Riddler "  said that the starters and Rockruff have something in common, so we may very well be looking at the first split starter final evolutions! 

[Drake]

Litten magically becoming a Fire/Fighting would override anything good about the other evolutions

[Lishy1]

Still undecided between Sun or Moon. I need more info about the 12-hour difference thing.

Leaning towards Moon if it features more evening and night time setpieces.

[Jq1790]

Litten magically becoming a Fire/Fighting would override anything good about the other evolutions

I hate to be like this but I'm feeling the same here.  I like the idea of variety myself.

We'll see!  Gonna be hopeful for now.

[Phasm]

Still undecided between Sun or Moon. I need more info about the 12-hour difference thing.

Leaning towards Moon if it features more evening and night time setpieces.

I can relate, both versions look awesome. I mean to me, the only thing which will help me choose is the possible split game starter final evolution...

[Lishy1]

Think it's worth pre-ordering? I remember last time I bought X&Y on the day of its release, the line was pretty huge.

[commandercool]

I don't plan to preorder it. Every grocery store in the world should have it so you can skip the lines if you want. I like the lines though, they're fun.

[The Greatest Dog]

I recall going to the Nintendo Store in Manhattan for the XY launch. While the line kept me there from 5 pm through 5 am, they did hand out a bunch of loot like posters, pins, patches, and postcards so I might go there for the Sun/Moon release.

Well.

Spoiler:

Type: Null and its evolution are probably my favorite Gen VII Pok?mon now.