We're less than two months away from the launch of Pokémon X and Y, which means new details
are pouring in almost by the day.
So we've cranked up the Analysis Machine into overdrive to see just what else we can uncover
in both the Mega Evolutions trailer as well as the recent demo that was shown off at the
Pokémon Game Show in Japan.
And to do so, we've again enlisted the help of our resident Pokemon Master, Derrick Bitner.
But please make sure to check out our previous analysis videos if you haven't already as
we'll be covering only the new stuff here.
You can find links to them in the description below, And with all that out of the way, let's
start with the biggest news: Mega Evolutions.
And it turns out we've already seen one in action several times: Meta Mewtwo.
But it's not actually a true evolution, it's more of a temporary power-up that only some
Pokemon can perform during battle, but as soon as the battle's over the Pokemon reverts
bacxk to its previous form.
Now while in the mega form, their abilities, stats, and even type can change and improve.
There are several steps need to trigger Mega Evolution though.
First, a Pokémon must be holding a new item called a Mega Stone, but it has to be one
specific to their species.
Then, during battle, the player can select the option to Mega Evolve while still choosing
a move to attack with.
Once both are selected, the evolution and attack will happen on the same turn potentially
turning the tide of the battle.
Oh, and each trainer can only do this once during battle.
Such as wkhether the Mega Stone is a permanent item or something that disappears with each
use.
In a screenshot of one of the Stones, there's a number that indicates how many you're carrying.
So it could be possible to just have multiple Pokémon of the same species hold Mega Stones
in case you wanted them to evolve.
This may mean that Mega Stones work more like Berries and disappear after being used instead
of the more permanent holdable items such as Sunglasses or an Experience Share.
And there's the question of whether Mega Evolutions count as brand new Pokémon.
Will they have entries in the Pokédex?
Or will they be more like how different forms are handled and players can change the entry
picture back and forth?
With such a strong emphasis placed on Mega Evolutions, we suspect that they will be considered
brand new Pokémon, but you never know what Game Freak has planned.
Finally, the official Pokémon website states that there are other things needed for Mega
Evolution to succeed, which will be revealed at a later time.
So will a Pokémon's level come into play or is it something else entirely?
We're not sure, but with such a short time until the games' launch, it won't be long
until we find out.
Okay, now we already mentioned that not every Pokemon can Mega Evolve, so which are the
ones that can?
Well so far we've learned about seven Pokémon able to go through the process.
The first is Mega Mewtwo, the Mewtwo form we first saw months ago.
While not much else has been said about it, we did learn that it has the Insomnia ability,
which prevents it from going to sleep.
Next is Mega Blaziken, which will only be available as an event Pokémon.
However, it will be available for quite some time as a download code as it will be included
with the game from the launch date until January 15th.
It'll will actually come to players as a level 10 Torchic holding its Mega Stone, Blazikenite.
It will also have the ability Speed Boost, which increases its Speed stat after every
turn.
Next up is Mega Lucario which has not only gains an upgraded Attack stat after the evolution
but a new ability too: Adaptability.
This ability powers up moves that are the same type of the Pokémon using them even
further.
Lucario's Mega Stone is also known as Lucarionite.
I'm sensing a pattern.
Though Blaziken and Lucario are the only two whose Mega Stones we know the name of, we
feel it's safe to assume the others will all be the name of the associated Pokémon plus
-ite.
It's a simple method so trainers will immediately know which stone goes with which Pokémon.
The next Mega Evolution is Mawile, who gains the Fairy type to augment its existing Steel
type.
It also has increased Defense and Special Defense stats.
Its ability is Huge Power which doubles the Pokémon's attack stat.
Following that, we have Mega Absol, whose already impressive Attack stat gets improved
even further.
It has the ability Magic Bounce which reflects status changing moves.
After that, we have, Mega Ampharos, which also gains a new type becoming an Electric/Dragon
type and gaining the ability, Mold Breaker.
This move negates the abilities of other Pokémon in battle.
For example, if a Pokémon with Mold Breaker used Earthquake on an opponent with the Levitate
ability, it would still hit.
The final Mega Evolution we know about is Mega Kangaskhan.
And this picture reveals that Kangaskhan itself changes very little physwically, however,
its baby grows in size and jumps out of its parent's pouch.
It's ability is called Parental Bond, which allows Kangaskhan and its baby to both attack
the opponent effectively giving them two attacks per turn.
The final thing of note is that we may finally know what the DNA symbol in the Japanese logo
signifies since it also appears above a Mega Evolved Pokémon when it finishes the process.
Of course we wouldn't be surprised if there's even more to that DNA that just this
Now Mega Evolutions weren't the only new thing shown off about X and Y, as we learned the
name of one of the cities, Shalour City.
It's the home of a new gym run by Korrina, who adores roller skating.
So much so that her gym almost appears to be a futuristic skate park, complete with
sections that the player gets to grind on.
The big question with Korrina is what type of gym leader she is.
We've narrowed it down to two possibilities.
Her helmet kind of resembles the Pokémon Aron, which may mean she's a Steel type trainer.
However, if you look at her gym badge it appears to be in the shape of a fist.
This along with the karate gi style of her clothes makes it possible that she trains
Fighting types.
But getting back to the city, ut turns out that it's located next to another newly named
location, the Tower of Mastery.
This place is the building that resembles France's Mont Saint Michel and is said to
have a mysterious connection to both Mega Stones and Mega Evolutions.
However, that still doesn't give us an exact location for Shalour City since it could either
be the small buildings surrounding the Tower or the town near the beach.
But thanks to Pokémon.com, we learned it's actually a seaside city which pretty definitively
identifies it as the town to the south.
Ok, enough about Kalos, how about those three new Pokémon that were shown off in the trailer
as well?
Well, the first one is known as Bunnelby and it's a Normal type.
We don't know much about it other than it can learn Dig and has a new ability called
Cheek Pouch.
This ability allows him to not only gain a Berry's effect but it recover HP as well.
Next is Dedenne, our new Electric rodent Pokémon for this generation.
In addition to its Electric typing, it is also a Fairy type.
It has a brand new attack too, called Nuzzle.
This moves damages the opponent while paralyzing them.
Finally there's Skiddo, the Grass type pre-evolution to Gogoat.
While we don't know too much about him, it is confirmed that he's rideable as well.
Oh, and remember how we pointed out the baby Gogoats back in our second Pokémon Analysis?
Looks like Game Freak did indeed sneak Skiddo in that trailer.
Alright, so new Pokémon are pretty cool and all, the next revelation is probably the biggest
news for longtime fans.
You see, for a long time now Pokémon have had basic stat values hidden behind the scenes.
These stats, known as Effort Values or EVs, affected just how strong a given Pokémon
would be It's a complex mathematical formula that takes
a Pokémon's nature into account as well as which Pokémon it fought.
If it took on Pokémon with a high health or speed stat, its health and speed stats
would increase just a little bit more than normal.
Advanced trainers would take this knowledge and try to boost their Pokémon team by fighting
specific opponents, giving it vitamins, or, more recently, through Join Avenue.
But X and Y are going to try to level the playing field by introducing Super Training
and Core Training.
Super Training focuses on mini-games that help boost different stats.
Only one has been revealed so far.
This one is a soccer-like game where you're trying to score on the opponent while defending
you're own goal, and it can be controlled using either the circle pad or the touch screen.
Completeing these mini-games earns you various Training Bags, which can then can be used
in Core Training to quickly increase your Pokémon's EVs.
They can also be increased naturally in Core Training which is something the Pokémon do
on their own.
This screen is also where you can access a handy graph showing the progress of your stat
training.
It really is a new system that both new and advanced trainers will likely come to appreciate.
Finally, we also got a preview look at what the new Pokémon Global Link will look like.
As you can see the prominently displayed colors changes depending on whether you register
a copy of Pokemon X or or Pokemon Y.
The timeline will also showcase the photos you've taken as well as details on various
battles.
It also displays a Battl e Competition called the Kalos Cup that states that participants
will get a special Pikachu.
Unfortunately the picture is a bit blurry to see everything clearly and considering
this is just a test image, this Kalos Cup probably isn't real.
But it does provide a taste of what the new Global Link will be like for players who decide
to register.
Now normally, that would be everything we had to analyze, but a demo was finally released
in Japan for the Pokémon Game Show.
However the demo was specifically made to reflect the X and Y experience, but not the
actual game.
With that said, let's take a look at all the information that came out of it.
So in the demo, players are able to pick from six different trainers: three boys with the
different starters and three girls with the different starters.
For the demo, Fennekin knows the moves Flame Charge, Fire Spin, Tail Whip, and Psybeam.
That last one in particular should prove interesting since it leads further credence to rumors
that Fennekin's final evolution will be a Fire/Psychic type.
Froakie, on the other hand, knew the moves Water Pulse, Quick Attack, Lick, and Round.
Now as you might have noticed, Lick is a Ghost-type move, but in this case, we don't think it's
hinting at his next evoluton being part Ghost.
Unfortunately, we were not able to find out Chespin's moveset for the demo.
Okay, so the demo begins with Alexa telling you to go meet with Professor Sycamore.
On your way there you can battle wild Pokémon, check out a limited version of Pokémon-Amie
and even have a battle with both Shauna and your rival, the other player.
There're also sections that let you ride Skiddo and Rhyhorn at different points.
While we hoped to figure out what this allows you to do, it seems the demo only allowed
you to ride them in small, self-contained areas
As for the Pokémon-Amie portion, it appears that your Pokémon here has three stats: Friendliness,
Hunger, and Play.
Though it's unclear what they affect specifically, it does seem like making your Pokémon happy
can increase their chances of landing critical hits.
Moving on, the rival battle also has an interesting twist.
While it occurs like any other, this one in particular has a time limit.
Now it's possible this is just for the demo, but if it isn't, it would mark a pretty major
addition to the game.
The other major battle occurs when you meet Sycamore, who gives you a Mewtwo and teaches
you about Mega Evolutions.
Once his explanation is over, you must use this Mega Mewtwo to battle him.
Once you win, the demo ends.
In addition, other tidbits have been popping up from various demo playthroughs.
For one, it appears running is the default speed now.
In order to walk, so you actually hold down the B button in order to walk.
And in a strange choice, your movement is still limited to just the four primary directions
when walking, but if you put on the roller blades, you gain full- multi-directional movement
using the circle pad.
Fortunately, it seems like the roller blades are not limited in where you can use them
like the bike.
Another potentially interesting detail from the demo is that Mewtwo's HP doesn't increase
after the Mega Evolution.
Whether this only applies to him or all Mega Pokémon is still unclear of course.
And then there's the Fairy type.
Since Sylveon was one of the Pokémon in a team, players tried its Fairy Wind attack
on the other Pokémon in the demo.
They discovered that Fairy type moves are not very effective on Fire types.
And while that's everything we learned about X and Y, there was one other thing revealed
at the Pokémon Game Show.
A short clip and a single screenshot of Lucario facing off against Blaziken in a 3D style
that was more reminiscent to the Pokémon Stadium, Coliseum, or Battle Revolution games.
Strangely, the battle isn't taking place in an arena, but in the middle of a busy street,
with a car in the and a few café table in the background.
On the left is a building marked with a Pokéball.
Perhaps a Pokémon Center?
On the right are various balloons, including Pikachu.
Most people are assuming that this is a brand new Pokémon Stadium-type game for the Wii
U. And it very well could be.
But we have a second theory.
Take a look at the billboard behind Blaziken.
It shows an insignia with a crown on top and a circle surrounding a fist with a Po kéball
underneath.
What if this is actually a fighting game in the same vein as Street Fighter?
With the setting and the stances of Lucario and Blaziken, it very well could be.
Now whether this means that it will have a set roster or, potentially even more exciting,
allow you to import your Pokémon from X and Y, we don't know.
But this screenshot could mean a lot more than people initially thought.
And with that, we've covered all the new Pokémon information that has come out on Mega Evolutions,
the demo, and Super Training.
Of course, if we missed anything else please let us know in the comments.
Be sure to subscribe or follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more on Pokémon, including
next month's Corocoro issue which will unveil the new Type Chart, new Pokémon, and new
Mega Evolutions.
Thanks for watching.