The Ins and Outs of the 'Pokemon Sun & Moon' Demo

Scarlett Shiloh ’19 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon come out in less than a month, and with new reveals almost every week, excitement is at an all time high. New game mechanics, new Pokemon, new characters and new Alolan forms; there’s not much more one could possibly want!
Recently, a free demo for the main game was released for the Nintendo 3DS eStore as a teaser for the fans. The demo gave fans a small look into the game, allowing players to experience the new adventure for themselves. Pokemon has done this before, with demos of Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity. Both demos offered a look into the game that didn’t give everything away, but was enough to make the player salivate.

The demo starts with the main male character, named Sun here, landing in the Alola Region with his mother. Your mother sends you off to go explore while she fills out citizenship forms (which is possibly the most realistic thing in Pokemon games thus far). You meet your new friend, Hau, as he shows you around town and meet the Professor of the Alola Region, Professor Kukui, who has Pokemon use attacks on him to test their strength!
Professor Kukui takes you and Hau to Ten Carat Hill where he has you engage in a trial; during this trial, you photograph two new Dragon-type Pokemon; Jangmo-o and its evolution as a boss, Hakamo-o. After you photograph each one, they attack you and you are brought into battle, fighting alongside a familiar Pokemon!

Greninja was named the best Pokemon according to a Japanese poll that was taken earlier this year. This is probably partially due to the show. On the anime, Ash’s Greninja takes on a new form when the bond between them grows strong, growing features similar to Ash’s. A lot of people dislike the fact this was used in the game. I thought it was a creative way to bring a new twist on an already fan-favorite Pokemon. I don’t know if Ash-Greninja will be in the final game, but if it is, it will be a welcome addition in my eyes!
Professor Kukui gives you a Pikachu, one that features a new mechanic to Sun/Moon: Z-Moves. Z-Moves are special moves that can be used once during battle, and can have powerful effects. This Pikachu is no exception; the Z-Move took out nearly everything it touched, including the Pokemon Team Skull, the new antagonist team to the game, used against you.

Overall, I thought this demo was really exhilarating and has only left me more excited for the new game (especially given the recently uncovered news delivered earlier this week). I encourage anyone who is ambivalent about the game to give it a shot and experience the wonder!