Everything We Just Learned From The Newest 'Pokémon Presents'
Trainers, how’s your hype reserve doing? Today was the “Pokémon Presents”, a digital presentation about what’s upcoming in Pokémon video games. This specific presentation had about half of its runtime dedicated to apps like Pokémon Go and Pokémon Unite, while the other half was the main attraction, the third trailer for the debut games of the franchise’s ninth generation, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. And no, we got nothing on Pokémon Sleep.
The presentation began with updates about the Pokémon World Championships being held from August 18-21 in London. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the first championship held in three years, and unfortunately will be the only one to feature the eighth-generation games Sword and Shield. This year, they add Championship Series for Go and Unite. They also revealed a pop-up Pokémon Center store and showed off the trophy. They hyped up this year’s previously held Go Fests, culminating in a finale event on August 27, with global involvement and Ultra Beast availability. This was followed by explaining the recently-added Daily Adventure Incense, and proclaiming that available Pokémon has reached over 700. They remarked on Unite'‘s first anniversary, its Holowear gifts, and the beginning of the four week “Pika Party” event that launched on the day of writing and the addition of Buzzwole that would happen that evening. Pokémon Masters EX had teased a manifestation of Red and Ash Ketchum finally facing off. In addition, a Three Year Anniversary event was announced, as well as the upcoming Trainer Lodge feature launching later this month, though more detail was stated to come separately. A new Mewtwo event and game mode were announced for Pokémon Cafe Remix. Latios will be heading that way soon, after a Victini and Latias-focused event is apparently ongoing.
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Then, it’s Scarlet and Violet trailer time. The region’s name is finally disclosed! It’s Paldea, very nice. Koraidon and Miraidon are your motorcycling partners, for flight and surfing across the region too! Donphan is back in a regional Pokédex for the first time since Hoenn, and Gogoat for the first time since its debut in Generation VI. Without picking out every Pokémon seen, we do see a bunch of unique characters. We see who turns out to be Grusha, the Glaseado Gym Leader, specializing in Ice-types, sending out the first previously-unrevealed Pokémon shown in the trailer, Cetitan. Cetitan is a pure-Ice type with the abilities Thick Fat or Slush Rush.
The trailer then reveals the generation’s unique battle mechanic in the vein of Dynamax and Gigantamax, Z-Crystals, and Mega Evolution: Terastal Phenomenon. The game’s webpage about it describes it as when a Tera Jewel “appears above the Pokémon’s head like a crown, and the Pokémon’s body glistens like a cut gemstone”, turning rather crystalline. They all gain headpieces too. Each Pokémon has a Tera Type. A Pokémon's Tera Type is not activated until the Pokémon Terastallizes, at which time the Pokémon's type will change to it. Any move the same type as Tera, they get a same-type attack bonus boost, as one would expect. If the Tera Type matches one of the user’s natural types, it gets a boost on top of STAB. All 18 types can be Tera Types and are available to all Pokémon found within the game. Terastallized Pokémon also succeed Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokémon as opponents in Raid Battles.
In the in-depth dive, one of the games’ stories is a treasure hunt, under the pretense of an independent study program. There’s also the traditional gym challenge, in any order for the first time as previously stated. More school staff are revealed, Clavell the director (principal), and Mr. Jacq the homeroom teacher, who teaches biology. Nemona was revealed in the June trailer, but she’s joined by upperclassman skilled in cooking Arwen, and the shy Penny. In the Pokémon section, there’s the first revealed Paldean regional variant, Wooper! It’s Poison/Ground type now with the abilities Poison Point and Water Absorb. No official word yet on how its line will go. The final Pokémon revealed is Fidough, the pure bread dog Pokémon, with yeasty breath! It’s a Fairy type with the Own Tempo ability.
That was a lot packed into 20 minutes, and there are surely more reveals to come in the three months leading up to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s release on the Nintendo Switch on November 18, 2022.
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