The weekly Japanese Pokémon-themed show Pokénchi is very hit and miss when it comes to news, but in their latest episode they showed off a small screenshot from the upcoming Sun and Moon that reveals quite a few interesting details.
What is most obvious up front is the confirmation that battles will look like this in-game, which on the surface isn’t too far off from the layout seen in X and Y. Pokémon face off against each other and the HP bar appears whenever a Pokémon is hit, although it looks like this UI element is far more stylized this time around, with a bar that is bigger towards the end and a paint-splash background.
More intriguing is the surrounding environment. As many suspected, the boy commanding Rowlet here is likely your rival in the game. However, unlike most main rivals, his starter is actually weak to the protagonist’s pick. In the past this has occurred due to having more than one rival/travelling companion, and it could be that we’ll see a similar situation this time around too.
We can also see two other people standing on the sidelines, which is a series first. It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out in the long-run, or if bystanders will only be around for certain story battles or in specific areas. Either way, it should make the battles feel like they’re part of the world now.
We’ll be sure to bring you more information on Pokémon Sun and Moon as it develops!
Written by Tom Brown
Whether it’s an exciting new entry in a series long established or a weird experiment meant only for the dedicated, Tom is eager to report on it. Rest assured, if Nintendo ever announces Elite Beat Agents 2, he’ll be there.
