Pokémon Sun and Moon - General Discussion Thread

[Hauke_von_Arding]

I still don't think there will be gyms. They just cold expand the Trial system. Instead of Gyms you defeat the trials and then you can enter the league.

 

[Sαpphire]

Since the main site is pointing toward the "league" just being the Elite Four, it could very well be that the Rite of Passage is still going to continue, and Once future trainers clear it, then they'll challenge the league. Also, the league being built apparently has nothing to do with your character coming to Alola, so the implications aren't really there as it seems it's something the people of Alola agreed on and decided to build.

Well it would certainly be interesting for the League to function with just an Elite 4 and a Champion, and I think that's the best way to approach things in social terms.

It does bring us back around to the identities of these individuals, though, because if there's not a replacement Gym system, it would stand to reason that the Kahunas would need to remain as such - in the Kahuna position - rather than becoming Elite 4.

Maybe it's just going to be sort of like past generations in which all or most Elite 4 members are simply not revealed until you actually battle them. I could see the League being built over the course of the game and becoming actually available as a post-Island Challenge and post-plot construct; you "beat" the game, and then you get a message from someone that the League has been established, and it serves as the final pre-credits challenge. In such a case, the identities could be a secret - maybe we'll run into them during the course of the primary adventure with only subtle hints as to their true nature, or something.

 

[Nerdy McNerdface]

I'm personally not too fussed either way if gyms return or not. I'm just hyped for plot, finding out who the alola elite four and champion are and the battle tree.

 

[future.newyorker]

Well it would certainly be interesting for the League to function with just an Elite 4 and a Champion, and I think that's the best way to approach things in social terms.

It does bring us back around to the identities of these individuals, though, because if there's not a replacement Gym system, it would stand to reason that the Kahunas would need to remain as such - in the Kahuna position - rather than becoming Elite 4.

Maybe it's just going to be sort of like past generations in which all or most Elite 4 members are simply not revealed until you actually battle them. I could see the League being built over the course of the game and becoming actually available as a post-Island Challenge and post-plot construct; you "beat" the game, and then you get a message from someone that the League has been established, and it serves as the final pre-credits challenge. In such a case, the identities could be a secret - maybe we'll run into them during the course of the primary adventure with only subtle hints as to their true nature, or something.

It could function very much like this: The Kahuna's serve as the Kahuna's during the Rite of Passage AND as the Elite 4 with an updated team for the League. Or one or two Kahuna's (Hala and Olivia most likely, as they seem to be the two most important based on pre-release information) step up and become Elite 4 members and then some other trainers (Kukui and Guzma perhaps?) take their places as the Kahuna's of Melemele and Akala.

 

[R_N]

It does bring us back around to the identities of these individuals, though, because if there's not a replacement Gym system, it would stand to reason that the Kahunas would need to remain as such - in the Kahuna position - rather than becoming Elite 4.

Why can't they just pull double duty, thought?
"you fought us before, but now we're stronger and fought sequentially" could work just as well and it's not like the e4 need to be in the league at all times of day. champion sure doesn't

 

[clbgolden12]

I was just at GameStop and actually saw plushies of all the starters.

I was gonna get Litten, but... They were $14. I could've easily afforded it, but it seems like a lot for a small plush IMO.

 

[Sαpphire]

It could function very much like this: The Kahuna's serve as the Kahuna's during the Rite of Passage AND as the Elite 4 with an updated team for the League. Or one or two Kahuna's (Hala and Olivia most likely, as they seem to be the two most important based on pre-release information) step up and become Elite 4 members and then some other trainers (Kukui and Guzma perhaps?) take their places as the Kahuna's of Melemele and Akala.

Why can't they just pull double duty, thought?
"you fought us before, but now we're stronger and fought sequentially" could work just as well and it's not like the e4 need to be in the league at all times of day. champion sure doesn't

See, while I know that's technically possible, I'm just not sure about how likely I think that is. We've never had anyone in the games do this kind of dual role; the closest is probably Giovanni being secretly a Gym Leader while also being an evil team leader. And it's not just the lack of precedent - as far as lore, I'm not sure how well it would work to have them doing two jobs when both presumably require them to be available immediately upon a qualified trainer's request.

But also, I think that somewhat similar issues have existed with the physical location of the HGSS Gym Leaders if I recall correctly, so maybe they're not that concerned with the technicalities of the lore and all that.

 

[Nerdy McNerdface]

So, on an entirely different topic, does anyone know yet how we get Magearna?

 

[R_N]

See, while I know that's technically possible, I'm just not sure about how likely I think that is. We've never had anyone in the games do this kind of dual role; the closest is probably Giovanni being secretly a Gym Leader while also being an evil team leader. And it's not just the lack of precedent - as far as lore, I'm not sure how well it would work to have them doing two jobs when both presumably require them to be available immediately upon a qualified trainer's request.

But also, I think that somewhat similar issues have existed with the physical location of the HGSS Gym Leaders if I recall correctly, so maybe they're not that concerned with the technicalities of the lore and all that.

gym leaders, e4 members, & champions have been all over the place so they aggressively do not care. BW2 had Marshall guard a cave for the entire game. Leaders & e4 members were hanging out at your Villa in platinum and Caitlin's summer house in BW1/2. e4 didn't take time out of their day to go to the battleground or PWT, but all the gym leaders sure did. Blue's a gym leader and now he's hanging out at the battle tree in his off time. Champions just do whatever they want and they dont even really have the excuse of Alder not accepting battles.

The game just ignores it. I mean theoretically there's other people training & taking on these challenges but somehow you (& your rival sometimes) are the only ones actually battling the key people at any given time.

 

[Zoruagible]

So, on an entirely different topic, does anyone know yet how we get Magearna?

Sometime near the launch I guess?
Since Magearna already had her movie, there's no point holding her out for a year or two.... or three like certain events.

 

[Orphalesion]

gym leaders, e4 members, & champions have been all over the place so they aggressively do not care. BW2 had Marshall guard a cave for the entire game. Leaders & e4 members were hanging out at your Villa in platinum and Caitlin's summer house in BW1/2. e4 didn't take time out of their day to go to the battleground or PWT, but all the gym leaders sure did. Blue's a gym leader and now he's hanging out at the battle tree in his off time. Champions just do whatever they want and they dont even really have the excuse of Alder not accepting battles.

The game just ignores it. I mean theoretically there's other people training & taking on these challenges but somehow you (& your rival sometimes) are the only ones actually battling the key people at any given time.

That's pretty much a combination of: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GameplayAndStorySegregation and http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AcceptableBreaksFromReality

Realistically it makes no sense ofr the gym leaders and Elite 4 to sit around all day (and all night) and wait until somebody, possibly, maybe, perhaps, waltzes in uninvited and demands that they battle. Realistically those people need to eat, sleep, shower, poop, unwind and socialize at some point, realistically someone has to be paying them for their service as gym leaders/E4 (after all those capes and cans of Dragonite chow don't pay for themselves) and would probably rather not pay them just to sit around. Realistically there are probably time frames within which gym leaders and the E4 are available to be challenged.

However pokemon doesn't go in-dept with its simulation of everyday life, because that's not what the game is about and out of convenience for both the players and the creators. So yes whenver the PC is at a gym, it just happens to be during the gym's business hours.

 

[Taodragon]

That's pretty much a combination of: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GameplayAndStorySegregation and http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AcceptableBreaksFromReality

Realistically it makes no sense ofr the gym leaders and Elite 4 to sit around all day (and all night) and wait until somebody, possibly, maybe, perhaps, waltzes in uninvited and demands that they battle. Realistically those people need to eat, sleep, shower, poop, unwind and socialize at some point, realistically someone has to be paying them for their service as gym leaders/E4 (after all those capes and cans of Dragonite chow don't pay for themselves) and would probably rather not pay them just to sit around. Realistically there are probably time frames within which gym leaders and the E4 are available to be challenged.

However pokemon doesn't go in-dept with its simulation of everyday life, because that's not what the game is about and out of convenience for both the players and the creators. So yes whenver the PC is at a gym, it just happens to be during the gym's business hours.

They kind of do delve into it in Gen 4 and especially 5. For the former, we do get to see them outside of their main duties in the gameplay and they do have other things they participate in such as Roark working at the mines, Cynthia working as an Archaelogist, and Volkner tinkering with the electrical grid in Sunnyshore City. Gen 5 gave almost all of the Gym Leaders secondary jobs, such as Lenora being an archaeologist/museum worker, Elesa being a model, and Drayden being the mayor of the town, and Alder likes traveling the region in his own spare time hanging out with those he encounters.

Granted, it still doesn't explain every detail of their lives, but they have gotten better in giving the Gyms Leaders, E4, and Champions more to do with themselves then just being stuck in those roles in most of the recent generations.

 

[RileyXY1]

Some people actually think that these are the only games of Gen VII. I find this outrageous.

 

[ebevan91]

Some people actually think that these are the only games of Gen VII. I find this outrageous.

We're either getting a 3rd version, sequels, or DP remakes. We've never had a generation with just 2 games. Sure things change all the time and it's possible there could only be 2 Gen VII games but I doubt it.

 

[goodpeople25]

We've never had a Gen without revisiting the new region in the same gen before so having only 2 games was not really a thing, now that we have with the lack of "Z" it is definitely a possibility. Don't think we know enough to say how ORAS effected thier thinking so Gen VI dosen't say as much either way.

 

[Nerdy McNerdface]

That's pretty much a combination of: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GameplayAndStorySegregation and http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AcceptableBreaksFromReality

Realistically it makes no sense ofr the gym leaders and Elite 4 to sit around all day (and all night) and wait until somebody, possibly, maybe, perhaps, waltzes in uninvited and demands that they battle. Realistically those people need to eat, sleep, shower, poop, unwind and socialize at some point, realistically someone has to be paying them for their service as gym leaders/E4 (after all those capes and cans of Dragonite chow don't pay for themselves) and would probably rather not pay them just to sit around. Realistically there are probably time frames within which gym leaders and the E4 are available to be challenged.

However pokemon doesn't go in-dept with its simulation of everyday life, because that's not what the game is about and out of convenience for both the players and the creators. So yes whenver the PC is at a gym, it just happens to be during the gym's business hours.

I always like to imagine the elite four and the champion(s) of a region all hanging out together. Mostly the Hoenn ones, because to me they seem like the ones who would get along together best. But that's just me and my naïve brain.

 

[Erron Black]

We're either getting a 3rd version, sequels, or DP remakes. We've never had a generation with just 2 games. Sure things change all the time and it's possible there could only be 2 Gen VII games but I doubt it.

I wouldn't be surprised if S/M is all we get though, with the Switch on the horizon it would be a good idea to move on to that rather than continue 3DS support for a couple more years. However, it's highly unlikely they immediately drop support for 3DS when the Switch releases, just like how they didn't just ditch gen 5 when the 3DS came out, because IIRC they released BW2 after the release of the 3DS. Maybe we'll get a remake of a gen, because there's nothing saying if we get a remake it'll definitely be DPPt remakes, but I see no reason for a third game at this point for certain reasons.

 

[R_N]

I always like to imagine the elite four and the champion(s) of a region all hanging out together. Mostly the Hoenn ones, because to me they seem like the ones who would get along together best. But that's just me and my naïve brain.

That's a remarkable amount of headcanon going on considering we interact with that set of members the least, behind like...Will & Karen. They always stuck to their rooms and beyond Phoebe almost no one talks about them ever.
All the other members either show up outside their rooms for flavor text or story; FRLG had the fame checker to help. I can't even tell you anything about Glacia. She just exists. I think she's foreign?

Even in Special they don't do much and only drake got an episode in the anime.
The XY gang isn't too much better, but they tell you a bit more about themselves and their rooms give a bit more personality; I think a few are mentioned outside their rooms and obviously Malva is inexplicably plot important.

You'd think the elite 4 would be more important or at least interact with others/the champion more often...

 

[Sakuraba]

That's a remarkable amount of headcanon going on considering we interact with that set of members the least, behind like...Will & Karen. They always stuck to their rooms and beyond Phoebe almost no one talks about them ever.
All the other members either show up outside their rooms for flavor text or story; FRLG had the fame checker to help. I can't even tell you anything about Glacia. She just exists. I think she's foreign?

Even in Special they don't do much and only drake got an episode in the anime.
The XY gang isn't too much better, but they tell you a bit more about themselves and their rooms give a bit more personality; I think a few are mentioned outside their rooms and obviously Malva is inexplicably plot important.

You'd think the elite 4 would be more important or at least interact with others/the champion more often...

Malva is a part of Team Flare. That's why she was important. Why we never faced her before the Elite 4 is beyond me though.

 

[R_N]

Malva is a part of Team Flare. That's why she was important. Why we never faced her before the Elite 4 is beyond me though.

that's what makes her inexplicable
she just drops the bomb that she's part of team flare and its just "o-oh ok" until you fight her (and her singular pyroar.....) in the post game where its implied she struck a deal with Looker. But it's still inexplicable because nothing was done with it until that point beyond (I Presume) giving Lysandre access to the pokecaster system