The franchise’s new games, Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, are due out in the fall. The names of the two games were revealed in February, when The Pokémon Company trademarked them. Today, the company unveiled the new starters. While we only get a look at the two legendaries on the cover art, we have gotten in-depth insight as to the three starters.
The three starters are Rowlet, Litten, and Popplio, following Pokémon’s traditional grass-fire-water starter types. While Litten and Popplio are both straight fire and water types, respectively, Rowlet is a combo grass-flying type. It also seems possible the other two will become a dual-type in one of their two evolved states. Litten’s black cat design may hint at a dark-type development, whereas Popplio’s circus performer design doesn’t offer definite insight into what can be expected for it’s dual-type, if it indeed has one.
Other information about the new games includes new looks at the world around the games. The new region, Alola, seems to be a fictitious Hawaii-esqe region. “Alola” is a rather on the nose spin on “aloha,” the Hawaiian word used for “hello” and “goodbye,” though on the nose names isn’t anything new for Pokémon. Litten is a lit kitten, after all. Going along with the Hawaii theme, the new Professor appears to be a man named Kukui, which is a type of nut tree.
The games will be released for the Nintendo 3DS on November 18th, 2016. Pokemon GO will be released this summer, as a departure from the regular formula of games.
