You look at any starter Pokémon, and you see something that is adorable. The cutest little critter ever, that could never be anything but cute. Much like your childhood pet however, they all eventually grow up into something that swaps cuteness for a more mature form that suits its environment. Which might explain why my cat has decided to become an Exploud at 05:30 every morning and wake me up with an ear-splitting shriek for attention.
The same can be said for Pokémon then. You start off with a Charmander, you end up with a actual pet dragon that can melt your face off. Treecko becomes a gigantic lizard monster who always turns its back on you and Totodile eventually evolves into a scary as f*** Feraligator that looks like it could eat you in a single bite.
And that badass factor seems to have just increased with each new generation of starters. This year, Pokémon Sun and Moon introduces a new trio of them: The Fire-Type Litten, the Grass-Type Rowlet and the Water-Type that everyone hates that is called Popplio. Pokémon Sun and Moon has been on a tear lately, introducing a ton of new pocket monsters, but the final forms of these guys have been properly locked away.
WARNING POSSIBLE SPOILERS
Until now that is, if you’re ready to pinch some slat. It all goes back to a few months ago, when a piece of so-called concept art popped up on NeoGAF and again yesterday. It looked legit, but nothing was confirmed or denied and most people ignored it. And then that new trailer popped up yesterday to show off new critters and Z-Moves. In that trailer, was this character:
That’s Mallow, a trial captain in Pokémon Sun and Moon who you can see right here in this piece of the concept art mentioned earlier:
Which gives the images below some more credibility. Here’s a breakdown of the Japanese text, which doesn’t mention a specific name for any of the three final evolutions for the Pokémon Sun and Moon starters, referring to them as Owl 3, Tiger 3 and Sea Lion 3 instead:
Owl 3
- Has a calm\cool persona
- Tightens its hood when its upset or irritated
- Uses its quills as arrows and vines as the string
- Its difficult to notice which helps it ambush foes
- It likes to chill on Tree branches
Tiger 3
- Has a wild and gusty persona
- Fights dirty, spits ember in its opponents face, isn’t above using unconventional items or means, uses Fire Spin from its belt
- Has a signature move called Beast\Tiger Swing???
- That Belt gets hotter the more “passionate” it is
Sea lion 3
- Uses its voice to charm and or lure opponents
- Has an elegant and welcoming nature
- Is very playful
If those designs are true, then I dig ‘em! I was dead set on grabbing Litten for Pokémon Sun and Moon, but the idea of yet another hybrid Fire and Fighting-type starter is starting to wear thin on me. Rowlet on the other hand, has a magical final form if that concept art is to be believed. But overall, I think these three may be the best trio of starters to ever pop up in a Pokémon game.
For more on Pokémon Sun and Moon, don’t forget to check out our ever-evolving Pokédex to see every new reveal made so far.
Last Updated: August 2, 2016
Allykhat
August 2, 2016 at 09:29
Is it just me or does the cat one look like it’s attacking with it’s d!ck?
ElFakio
August 2, 2016 at 11:26
Its his special ability : “flaming hardon” . Does bonus damage to female pokemon but will get the trainer arrested when used.
Matthew Holliday
August 2, 2016 at 09:45
These dont look like pokemon, they look like villains from the Mask cartoon.
pandering to a western junior fanbase.
dissapointing.