Sun & Moon Pokémon Speculation Thread

[DatsRight]

Mallow is the only character who hasn't actively worked for a team change at least.

Lillie trained Snowy to learn two moves (and generally worked against her phobia to bond with her), Lana and Kiawe went out of their way to gain a Z Move and teach it their Pokemon, Sophocles battled and caught Charjabug (and trained it for occasions such as the Charjabug kart race), Ash trained his Pokemon and worked against their defects on multiple occasions. Nearly all secondary captures involved some sort of bonding with the Pokemon beforehand as well. All of these have at least played into the trainer's distinctive proactivity.

We skipped past Mallow catching and bonding with Bounsweet and both of her change ups so far have been random plot armour after all of ONE attempt at training her the entire series. Many of the trainers have been handed team changes (especially Ash) but it's balanced by some demonstration of how they actively work with them and put their own personality into it, while Mallow has by far been given the least to do with nothing about Tsareena being fully evolved adding to her agency.

 

[Sceptile Leaf Blade]

Your first pokemon is your first pokemon, it doesn't really count as a team change, it's when their trainer/role started. I don't know why people keep bringing this up, it's like saying May/Dawn/Serena before they got their starter "made a capture" even if it was just their first pokemon from a lab. Lillie's hatched from an egg and is basically her version of a starter.

Also given the frown Vulpix made seeing the ice stone, and Alola Vulpix heavily marketed with plushes and toys in Japan, I wouldn't think it would evolve at all until maybe her very last episode when SM is ready to end, and by then it won't matter since it'll just be for 2 eps or so before the saga ends. We're going to be 108+ episodes into SM soon by the end of these last revealed titles, Lillie is still going a 100+ ep series with only 1 pokemon so far.

Not sure how a team change=catching lots of Pokémon but ok.

My point is mostly that focusing on team changes (regardless of how you count them, whether you count evolutions or not, first pokémon or not, newly taught moves or not) is a very limited way to view development of characters in Sun and Moon, especially when considering Lillie. Using team changes as an argument that Lillie is not being developed is just not a very good argument when Lillie's development is not about becoming a strong battler but about conquering her fear of touching pokémon and later on conquering her own doubts and insecurities regarding her own abilities in a variety of circumstances (like battling, but also other things like pokémon sled jumping, and in the future probably also learning Z-Moves). Lillie is arguably the most developed character out of everyone in Sun and Moon. If you compare her as she is now to how she was at the start of SM she's a very different character. Back then she had to be metaphorically pulled along by Mallow to get development and take some first steps towards touching pokémon, and now she is far more pro-active without needing Mallow to push her every move. She is still on her first pokémon because she had to start deeper than other characters in the cast, she couldn't even touch pokémon in the beginning and that was development that she had to go through first, before going to catching other pokémon, getting Z-Crystals, evolutions, and all that.

 

[Ignition]

My point is mostly that focusing on team changes (regardless of how you count them, whether you count evolutions or not, first pokémon or not, newly taught moves or not) is a very limited way to view development of characters in Sun and Moon, especially when considering Lillie. Using team changes as an argument that Lillie is not being developed is just not a very good argument when Lillie's development is not about becoming a strong battler but about conquering her fear of touching pokémon and later on conquering her own doubts and insecurities regarding her own abilities in a variety of circumstances (like battling, but also other things like pokémon sled jumping, and in the future probably also learning Z-Moves). Lillie is arguably the most developed character out of everyone in Sun and Moon. If you compare her as she is now to how she was at the start of SM she's a very different character. Back then she had to be metaphorically pulled along by Mallow to get development and take some first steps towards touching pokémon, and now she is far more pro-active without needing Mallow to push her every move. She is still on her first pokémon because she had to start deeper than other characters in the cast, she couldn't even touch pokémon in the beginning and that was development that she had to go through first, before going to catching other pokémon, getting Z-Crystals, evolutions, and all that.

I’m just saying you act like her acquiring a full part (lots of Pokèmon) is not the same as as her simply having a team change. I’m aware of her development and didn’t suggest that it’s limited to changes in her roster

 

[DatsRight]

I do think this series was hindered by lack of team changes, which likely came from the larger amount of companions and all the Pokemon being regularly on screen requiring some moderation. I think the show wanted to go for 'quality over quantity' but I think the problem is only a few have gotten even the basics to achieve that. I can forgive Ash's smaller team for example because usually only the same amount get proper screentime anyway, and all four of them are pretty loveable and work well with what they get. Kiawe is arguably doing better than most previous male companions despite only two Pokemon as well. Mallow on the other hand is suffering horribly from being stagnant, Lana similarly seems to be a character they struggle for ideas unless she gets a new change up. Sophocles is palpable for comic relief I guess, though it feels like they could have done way more with him.

Lillie does okay with one Pokemon, but at the same time she's now struggling for limelight without any dynamic changes to her direction, and Snowy as mentioned is kind of flat without any team mates. Getting one of her games Pokemon such as Ribombee or Comfey could also increase her agency within the main group and give a more distinct idea what she wants to do.

 

[Joltik-Kid]

That's not true remember what happened with gligar and it evolved into gliscor and during that time ash was promote past gen pokemon and aipom too before that trade with buziel

Gen 2 Pokemon that evolve into Gen 4 Pokemon... what about that did I miss exactly? Neither was there promoting Gen 2, say like Dawn's Cyndaquil and Ash's Cyndaquil evolving before the league, rather they were there to showcase the new evolution methods. Yeah, strange it took Aipom so long, actually after he traded her to be precise, but Ash's Gligar was around for a short 21 episodes where it's only big accomplishment outside of its evolution episode was jobbing hard to Paul's Gliscor.

 

[Zariful]

It would be a great time for Rowlet to learn a ghost type move in preparation for Ash’s trial. Knowing the anime, they’ll probably allow electro web to hit the ground types.

 

[MiloticTwins]

Hey, what's happening guys? Do you think that Blaziken should have its role in the Pokémon franchise because it is one of the popular Pokémon with its fans?

 

[Twilight-Kun]

Hey, what's happening guys? Do you think that Blaziken should have its role in the Pokémon franchise because it is one of the popular Pokémon with its fans?

It had its time in the limelight back during AG and briefly in XY thanks to Mega Evolution and ORAS

It's done with, and like 90% of every other pokémon, will probably never show up outside of random crowd shots

 

[nickdt]

It had its time in the limelight back during AG and briefly in XY thanks to Mega Evolution and ORAS

It's done with, and like 90% of every other pokémon, will probably never show up outside of random crowd shots

I have the same feeling regarding Charizard, but still..... their we have one again.

 

[Illusio]

Yeah, Blaziken is one of those Pokemon where it'll come in for whatever promotion they want to do, leave for a bit, and then come back in and repeat. It's a second tier Charizard in that regard.

 

[kickachu]

shouldn't we be expecting a new opening soon?

 

[mehmeh1]

shouldn't we be expecting a new opening soon?

we got the current one in october, so no, it'll probably be like XY&Z, which lasted a whole year

 

[Spider-Phoenix]

The closest I can see is a Rika Matsumoto cover but that's mostly likely going to be exclusive to a random CD release (maybe the new ED?)

 

[playerking]

With shots of Professor Kukui overseeing the construction of the Alola League in the opening today, I guess Ash really needs to catch a new Pokemon soon or he'll have to use reserves. It'd be nice to see his old Pokemon again, but I think I'd prefer to see him catch a new Pokemon.

 

[Blaze Master X]

In the last shot of Kukui overseeing the Alola League in the updated OP, it seems Ash vs Kukui/Royal Mask (Pikachu vs Incineroar).

 

[Akkipeddi]

In the last shot of Kukui overseeing the Alola League in the updated OP, it seems Ash vs Kukui/Royal Mask (Pikachu vs Incineroar).

Lmao imagine taking out Torracat's sole reason for existing, that being its 'rivalry' with Incineroar, and instead giving it to Pikachu.

 

[playerking]

Please let this be an error, because the preview for SM105 clearly shows Ash's Lycanroc using what appears to be Bite, even though its four moves are Rock Throw, Accelerock, Stone Edge and Counter. Unless it's crunch that just looks like Bite and they're replacing Rock Throw or Accelerock for it.

 

[Blaze Master X]

Unless it's crunch that just looks like Bite and they're replacing Rock Throw or Accelerock for it.

Dusk Lycanroc uses Accelerock in the preview. Rock Throw might be replaced by Crunch (if it isn't an error).

 

[playerking]

Dusk Lycanroc uses Accelerock in the preview. Rock Throw might be replaced by Crunch (if it isn't an error).

No, in the last additional 10 second bit with the sponsors.

 

[ash&charizardfan]

In the last shot of Kukui overseeing the Alola League in the updated OP, it seems Ash vs Kukui/Royal Mask (Pikachu vs Incineroar).

Yeah why not have pikachu vs lycannroc and vs decidueye or vs silvally as well, not only that pikachu should clear both trials and grand trials singlehandidly and in the league ash should only use pikachu and singlehandidly beat all hs opponents and when pikachu faints ash should just show white flag and surrender.