POKEMON SUN AND MOON
And now, we come to the first games of Generation VII, Pokemon Sun and Moon. In these games, you play as Elio or Selene, and your region this time is Alola, a set of four islands based on Hawaii, with all-new Pokemon almost all entirely based on Hawaii specifically, or general Pacific islands, being the first generation to fully embrace the concept of specifically tailoring the full dex to the region.
In this game, your professor is Professor Kukui, who also fights you at one point as the Masked Royal, a professional fighter. Also of note is Professor Burnet from Pokemon Dream Radar, who reappears now as Kukui's wife and a fellow researcher, as well as Samson Oak, a cousin of Professor Oak and another researcher. Your rivals include Hop and Gladion. Gladion's sister Lillie is also practically the main character of the game's story, but I don't think "rival" is quite the correct term for her. Some returning characters like Sina, Dexio, Colress, and Grimsley all show up too.
Instead of the usual eight gyms and Elite Four, you instead have the Island Challenge, with seven Trial Captains who give you specific challenges, and four Island Kahunas who act as the boss at the end of the island's trials. The trial captains include Ilima (Normal), Lana (Water), Kiawe (Fire), Mallow (Grass), Sophocles (Electric), Acerola (Ghost), and Mina (Fairy). The kahunas include Hala (Fighting), Olivia (Rock), Nanu (Dark), and Hapu (Ground). Also of note are Molayne (Steel), Sophocles's successor and mentor, as well as Kahili (Flying), a former Alolan champion. After you've beaten the Island Challenge, Kukui presents the idea of forming an Elite Four for Alola for the first time, with every major trainer competing. In the end, Hala, Olivia, Acerola, and Kahili earn their places as Elite Four, and you, the player, become Champion.
The villain team this time is Team Skull, and they're basically just a gang of street thugs, a massive step down from the previous world-conquering teams we've been used to. They are led by Guzma and Plumeria, who specialize in Bug and Poison type respectively. The true villains, you come to learn, are the Aether Foundation, led by Lillie and Gladion's mother Lusamine, with two major notable admins in Wicke and Faba. Lusamine's main plan involves opening portals to the Ultra Dimension and harnessing the power of the Ultra Beasts found within. We'll expand a bit more in the sequel games.
As for the stages of this game, first off, we have the four islands, Melemele, Akala, Ula'ula, and Poni, based on Oahu, Maui, Hawaii (the specific island), and Kauai respectively. Melemele has Iki Town and Hau'oli City, as well as Mahalo Trail, Hau'oli Cemetery, Berry Fields, Verdant Cavern, Melemele Meadow, Seaward Cave, the Ruins of Conflict, and Ten Carat Hill. Akala has Heahea City, Paniola Town, Royal Avenue, and Konikoni City, as well as Paniola Ranch, Brooklet Hill, Weia Volcano Park, Lush Jungle, Memorial Hill, the Ruins of Life, and Hano Grand Resort. Ula'ula has Malie City, Tapu Village, and Po Town, as well as Malie Garden, Mount Hokulani, Hokulani Observatory, Blush Mountain, Aether House, the abandoned Thrifty Megamart, the Ruins of Abundance, the Lake of the Sunne/Moone, Shady House, and Mount Lanakila. Poni only has Seafolk Village for cities, but also has the Poni Wilds, the Ancient Poni Path, the Ruins of Hope, Exeggutor Island, Vast Poni Canyon, and the Altar of the Sunne/Moone. Aether Paradise stands separate from all the islands, and the Ultra Dimension is also entirely separate.
Here's everything we've got so far:
Characters:
All new Pokemon
Trainer System:
Elio
Selene
Hop
Lillie
Gladion
Professor Kukui
Professor Burnet
Samson Oak
Ilima
Hala
Lana
Kiawe
Mallow
Olivia
Sophocles
Molayne
Acerola
Nanu
Mina
Hapu
Kahili
Guzma
Plumeria
Lusamine
Wicke
Faba
Stages:
Melemele Island locations
Akala Island locations
Ula'ula Island locations
Poni Island locations
Aether Paradise
Ultra Dimension
Thanks for reading! Next up, let's Jump along with the Magikarp!
