Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield

[ty_taurus]

Personally, I love the design of Grookey so far. His design reminds me of some of the simpler designs from Gen 1-3, and I personally prefer the slightly muted colors and simplistic shape. He seems to have some kind of musical or dance inspired powers, hence the drumming on the rock and "Groovy" seemingly a source of inspiration for his name. Something else to consider is that Grass Starters are always based on some kind of prehistoric/extinct animal.

 

Grookey definitely has a bit of a lemur-esque appearance. That's not to say his evolutions will, Pikipek evolving into Toucannon being a great example, but if we assume for a second that he will retain that, he'll likely be based off a lemur from the Eocene epoch. As for typing, there's that weird moment in the trailer where these parts of the grass stay compressed until a moment after Grookey runs away that seems very odd. I have no idea if this is meant to imply some kind of secondary typing or what, but I'm getting a Grass/Psychic vibe. Sound, though, isn't a type, so it could really be anything.

 

Scorbunny's design is probably my least favorite, but not by much. I think what I don't like about the design are her body proportions in the body/legs/feet areas. She looks very cartoonish, which isn't to say that Pokemon should be hyper realistic, but it's like the Incineroar problem. Incineroar doesn't really try to have any semblance of realism or organic design, he's just a cartoon character. Meanwhile, compare him to Infernape who's design retains a level of natural, ape-like design while adding in features that allude to Sun Wukong. You get something that looks much better.

 

With Scorbunny, who seems more like a hare than a rabbit for the record, you get this concept of speed and energy. I think she would look a lot better if her body were less round and more ovular, and the legs were thicker with thinner feet to have more emphasis on those long, powerful legs hares have. Something closer to the hind legs of this image:

The point is to have a balance between aspects of realism and animation. Maybe to retain the Pokemon aesthetic, the foot pads could be a larger, and the yellow patches could be on the back of the legs under the knee joint. While we're on those yellow patches, I get a strong Fire/Electric vibe, which would not only be fantastic for a type combination that we've oddly never had yet, but I think would develop into a really cool design. I have little faith though, as the Fire Starters seem to get further and further into raw cartoon character designs with every passing generation. $10 says we're getting the Trixx Rabbit on Fire with her final evolution.

 

Sobble is middle ground for me. At the moment, there's nothing particularly unique about his design or his personality in the trailer that stands out to me. He's not that different, visually, than Pokemon like Mudkip or Wooper. Personally, the only thing I'm slightly adverse to are his eyes. I kinda wish they were less cartoonishly ovular and more round like amphibian eyes. His invisibility is something to note, but it's difficult to know what that means in regards to his typing or moveset. Is it Acid Armor? Is it the Color Change ability? Color Change is just a worse Protean, but Greninja already claims Protean among starters, so that seems unlikely. Since Gen 6, ti seems like starters are always getting exclusive hidden abilities, even if those abilities don't necessarily compliment those Pokemon in functionality (Magician, Liquid Voice, etc.). So it's difficult to say.

 

Water starters also are all influenced by some kind of weapon type, but it's basically impossible to get a better grasp on what kind of weapon inspiration they'll go for with Sobble yet. He's not like Grookey where the inspiration is an animal and thus we can narrow down options based on his appearance. That being said, Sobble does appear to have a long coiled tail, so maybe a whip? Though it wouldn't be the first time a water starter began developing a cool feature only for it to be taken away in the final evolution (Wartortle's awesome tail, Froakie/Frogadier's frubbles, etc.) So who knows?

 

 

[wcv]

35 minutes ago, ty_taurus said:

Water starters also are all influenced by some kind of weapon type,

...no they aren’t.

[ty_taurus]

2 minutes ago, wcv said:

...no they aren’t.

Blastoise: Rocket Launcher - The cannons on his back.

Feraligatr: Brass Knuckles - The ridges along his arms.

Swampert: Japanese War Fan - His tail.

Empoleon: Trident - The trident on his face.

Samurott: Katana - Using the sea shells on his arms as swords.

Greninja: Shurikens - Water Shuriken.

Primarina: Spiked Club - The spikes around his waist where the 'mermaid tail' starts.

[J-Awesome_One]

Yo! So I just remembered that fire starters are related to the Chinese Zodiac Animal signs and look at this!

 

 

 

They're continuing it. ALSO, I'm gonna make a bold prediction here and say that there will be 12 gens in all.

[Monochrome_Complex]

2 hours ago, wcv said:

Gonna be honest, I thought the graphics looked meh. The overworld is fine, but the Pokemon themselves look like plastic.

 

Especially the glossy sheen on them during the battles, which is just bleh.

Like pokemon has never been graphics powerhouse, and generally  nintendo games aren't. Like I'm not expecting a pokemon game to look like Horizon or anything. Frankly I care more about the gameplay and content.

 

and let's hope we get a nice number of mons this gen.

 

and guys remember, grookey's key theme is music(groove + monkey).  His french name makes reference to this as well so that should hint as to what he'll turn into. I don't think he'll simply turn into a plain strongman gorilla, somehow that theme is going to persist into his design.

[J-Awesome_One]

4 minutes ago, Monochrome_Complex said:

Like pokemon has never been graphics powerhouse, and generally  nintendo games aren't. Like I'm not expecting a pokemon game to look like Horizon or anything. Frankly I care more about the gameplay and content.

 

and let's hope we get a nice number of mons this gen.

 

and guys remember, grookey's key theme is music(groove + monkey).  His french name makes reference to this as well so that should hint as to what he'll turn into. I don't think he'll simply turn into a plain strongman gorilla, somehow that theme is going to persist into his design.

He has a stick in his hair thing. He was using it to hit a rock... I’m thinking that’s deff gotta be Grass/Rock now. I mean I already did but that just solidifies it for me now.

[Youmu9]

17 minutes ago, Monochrome_Complex said:

Like pokemon has never been graphics powerhouse, and generally  nintendo games aren't. Like I'm not expecting a pokemon game to look like Horizon or anything. Frankly I care more about the gameplay and content.

 

and let's hope we get a nice number of mons this gen.

 

and guys remember, grookey's key theme is music(groove + monkey).  His french name makes reference to this as well so that should hint as to what he'll turn into. I don't think he'll simply turn into a plain strongman gorilla, somehow that theme is going to persist into his design.

If that's the case then it'll probably be Grass/Normal. Most sound-based moves are from that typing. Also, that chinese zodiac thing is strange since neither Typloshion or Delphox dont really match. And I don't think Pokemon will ever end unless it's popularity finally declines one day.

[wcv]

1 hour ago, ty_taurus said:

Blastoise: Rocket Launcher - The cannons on his back.

Feraligatr: Brass Knuckles - The ridges along his arms.

Swampert: Japanese War Fan - His tail.

Empoleon: Trident - The trident on his face.

Samurott: Katana - Using the sea shells on his arms as swords.

Greninja: Shurikens - Water Shuriken.

Primarina: Spiked Club - The spikes around his waist where the 'mermaid tail' starts.

I’m aware of the reasoning. It’s just the reasoning is stretched so far as to be pointless.

[ty_taurus]

7 minutes ago, Youmu9 said:

If that's the case then it'll probably be Grass/Normal. Most sound-based moves are from that typing. Also, that chinese zodiac thing is strange since neither Typloshion or Delphox dont really match. And I don't think Pokemon will ever end unless it's popularity finally declines one day.

Not necessarily true about the Sound thing. Chimecho is Psychic, Primarina is Water, Kricketune is Bug, and Chatot is Flying. All of them are sound-themed. Also Typhlosion is a large weasel or field rodent of some kind, hence the mouse connection, and foxes are different, but close to dogs biologically.

[Chase]

I think the point is that most moves that are based on sound seem to be normal type. Of course that doesn't mean that Grookey is going to end up a Grass/Normal type Pokémon - but if music is indeed a key aspect of its design than it does make it seem like a fair guess due to the nature of sound-based moves.

 

The entire Popplio line is based on circus performance, while Primarina itself is really an allusion to a bard as the previous two generations have made their starters into the mold of traditional RPG classes.

 

Kricketune is Bug type because it really is just a cricket. It doesn't necessarily use too many moves related to its music composition ability, and when it does use something like Sing and Perish Song, those moves are still Normal Type. Kricketune could have arguably been given the Bug/Normal dual-typing to account for its background, but that typing isn't that exciting.

 

Chatot just straight up IS a Normal type Pokémon. Yes it has a Flying subtype, but lots of traditional looking avian Pokémon are Flying/Normal - and the sound-based moves it uses are Normal.

 

---

 

I will agree with you on the Zodiac point though. Foxes and Meerkat/Prairie Dog-lie creatures are loosely connected to dogs and rats.

[ty_taurus]

Chatter is a flying type move though, which was Chatot's signature. And I imagine if GameFreak didn't treat Flying type as an accessory, Chatot could've ended up pure Flying.

[wcv]

54 minutes ago, Monochrome_Complex said:

Like pokemon has never been graphics powerhouse, and generally  nintendo games aren't. Like I'm not expecting a pokemon game to look like Horizon or anything. Frankly I care more about the gameplay and content.

I don’t expect graphics powerhouse, I just think the Pokemon themselves look awful.

[NickCrash]

There's a lot to reply to here.

 

@ty_taurus

While the Fire starters do follow the Zodiacs, meaning we can always speculate what the next ones will be (or not be, given we've already got a Fire Horse in Gen1), the company has already realised that they'd need to deviate in order not to be obligated to ruin the pattern in their later games.

A fennec fox is not a dog, and a badger is not a mouse. They both are big stretches to meet the criteria.

 

For the other 2, it seems you've based your reasoning on an online picture which wants Water starters to be an amphibian with a weapon, and Grass types to be extinct or prehistoric pokemon.

I'm afraid that's only partially correct.

Water starters are indeed amphibians, or at least in relation to part of real-life animal's lives being amphibious.

I do not however see the link with the weaponry.

Blastoise, Samurott and Greninja all include Canons, Swords and Shurikens respectively. It is notable here how Greninja's Shuriken is not part of the design but a signature move.

The others don't. 

• Feraligatr certainly doesn't have brass knucles.
• Primarina doesn't have a spiked club on her body, nor does its fighting style relate to physical attacks of the sort. It's a bard, and it's sound based.
• Swampert's fan-like tail is not a weapon. It's more likely an exaggeration to how the real axolotl's tails look like they're sharp, similar to how Sceptile's tail being a tree is an exaggeration of possible extra characteristics on real animals.
• Empoleon sits in the middle. While one can see the trident, it's on its head, alluding to a crown, more than horns or an imbedded weapon. Adding to that how Empoleon is based on real-life emperor of France, Napoleon, and how the pokemon does not learn a single "horn" move to link to the weapon in question, I'd say it doesn't meet the criteria.

 

As for the Grass types, I'd have to admit they are the most diverse of the sort, as their "pattern" keeps becoming a lot more diverse and vague the more generations we receive. Almost looks like they weren't expecting the franchise to go this well in order to plan that much ahead. 

While I agree that the first 5 were Reptiles, and that was concise, the introduction of Chespin and then Rowlet changed things.

Being prehistoric works for Venusaur and Meganium which resemble dinosaurs. I guess Sceptile is a gecko and thus a reptile and thus has a link to dinos as well.

Torterra is based on the myth that the earth is supported by a huge tortoise (and it's also flat).

Serperior is a snake-like vine or a vine-like snek that lost it's legs. And we do have those sneks today. Although with less toupet.

Decidueye is supposedly the animal manifestation of deciduous trees, which die during winter, giving it the Ghost status. Pretty neat.

I have no idea what Chesnaught is based on. I just know I like it. /reply

 

With all that out of the way, it's important how Scorbunny assumes the role of the energetic "football" player and hints towards the secondary typing.

Most people right now predict Electric, and frankly there's little reason not to.

The 5 remaining fire starter pokemon are a Rabbit (got it in Gen8), Horse (hard to see how they deviate from Rapidash there), Snake (managable), Ox and Sheep (which probably shouldn't be back-to-back to avoid fanbase retaliation, and one of them better be Fire/Steel).

Scorbunny is rightfully accused of being too cartoony, but since it's only a 1st-stage we can cut it some slack and wait for the final forms.

 

Sobble for me is the most interesting one, because it encapsulates all the characteristics a staple water starter must have, while also being hinted at its personality from the very first direct, meaning that we could speculate on its evolution, playstyle, moves, and possible types.

I would certainly enjoy a Water/Poison starter, although I'm not sure that Acid Armor is what's used there, but rather a hint at an ability.

Given all starters have an exclusive (to each other) hidden ability, it won't have protean, and certainly not a washed-down similar ability, like Colour-change. If we ignore the fact that with each new generation new abilities enter the game, and limit ourselves to what's already given, Clear Body is a possibility, but that's already done with Tentacruel, an already good fast defensive spinner with Water/Poison typing. 

There's always the possibility that I'm forgetting something, but at first glance it seems like it's going to receive an evasion-based ability that works under watery conditions (rain, soak, water sport etc), which we don't have yet. 

 

Grooky is a monkey that stimulates grass to grow by playing the song of its people.

That has urged people to speculate a sound-based starter, and frankly, we've already been going towards establishing sound moves as an actual part of the meta, with the introduction of both Liquid Voice for Primarina and Throat Chop for many Dark types. It's never going to actually become a separate typing because lots of different creatures employ Sound-based moves, and they already have their own niche by being unblockable by subtitute. Yet, it's fun to see more pokemon use it as their main modicum of attack or support. For this reason, I don't really see either the Psychic or Rock subtypes. Psychic because there's already precedent with Meloetta and Oranguru, being sound/music entusiast and supportive tutor-like pokemon respectively. That of course doesn't instantly excude it; but it's a copy of sorts. Rock is just not there. Okay it hit a rock. So what? We don't have enough clues to assume that just yet.

[J-Awesome_One]

So I saw this video and thought it was interesting with what they were saying and discussing so I thought I'd post it here for any of you that are still in the Pokemon Sword and Shield hype. I'm gonna be honest, I've probably watched over 100 reactions and some discussions/theories/whatever about this stuff and I still get giddy as if I'm seeing it for the 1st time.

 

 

 

[Maqqy]

9 hours ago, J-Awesome_One said:

So I saw this video and thought it was interesting with what they were saying and discussing so I thought I'd post it here for any of you that are still in the Pokemon Sword and Shield hype. I'm gonna be honest, I've probably watched over 100 reactions and some discussions/theories/whatever about this stuff and I still get giddy as if I'm seeing it for the 1st time.

 

 

 

 

You’re not alone on the hype I promise you! I’ve also watched this particular video and they really made some interesting points as they highlighted every small detail. It really makes me wonder on what that symbol means on the logos?  

 

I also want to share gameboyluke’s analysis! He lives in the UK and seeing his insights on how Sword and Shield take inspiration from Great Britain is so pleasant to hear. He says that GF, on the trailer alone, nailed on portraying Britain in Galar. Here’s his video:

 

 

[J-Awesome_One]

So I was on twitter and I saw someone point out the fact that most people are comparing Sword and Shield to US/UM graphic wise instead of Sword and Shield to Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee. I even realized that I even did that but then again, I don't have a Switch nor did I intend on getting Let's Go Pikachu or Eevee. So why do you all think that that is the case? For me, it's probably because a lot people know that LGP or LGE isn't canon. (At least I don't think it is) So they're comparing it to the last canon game which is US/UM.

[Candy]

One video that was made before Sword and Shield came about but that kinda gives me hype about Gen 8 is this:

 

[J-Awesome_One]

5 minutes ago, Candy said:

One video that was made before Sword and Shield came about but that kinda gives me hype about Gen 8 is this:

 

Wasn't the original names going to be Pokemon King and Pokemon Queen?

[Candy]

52 minutes ago, J-Awesome_One said:

Wasn't the original names going to be Pokemon King and Pokemon Queen?

Original games? As in the leaked names? Idk any of that lol

[J-Awesome_One]

2 minutes ago, Candy said:

Original games? As in the leaked names? Idk any of that lol

Idk. It might have been. I mean it kind of makes sense? But then the logos would be what? A queen and king? Lol. I wouldn't be surprised if they did change the name of the games just so they could have better logos.

[J-Awesome_One]

Don't mean to double post but just saw this video and thought it was interesting to share with you all.

 

 

[Lorisaur]

1 hour ago, Candy said:

Original games? As in the leaked names? Idk any of that lol

Well, I only know about one leak and that is the leak that talks about armored evolutions. Everything else will hardly be true

[J-Awesome_One]

3 minutes ago, Lorisaur said:

Well, I only know about one leak and that is the leak that talks about armored evolutions. Everything else will hardly be true

Ohh yea. I saw a couple of people talking about that leak. I wonder how that's gonna turn out.

[Aldo]

Hmm...I doubt there would be armored evolutions there.

[J-Awesome_One]

5 minutes ago, Aldo said:

Hmm...I doubt there would be armored evolutions there.

It's possible. The leak is somewhat credible because the 1st 2 that were said was that the games were to be named Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield and that it'd be taking place in Great Britain and it was posted almost a week before the announcement of those games.