Version-Exclusive Pokémon Plus New Features Announced For ‘Pokémon Sun and Moon’

In the recent Pokémon Sun and Moon trailer, fans were treated to four new Pokémon along with a deluge of information on the games’ features. Let’s take a look at that trailer first:

Wow! That is a ton of stuff packed in those three and a half minutes, right? We’ll start with the Pokémon that starred in the video.

First off is Passimian, a Fighting-type. It has the never-before-seen Ability “Receiver,” which allows this Pokémon to inherit the Ability of a teammate who has fainted on the battlefield. Passimian is exclusive to Pokémon Sun.

For those playing Pokémon Moon, you can find Oranguru, an Normal/Pyshic-type. It can have either the Ability “Inner Focus” or “Telepathy.” Oranguru is the only Pokémon who can learn the move “Instruct,” which makes its target to use its most recent move immediately.

Next we have the evolution of Rockruff, Lycanroc. There is a Midday Form (first image) and a Midnight Form (second image). It was previously thought that which form you received was dependent on what time of day the Pokémon evolved but each one is actually exclusive to a specific version of the game. Midday Form comes from Sun and Midnight Form is for Moon.

Let’s move on to the new features you can expect in the games. First, there is Pokémon Refresh, a leveled-up version of Pokémon-Amié. In this version, players will be able to cure paralysis and poison within mini-games along with the original bonding mechanic from the previous games.

Character customization akin to that found in Pokémon X and Y makes a comeback. Players will be able to change their hairstyle, hair color, and eye color. There is also the ability to change apparel and dye its colors as well.

Starting January 2017, both Pokémon Bank and Pokémon Transporter will receive software updates to add compatibility for Sun and Moon as well as Virtual Console versions of Red, Blue, and Yellow. It should be noted that once transported from Pokémon Bank to Sun or Moon, they cannot be transferred back to Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, X, or Y. There is also the whole yearly fee for Pokémon Bank usage thing.

The January 2017 updates will also bring a new feature to Pokémon Bank: The National Pokédex. The application will read your saved data on Sun, Moon, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, X, and Y and add information on the Pokémon you have caught. Pretty spiffy, right?