The Pokémon news train keeps on going with more information about Pokémon Sun and Moon. Today the Pokémon Company International and Nintendo revealed new information for the latest games in the Pokémon franchise.
This information release includes both the information from today as well as those in the Nintendo Direct from Thursday.
Munchlax and Snorlax
The early purchase bonus Munchlax, which must be received via players’ Internet connection by January 11, 2017, is holding a special item called Snorlium Z. By evolving Munchlax into Snorlax and having it hold the Snorlium Z, Snorlax becomes able to use a special Z-Move that cannot be used by any other Pokémon—Pulverizing Pancake.
The bonus Munchlax will also know the move Hold Back, which it could not normally learn. Hold Back is an attack move that leaves its opponent with just 1 HP. It can reliably weaken an opposing Pokémon, so it comes in handy when trying to catch wild Pokémon.
The Munchlax being gifted will also know the move Happy Hour, another move it normally couldn’t learn. When players use Happy Hour during a Trainer battle, they’ll receive twice as much prize money after the battle for use on their adventure.
Name: Munchlax:
Type: Normal
Munchlax is a big eater that wolfs down its own weight in food once a day, gulping it down practically without chewing! It also hides food under the hair on its body. But then it forgets about it…
Name: Snorlax:
Type: Normal
Snorlax is a Pokémon that has blocked the path of many a Trainer. It’s not satisfied unless it eats in excess of 880 pounds of food every day. When it’s done eating, it promptly goes to sleep. Snorlax’s typical day consists of nothing more than eating and sleeping. It gets fatter and fatter, and it moves less and less. Its stomach is extremely strong, and its digestive juices can dissolve any kind of poison, so eating rotten food doesn’t affect it.
Type: Null
Type: Normal
Type: Null is a Synthetic Pokémon which was constructed to synthesize the strengths of various Pokémon, making it adaptable enough to complete a mission that requires a Pokémon as strong as the Pokémon of mythology. The mask fitted to this Pokémon’s head is a piece of equipment designed to control its power. Type: Null is the partner Pokémon of a newly revealed character—Gladion, the taciturn enforcer of Team Skull, who places a high value on being strong in battle.
Name: Jangmo-o
Type: Dragon
The Scaly Pokémon Jangmo-o has the pride of a warrior and never neglects its training in its pursuit of becoming stronger. This Pokémon uses the scales on its head as a weapon both offensively and defensively. It lives in harsh locales, like canyons, where it can train.
Additional new regional variant Pokémon:
Name: Alolan Rattata
Type: Dark/Normal
Unlike ordinary Rattata, urban areas are Alolan Rattata’s main habitat. They are nocturnal and live in nests of several dozen. Alolan Rattata have an excellent aptitude for sniffing out delicious fresh foods in Alola. They pay no attention to foods that aren’t fresh. Alolan Raticate serve as their boss.
Name: Alolan Raticate
Type: Dark/Normal
Raticate in Alola live in urban areas, leading to a higher-calorie diet than that of Raticate elsewhere. This means they have tough bodies but have gotten a lot fatter. They stockpile huge amounts of food in their nests and prefer fresh fruit and high-class ingredients. Alolan Raticate is the Totem Pokémon of the trial that takes place in Verdant Cavern on Melemele Island in Pokémon Moon.
Brand-new characters in the story were also announced—members of the Aether Foundation, an organization that works in the Alola region and conducts various research projects. Residing on Aether Paradise, the artificial island that they created, their goal is to care for and provide shelter to Pokémon that have been hurt. Members of the Aether Foundation include:
Lusamine
The beautiful Lusamine is the president of the Aether Foundation.
Faba
Faba can be identified by his signature accessory—green sunglasses. He is the Aether Foundation’s second-in-command.
Wicke
As the assistant branch chief of Aether Paradise, Wicke has a very caring personality and supports Faba. She is loved by all of the Aether Foundation’s employees.
Employees of the Aether Foundation
The staff members of the Aether Foundation appear to have various uniforms depending on which division they belong to.
All over Alola, rumors speak of creatures that possess mighty powers and pose a threat to humans and Pokémon. They’re called Ultra Beasts, and there are said to be multiple Ultra Beasts in existence. It seems that the Aether Foundation is conducting research on these Ultra Beasts, referring to each of them by a code name. UB-01 is an Ultra Beast that has a body composed of a glass-like substance. It constantly changes shape, and its movements resemble that of a young girl. Whilst evidence of something like a survival instinct can be observed in UB-01, no one knows whether it has a will of its own or any emotions at all.
Whilst exploring Alola in Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, players will encounter Dexio and Sina. These two originally appeared in Pokémon X and Pokémon Y as the professor’s assistants. They will give you an item called the Zygarde Cube and ask you to collect Zygarde Cores and Zygarde Cells which can be found all around Alola. If you collect enough, the path to finding Zygarde may become clearer!
A brand-new feature called the Poké Finder will debut in Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. This feature allows players to take pictures of the Pokémon they find. It’s loaded into the Rotom Dex and, when used in certain spots scattered throughout the Alola region, you can snap pictures of Pokémon. The pictures you take will be evaluated, and as you take better pictures, more features—like the ability to zoom—become available.
Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, launching on November 18, 2016, exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.