The Pokémon X & Y news just keeps rolling in as we inch closer to their release, so
you know what that means, it's time to crank up the old Analysis Machine to see what secrets
the latest trailer and screenshots might be hiding.
And to do so, we've again enlisted the help of our resident Pokemon Master, Derrick Bitner.
Now please keep in mind that there wasn't exactly a ton to analyze, so this video will
also serve as a summary of allt he recent info
But before we start, please make sure to check out our previous analysis videos if you haven't
already as we'll be referencing them throughout the video.
And with that, let's get to it.
Now, even though Nintendo released a brand new trailer to show off the new Pokémon,
it doesn't actually show that much that's new. But it does introduce us to our brand
new Pokémon Prof, Professor Sycamore. Like past games, he keeps the tradition of having
the professors named after trees. But that's the only thing traditional about him.
Because you see, as we've learned before, you actually receive the Pokédex this time
from one of your friends in Vaniville Town, Trevor, instead of from the professor as in
past games
So why the change? Well, according to Pokemon.com, it turns out that Professor Sycamore is actually
based out of Lumiose City, lending further credence that this massive city will act as
the major hub of the Kalos region.
Now typically, the professor's lab--which is where you get your starter Pokemon-- is
part of your home town. So since Professor Sycamore's Lab is quite some ways away, how
do you get your Starter Pokemon this time?
Well, if it's anything like the 4th generations of games, it's possible he first drops by
your hometown before telling you to meet back up with him at his lab. Except for one problem:
according to Pokemon.com, you actually meet him for the first time at his lab.
So how in the heck do you get your Pokemon then? Does someone else give them to you this
time, like with the Pokedex? Or maybe he lost his Pokemon and you're simply trying to return
them--which actually a little similar to the 4th generation.
Also, we already know that you'll be regrouping with your hometown friends throughout the
game, and it appears this will be just such a meeting place, but why?
Alright, now the professor's location isn't the only unique thing about him. For the very
first time, the Professor will occasionally challenge you to a battle, which is something
Game Freak toyed with doing in the original Red and Blue before nixing the idea.
Now what form these battles will take is unknown, but it does call back to the idea the developers
have talked about of having many smaller rivals rather than just one main one.
So maybe Professor Sycamore could actually be a kind of rival for you too--or maybe he's
just putting your skills to the test or something
And while we don't know much about his personality, we do get the sense that it's a little different
than previous Professors.
For example, his laboratory is potentially bigger than any other Professor before him
since it's on at least the second floor as evidenced by the elevator behind the player.
We're positive that this actually is an elevator and not just some door thanks to the two buttons
right next to it-oh, and the fact that it comes up through a hole in the ground
Now, it is possible that his laboratory is just part of some larger building but, considering
that what we're shown doesn't especially look like a laboratory, we're going to guess that
the lab proper is on the bottom floor. If we had to guess, the part that we are shown
actually looks more like an office with some equipment on the right side.
But even more noteworthy are the pictures surrounding his desk. While we can't make
out all of them, we can see that there's a crudely drawn picture of Audino as well as
some more detailed looks at Snivy and Tepig.
Now historically, each Pokémon Professor has focused on some scientific aspect of Pokémon,
such as breeding patterns or habitats. So maybe Sycamore's focus is on their aesthetics
and, by extension, genetics, which would tie into our storyline theories from our first
analysis?
Along with our new Professor, we are also introduced to our new evil Team, Team Flare.
Based on this screenshot, it appears that one of their goals is to make lots of money,
and they accomplish this by selling fossils--or maybe that is Pokemon they're able to bring
back to life from those fossils.
This could be the part of the game where players choose which fossil Pokémon they obtain,
which is a tradition that's been around since the first generation.
More intriguing is whether the fossils and their restoration will be tied into the possible
genetics theme of X and Y.
At any rate, whether making money is Team Flare's main goal or not, we can't say, it
would be rather shallow compared to past opposing teams if it is
That goal also fails to line up with the theme of the two Legendaries we know about so far,
Xerneas and Yveltal, which if we go by their specifies, will be about Life and Destruction,
respectively--which again, may tie into the whole genetics thing
So perhaps this profit Team Flare is seeking is designed to fund their true, darker operation.
At any rate, their overall look is reminiscent of a mafia or maybe even a men in black type
of covert-operations group. Except they like the color red. Like, a lot. Their name is
an obvious reference to flares, which always burn brightly. This, along with their flame
symbol and use of Houndour in the trailer, makes it seem like they'll prefer to use Fire-type
Pokémon in battle.
Finally, we have our two new gym leaders, Clemont and Grant. Clemont is described as
a boy who loves science and machines, as evidenced by his robot arms, yet always has his sister,
Bonnie, by his side. There's no information on what type his gym could be though interestingly,
his badge symbol appears behind him in one screen.
At least we're pretty sure that's his badge design since there's little else it could
be.
It's difficult to tell off the design alone, but our best guess is that he is the Electric
Gym Leader based on the symbol;s yellow hue, and his love of machines, which of course,
require electircity.
As for Grant, he's more of a sportsman, enjoying activities such as cycling and rock climbing.
And just like Clemeont, his presumed gym badge appears behind him in one screenshot.
Taken altogether, we're almost positive that he will be the Rock Gym Leader though there
is the slight possibility that it's a Ground type Gym.
Okay, that's enough about the new characters, what about the new Pokémon?
Well we have plenty to cover and first up is Inkay who has the interesting typing of
Dark/Psychic. It also has a brand new move called Topsy-Turvy that it demonstrates. On
top of that, we get to see its evolution, Malamar, who is also a Dark/Psychic type.
Next up is Honedge who is a Ghost/Steel type though he's not seen in the trailer itself.
But then there's Pangoro, the evolution of Pancham, who is a Fighting/Dark typing.
And more interesting is that Nintendo says that there will be brand new ways to evolve
Pokémon and lists Pancham and Pangoro as an example. What could this new way be? There's
really no way to know except that it would presumably involve one of the new features.
Maybe Pokémon-amie?
Finally, there's Swirlix and Spritzee, both of whom are Fairy types. Swirlix even shows
off a brand new Fairy move, Draining Kiss. But most interesting is that Nintendo is starting
to reveal which Pokémon will be exclusive to which version. In this case, Swirlix will
be exclusive to X while Spritizee can only be found in Y. They're not the only ones though.
The previously announced Clauncher can only be caught in X while Skrelp is exclusive to
Y.
And then there's our legendary Pokémon, ZURR-nee-us and ee-VELL-tawl, who are obviously exclusive
to X and Y respectively
And Both have now had their types revealed as well as their abilities and a single move.
It turns out Xerneas is a Fairy type Pokémon as well and is known as the Life Pokémon.
It uses a Fairy move in the trailer called Geomancy and its ability is Fairy Aura though
we have no idea what the effects will be.
Yveltal, on the other hand, is a Dark/Flying type known as the Destruction Pokémon. It's
equipped with the new Dark move, Oblivion Wing and its ability is the equally mysterious
Dark Aura.
But for as cool as all this new Pokémon information is, none of it comes close to the sheer possibility
revealed about the Player Search System or PSS. On Pokemon.com, we finally got a look
at the main menu for the PSS which includes the following options over two screens: Battle,
Trade, Battle Spot, Wonder Trade, Shout-Out, Holo Caster, GTS, Game Sync, O-Power, Favorites
List, Profile, and PSS Settings.
So let's break it down
Battles will simply allow you to battle another player either locally or over the internet.
Pokémon Centers are no longer required. The Trade option works exactly the same, giving
you the option to trade Pokémon locally or online.
More interesting is the Battle Spot option. It works as a kind of random match-up where
you can battle anyone from around the world in either Free or Ranked Battles. Free Battles
work the same as any other match, but winning Ranked Battles can earn players points which
will then be displayed on their in-game Profile.
It should also be noted that if you disconnect from a battle, whether on purpose or accidentally,
it will be counted as a loss.
The Wonder Trade option is quite curious because while it works similar to the Battle Spot,
it does so with trades. You simply offer up a Pokémon you want to trade and receive a
random one in return from another player. You won't even know which Pokémon you're
getting until the trade begins.
We're honestly not sure how many players will use the Wonder Trade though it's certainly
a unique concept. Perhaps there will be some kind of bonus for using this trading method
over the others available.
Moving on, Shout Out will allow players to send messages to everyone on their friends
list as well as those in the local area. Interestingly, players will be allowed to create their own
messages with the touchscreen keyboard rather than canned phrases.
The Holo Caster will actually provide players Pokémon related news directly from the Pokémon
Global Link. The information, such as upcoming competitions, can be conveyed either through
Streetpass or the Internet. And if players Streetpass, you'll actually be able to look
at their progress. The Holo Caster will also work like the Xtransceiver from Black and
White 2, allowing you to call NPCs you've met along the way during the main game.
The Global Trade Station returns as well except with one major upgrade. Trainers will now
be able to search for any Pokémon they want to trade for, not just the ones they've spotted
during gameplay. You'll be able to look for whatever Pokémon you want, whenever you want.
Then there are the O-Powers which allow players to offer and receive temporary boosts to their
game. These can come in the form of stat boost, making wild Pokémon easier to catch, or even
increasing how much money and experience you get from battle.
It's possible to offer these O-Powers to anyone in the area or a specific friend.
Finally, the Favorites List, Profile, and PSS Settings are all pretty self-explanatory.
Favorites will allow you to manage your favorite friends, Profile will allow you to customize
and keep track of yourself, and PSS Settings will allow you to make changes to privacy
and how much it actually does.
Taken altogether, the PSS represents a level of connectivity that's never been seen before
in a Pokémon game.
Okay, we're almost done but there are still a few things worth mentioning in this new
batch of information. For one, you'll be able to take pictures of your trainer in-game and
share them with your friends. Impressively, the camera will allow you to adjust the aperture,
shutter speed, brightness, and other real-world camera effects to get better photos.
And if all these options are available just for your trainer, then we would be shocked
if this doesn't also apply to your Pokémon. Perhaps there will be special parks to see
your Pokémon at play and get just the right shot. It even further tantalizes the chances
of a Pokémon Snap-styled mini-game.
Finally, there's the Pokémon Global Link, which will be completely redesigned for X
and Y. Starting October 1st, the website will be shut down for maintenance and be reopened
on the 12th. Just in time for the official release.
If players decide to sync their game with the Pokémon Global Link, records of their
adventure will be kept on a personal timeline. They can then adjust their privacy settings
to show as much or as little as they want, even showing it off through social network
sites. If players do decide to make that information public, you'll be able to check out what they've
seen and done from around the world, potentially even helping you find things you missed in
your own game.
And with that, we're done analyzing all of the new information for Pokémon X and Y.
While there wasn't a whole lot to analyze, let us know if we missed anything by posting
in the comments.
Thanks for watching and be sure to subscribe to GameXplain or follow us on Facebook and
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