Pokemon Sun and Moon: Crazy Theory for the Starters *Updated*

Rowlet, Litten, and Popplio

So, the internet has been abuzz with Sun and Moon info lately, and apparently the final evolution for the starters has been leaked by some concept art that popped up a few weeks ago. See this site for more info and the leaked images themselves

However, while the idea that since the trial leader Mallow seems to be in the leaked art means these images are legit, and they very well may be, I had a crazy idea last night: The starters may have different final evolutions!

Ok, ok, I know what you're going to say: None of the previous starters has had more than one second stage evolution, don't be crazy with your crack theories. Hear me out though.

So far, with the recent info from the latest trailer, its safe to assume that Pokemon is going to focus on regionality and population specialization with the Alola region. Everyone and their third cousin has been discussing the Alola forms of gen 1 mons and the different Oricorio forms. And I think that this may end up applying to the starters as well. Especially when taking into consideration other "alt-forms" that appeared in gen 6. We got two mega forms for Charizard, X and Y, and two for badass MoFo Mewtwo

There is also Ash's Greninja from the anime, which may or may not be in the gen 7 games.

Then we have the different forms of Zygarde, a legendary from gen 6 and the long anticipated Pokemon Z

Furthermore, and this is kind of baseless on my part but makes rational sense, if the leaked starter evolutions ARE real, why would Gamefreak give us yet another fire/fighting starter. That would be 4 out of the 7 fire starters we've had so far and no one was clamoring for another. Why try to make a new mon to compete with Blaziken, who is Ubers in the competitive scene, or even Infernape. It makes no sense, especially after we got the fire/psychic Delphox in gen 6.

However, if Pokemon is going to continue on with this species specialization based on environment, then maybe the starters will reflect this and we'll get the fire/fighting and another second stage evolution based on something else, maybe fire/dark.

Oh well, this is just a crazy idea I had last night and I really do't have any proof other than this circumstantial stuff. But I do think it would be an interesting take on how people approach the classic, surefire formula of Pokemon, especially seeing what they've changed up so far for gen 7.

*UPDATE*

Ok, so apparently others thought of this too AND there is a supposed leak. Check out Shofu's discussion here. Maybe I'm not as crazy as I thought!

Pokemon Sun and Moon: Why the Newest Trailer Shows Great Changes for the Series

My brain. Is. Exploding. This year has been amazing for Pokemon fans all over the world, even those who just played gen 1 and have only nostalgia for the series. Between the re-release of Pokemon Red,  Blue, and Yellow and then the living dream that is Pokemon Go, not to mention the new Pokemon that looks suspiciously like a certain politician/ businessman 

this year has been a wild ride. Now, the new 7th gen games Sun and Moon and doing even more than their predecessors X and Y to change the game, er, series. And I think its doing it in a good way that makes complete sense for the series progression so far. See the trailer for all of the new info.

Yup. Mind. Blown.

Here's why these change are actually pretty ingenious.

1. Delta, er Alola, forms make sense (if you get the reference, kudos to you!).

In real world animal populations, population variation is a thing. Taking a brief look at our old buddy Charles Darwin shows us this.

Darwin's finches specialized themselves depending on their environment. Other species do this too, but for simplicity's sake I'm sticking to this one. Pokemon is obviously doing a lowkey nod to this with the Alola forms, with both Pikipek and Oricorio

The various Pokemon Professors have throughout the series mentioned evolution, distribution, and region exclusivity of Pokemon, so to me it makes complete sense that since Alola is an island chain, region-specific variation would occur, adapting to their new environments to survive, and I'm ecstatic that Pokemon is doing this. It makes so much sense and I look forward to seeing more. Plus, Exeggutor. The derpy coconut tree got derpy-er

2. Z- Moves may be replacing Mega Evolution. I personally didn't like Mega Evolution too much. It seemed unbalanced in both in-game and the meta. Plus, it was unfair in which mons actually got a mega. I'm happy that Z-moves seem much more equitable since you just need a z stone and a move of matching type to use one.

3. More riding Pokemon, maybe the end of HMs? The trailer shows riding a Sharpedo and breaking through rocks, so maybe the dreaded HMs will finally be removed. Plus, you can ride a Charizard. Enough said. Just let me ride a Samurott and I'll be happy. 

4. Tons of new Pokemon. I literally haven't disliked a single new Mon. Especially Mimikyu, that cute sad little sweetheart.

Check out the official website for more info on all the new additions.

5. Gym system is changed to the Rite of the Island Challenge. I know, I know, the Gym challenge is an essential part of the Pokemon series. But let's be real, it was getting a little stale. The series needed a change, and this Challenge looks like a unique take on it. Plus, how can we reasonably expect that EVERY region in the Pokemon world would have an 8 gym Pokemon League Challenge?

Hearkening back to the real world, it looks like Pokemon is going for a more realistic approach by making more regional variation. It made sense for Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, and Hoenn to follow the formula, since they are all based on Japanese regions, but I felt that Kalos and Unova should have beet a bit more different, as they are based on France and U.S. respectively.

Also, it looks like the trials are the main difference here, the Grand Trials still feel like a "gym leader" battle to me, which will keep the feel of the previous Pokemon formula with a unique twist!

All in all, I like that the Pokemon Company is trying to keep the series fresh for the fans. These changes, while they seem crazy, are actually a natural progression for the series. As can be learned from other game series, if you don't switch it up, you die cough* Megaman and Sonic* cough.

Pokemon Go- 5 Things I Want to See Happen

Yup, its time for my own obligatory post on Pokemon Go! Since the nostalgia has hit maximum levels the last few years, it was only a matter of time before Nintendo and Pokemon jumped on the bandwagon. While I enjoy the mibile game, despite its glitches, I do have some helpful tips for my beloved franchise. I won't, though, be mentioning the server errors or any of the bugs, since those go without saying. Here are 5 things I think need to happen to keep this game alive.

1.  Better battle system- 1 vs 1 real time battles at least

Need I say more? This needs to happen and if it doesn't Gamefreak and Nintendo really are self-sabotaging.

2.  More Pokemon...But maybe not all of them.

Here me out: I think starting with the original 151 was definitely the right move, and the only practical one to get the gen 1-ers on board, but having all 721 eventually available in the game just won't work. A) People will get bored by generation 3 B)  way....tooo...much...data...

A better idea may be to do special hoards of rare Pokemon from other generations. Maybe keep with releasing large chunks of the most popular, but ALL of them just seems crazy, especially with no other game features to keep people invested. Plus, this already happens in the main series games- some Pokemon can only be acquired though paying for Pokemon Bank or by special releases from Gamestop or wifi. 

3. Pokemon Amie or another way to interact with your 'Mons.

I've been telling people since X and Y came out that Pokemon Amie would make a GREAT phone game. Catch Mon, pet Mon, feed Mon, play mini games to earn its love and smiles. This would be an excellent way to expand Pokemon Go and to keep people emotionally invested. Or just make it a separate game. I'm good either way.

4. Trading over Mons from the main games via wifi for training and feels- aka Gen 4 pedometer

Now, this one is a bit of a stretch even for me, since it makes things incredibly messy for both the main games and the basic idea of Go, but hey, it could work. I enjoyed having the ability to walk around with my favorite Pokemon clipped onto my bag or belt when Gen 4 came out and to be honest, the Pokemon Go Plus band totally reminds me of it!

5. An end to these kinds of posts

Haha, kidding! Last year did it better though, imo. 

I'd really like Gamefreak and Niantic to update the distribution of Pokemon. Seriously, there is nothing near me and nothing ever spawns. I feel like i'm lost in some desert in a Spaghetti western or something...

I know other people feel my pain on this one. I love Pidgeot and all, but please make other things more common for randomly popping up. Please!!!!

"Poke-Manju: The Rage Candy Bar"- Geek Recipe Highlight #2

Hello all, its time for Geeky cooking! And this weeks special is from the wonderful world of-

Erm, thanks Pikachu. I think the readers already knew what was coming...

Anyways, Pokemon! I love the little guys and have been playing since Gen 1, but there's just something about Gen 2, or Gold/Silver/Crystal, that has stayed especially close to my heart. I have such fond memories of picking out my Totodile every time I played,

(Dawww, look at him in his little costume!!!)

Or saving poor, sick Amphy. Even catching that crazy red Gyarados, and eventually taking on the big daddy of Pokemon himself: Red

The dude was almost as bad as Whitney and her Friggin' Miltank.

So...much...Rollout..... But that's a story for another day!

Today is all about a Pokemon inspired edible from Gen 2 called the Rage Candy Bar, which you buy from  a guy in Mahogany Town. It has subsequently appeared in the later Pokemon games, and still heals a Pokemon for 20 hp. 

Strangely enough, according to the all-powerful Bulbapedia, aka the virtual Pokemon Bible, the name Rage Candy  Bar is actually a miss-translation. In Japanese its called a "Rage Bun", based upon Japanese Manju cakes. After learning of this I had no choice but to discover the "true" Rage Candy Bar and found a simple and delicious recipe from Maangchi. So, hold onto your pokeballs, folks! We're taking a culinary trip to Japan ( technically, the recipe is for Korean Manju, but the recipe was so user-friendly I couldn't resist)!

Ingrediants:

1 cup Lima Beans

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup flour + 1/2 cup extra

2 eggs

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp vanilla

Filling

1.) Soak the beans in cold water overnight. Then, pop them out of their skins with your fingers. It will take a while if you use baby limas.

2.) Place in a saucepan with 1 1/4 cup water and boil for 10 minutes. Then, simmer for 30-50 minutes. They should get fluffy and absorb the water.

While waiting, occupy your time. I chose to do so with Woodchuck's Spring cider. I told you before, didn't I? I'm a bad role model.

3.) Mash the beans until they look like mashed potatoes. Then add in the sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir for around 1-2 minutes until it thickens. Then let it cool. It will get thicker.

Dough:

1.) Mix the 3/4 cup flour, 1 egg, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk, and 1 tsp vanilla in a bowl until its smooth.

Make the Poke-Manju:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.) On a floured surface, roll the dough into around 8, even-sized balls. Roll out the filling too, if you can. I didn't and ended up just plopping it into the dough.

3.) Flatten the dough out into flat circles. 

4.) Put some of the filling into the center and fold the dough over it. Make sure to seal the edges with some water so nothing leaks out!. Then, dip the smooth side into water, then sesame seeds, then brush with the extra egg's yolk.

5.) Lay onto a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

6.) Let cool on a wire rack and Enjoy!

The Poke-Manju will be slightly sweet and earthy in flavor. With a light crispness from the sesame seeds (I think I made them correctly, either way they were pretty good). They actually reminded me a lot of Italian Sesame seed cookies (Giuggiulena), so if you like those you'll like these.

Not sure about next week's Geek Recipe, either Lemon Cakes from "A Song of Ice and Fire" or Pumpkin Pasties from Harry Potter. Maybe something completely different. Let me know in the comments below!

*All images are not mine, except for the recipe pics. Look at Pinterest if you want the others*

Latte, I Choose You!

Oh Pinterest, I love your randomness!