February 24

[Update: This is the last? day to grab the promo Munna. After tonight (roughly 7PM ET), the service will ?be shut down forever!]

Make way for the new generation.

As 2016's Sun and Moon simmer, Sword and Shield are thriving on a brand new platform. The Switch is now the new lead for the Pokemon series, and thus some housekeeping initiatives are being enacted to help that transition. One of the casualties is the Pokemon Global Link service, which was active for nine years through?? multiple generations of the series.

To make way for Pokemon Home, Global Link is being deactivated on February 24, 2020, at which point Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon will cease to offer PGL services. If you want you can log in and grab a unique Munna; a direct lore shoutout to Generation V's ??Fennel, the in-game originator of the PGL concept.

A few takeaways here. Only hardcore fans will likely lament the loss of PGL (which involved online competitions), as other online services will remain intact. Another thing to unpack? We have a potential release window for Pokemon Home now of late February or early March 2020. That's entirely speculative, but lines up with previous post-launch deployments for prior generations and gives fans something else to chew on as PGL is jettison?ed.

Pokemon Global Link [Pokemon]

The post (U?pdate) Pour one out for Pokemon Global Link f?or Sun and Moon, which are being shut down in early 2020 appeared first on Destructoid.

Bring your phone to GameStop starting October 21

I haven't yet taken the time to download the Pokémon Pass on my phone, but there's a new reason to do so: players have a chance to snag a Shiny Solgaleo and/or a Shiny Lunala using the free app from October 21 through November 10. Will they see the light of day in Sword and Shield? Good question!

In the United States, you'll have to head to your local GameStop to receive codes for these garish shinies. Just make sure you have the Pokemon Pass installed on iOS or Android before you head out. Using the code, you can redeem your Mystery Gift inside the applicable 3DS Pokémon game.

Pokémon Sun and Ultra Sun players can score a level 60 Shiny Lunala (with the moves Moongeist Beam, Psyshock, Moonblast, and Moonlight). Meanwhile, Pokémon Moon and Ultra Moon players can claim a Shiny Solgaleo (with the moves Sunsteel Strike, Zen Headbutt, Noble Roar, ??and Morning Sun).

I feel like Lunala looks like a Castlevania boss and Solgaleo is straight out of Power Rangers.

The post Pokemon Pass is now giving aw?ay Shiny Solgaleo and ??Shiny Lunala appeared first on Destructoid.

The legendary year is ending

Pokemon's 2018 legendary distribution events are ending this month with Lugia and Ho-Oh: to grab them you'll need to head to GameStop from now until November 25. As a note Lugia is linked to Sun (both Sun and Ultra Sun) and Ho-Oh is linked to Moon (both Moon and Ultra Moon).

The whole "legendary year" thing started in 2016 and was brought back for 2018. The gist is that every month from February through November (or December) players can net either a single legendary or a pair of them with various events, some of which are incredibly convenient and can be done from the comfort of your home: and?? some that involve heading into a GameStop or Best Buy.

Nintendo and Game Freak doubled up on this event by including a heap of classic legendaries in Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon when it launched in November 2017. Basically, you've gotten tons of chances to pick up most of the legendaries in Pokemon's 20 plus year history if you own some combination of the Sun and Moon generation entries.

It's not known if Nintendo is going to repeat the legendary giveaway for a third time (they announced 2018's event in January of this year so look out in a few months), but with Pokemon Let's Go on the horizon we can probably bet on something for that pair of new Switch games.

The post How to get Lugia and Ho-o??h with Pokemon Sun and Moon appeared first on Destructoid.

It's a retailer thing, folks

[Update: The Pokemon Company has confirmed that the dist??ribution event will take place at GameStop in the US between October 19 through November 9.]

The seventh generation of Pokemon (Alola) is done. Caput. Finito. On ?October 1, that is.

Zeraora, the mythical creature that was revealed all the way back in April of this year, will become available on that date by way of a mystery gift distribution event for Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon until November 15. Just grab your game, head to Best Buy or GameStop (or locales like GAME in Europe) and nab it -- "further details" of exactly how (whether it's a code or a mystery gift) will come later. Game Freak notes tha??t it's a level 50 Pokemon with Close Combat, Thunder, Thunder Punch, and Plasma Fists.

In case you haven't been keeping track over the course of Pokemon's 22 year history, Zeraora is creature number 807 in the National Pokedex. It feels like there should be more, righ??t? W?ell Game Freak has gotten away with not including "forms" and Mega Evolutions in the official listing.

The post (Update) Here’s how to get the legendary Pokemon Zeraora, who will close out the Sun and Moon generation appeared first on Destructoid.

June 1-24

The Pokemon Company is still trucking with their legendary Pokemon celebration, and coming off of Yveltal and Xerneas, the legendaries from the previous generation of X & Y, is Zygarde from the current gen.

To be clear it's a shiny Zygarde, and will have different stats depending on which version of the game you own -- Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon (level 100, with gold bottle cap, dragon dance, extreme speed, outrage, and thousand arrows) or Sun/Moon (level 60, dragon breath, land's wrath, safeguard??, glare).

You can grab your ??Zygarde (one for each copy of the game) from June 1 until June 24 at GameStop. After catching every Pokemon from the Ultra duo I've cooled off a bit, and am basically just waiting for the Switch edition. Bring it on!

The post PSA: Zygarde is the next free legendary Pokemon appeared first on Destructoid.

I really want Jim Davis to design a Pokemon now

Already have a Meowth or Persian in Pokémon GO? Well, you're better off releasing them because their superior Alolan forms are making their way to Pokémon GO!

This announcement comes from the Pokémon GO website, who are apparently celebrating sunny days ahead by introducing the tropical Alolan forms of "gen 1" Pokémon (first seen in Pokémon Sun and Moon) in the “coming weeks.”

Trainers: Exciting news! The Alolan forms of Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region are coming soon to Pokémon GO! //t.co/JiDLo38VGq pic.twitter.com/sDpsiQScXn

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) May 21, 2018

This obviously doesn't include any generation 6 Pokémon themselves, since they've yet to even introduce?? anything beyond gen 3. Considering nostalgia is still riding high on the first generation, though, I can totally see the appeal in introduci?ng these forms sooner, rather than later. Will you be going out and catching them all (again)? Personally, let's just say my morning jogging routine might now include a goal of catching an Alolan Persian... so I can nickname it Garfield.

Alolan Forms of Pokémon Originally Discovered in the Kanto Region Are Com?ing to Pokémo??n GO! [Pokémon GO Website]

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May 4 to May 27

I know they're contentious, but I was a big fan of Pokémon X and Y, especially at the time. In part it was the shift to a more advanced visual style, but I also really dug exploring the Kalos region, more so than several other regions before it. Also, to be frank, it was nice not having to deal with another "Super" or "Ultra" iteration throug?hout a generation.

That duo of games also created Yveltal and Xerneas, and now you can grab them in the newer sets of games by way of 2018's legendary promotion. Starting on May 4 to May 27 you can go to GameStop and grab either of them. It'll have the same restrictions as other recent promos -- Yveltal is linked to Pokemon Ultra Sun or Pokemon Sun, and Xerneas is linked to Pokemon Ultra Moon or Pokemon Moon.

Next up in June is a Shiny Zygarde, followed b??y Tornadus or Thundurus in July, Groudon or Kyogre in August, Latios or Latias in September, Zekrom or Reshiram in October, and Ho-oh or Lugia in November.

The post PSA: The next Pokemon legendar??y giveaway starts soon, involves Yveltal and Xerneas appeared first on Destructoid.

As well as the Ultra duo

In four days you can grab yourself a shiny (well, we can't really use that turn of phrase freely in Pokemon as it means something completely different) new legendary Raikou or Entei if you're a 3DS Pokemon player.

The distribution event runs from April 22-29, and will be held at Target stores (a change of pace from the typical online distribution or GameStop requirement). All you need is a copy of Pokemon Ultra Sun or Sun (OG) for Entei, and Pokemon Ultra Moon or Moon (OG) for Raikou. Read: Entei is linked to the Sun subseries, and Raikou is exclusive to the Moon subseries.

I'm already imagining lugging my Switch over to a retail location for the next iteration. It'll be fu??n fi?nding a new use for it!

Raikou and Entei [Pokemon]

The post PSA: Raikou and Entei distribu??tion events are running this month for Pokemon Sun and Mo??on appeared first on Destructoid.

It's a GameStop joint

Nintendo and the Pokemon Company are starting off the 2018 "Legendary Distribution event" today wi??th Dialga and Palkia. Just like the original anniversary celebration each month will see a new legendary, but this time they're doing it in pairs.

You can pick up the aforementioned legendary duo until February 28, and each copy of Pokemon can net one. In other words if you have multiple copies of Sun, Moon, or either Ultra edition you can get them both.

This one is live at GameStop and EB Games locations in ??the form of a distribution code. Next month will s??ee Regigias and Heatran.

The post You can grab D?ialga or Palkia right now in Pokemon?? as the 2018 legendary event kicks off appeared first on Destructoid.

Comes with... umm... Owlball and... Satancat

This weekend, Good Smile Company revealed the latest Figma in their Pokemon range. Next in line is trainer Selene, star of the upcoming Pokemon Ultra Sun & Moon games, releasing on 3DS next month.

The super-cute figurine comes with an alternate face plate, a selection of hands, a funky shoulder bag, Poke ball and, most importantly, the game's starting Pokemon; Rowlet, Popplio and Litten. Everything a gal needs to bust out her best Z-moves on your book?shelf.

Scheduled for release in May 2018, Selene is available for pre-order now at Pokemon Center, priced at $60. Pre-orders close November 29.

Pokemon Ultra Sun & Moon launches on Nintendo 3DS November 17.

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You needed toothpaste anyway

Another special Pokémon download code is about to be made available, this time at Target stores. From October 1-14 you can stop into the electronics section of Target and receive a code card to get Charizard for Pokémon Sun and Moon.

The level fifty Charizard comes holding the Red Card item. He also has the Blaze ability and knows the following specially-picked moves, so he might be handy even if you've already got ?the classic Pokémon in your party:

• Dragon Dance

• Flare Blitz

• Fly

• Earthquake

You can enter the code through the mystery gift option in the main menu. Once the gift is delivered, you should be able to pick i??t up from the delivery person in any of the in-game Pokémon centers.

Charizard roars into Target stores [The Pokémon Company]

The post Add Charizard to your Pokemon Sun and Moon team when you visit Targe??t appeared first on Destructoid.

Just input the code soon-ish

If you want in on an "Ash Pikachu" for Pokemon Sun and Moon, you basically have between now and October 30 to get one. There's six?? in all though all with different expiration dates -- but the catch is that you can only grab one per copy of the gam??e.

All you need to do is head into the Mystery Gift section of either edition, click receive, then type in PIKACHU20. You can find the ful??????????????????????????l list of caps below, choose the one that ?catches your fancy.

All of this is to celebrate Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You!, the 20th film in the Pokemon franchise, a re-imagining of the original Indigo League storyline. It already debuted in Japan in July (which, to the ire of many fans, re??legated Misty and Brock to cameo appearances rather than central characters) and is set to arrive in November worldwide.

Original: September 19-25

Hoenn: September 6 - October 2

Sinnoh: October 3-9

Unova: October 10-16

Kalos: October 17-23

Alola: October 24-30

The post Here’s how to nab the Ash Pikachu in Pokemon Sun and Moon appeared first on Destructoid.

Celebrating the 20th anniversary film

If your regular Pikachu isn't good enough for your Ash role-play in Pokémon Sun & Moon, you'll soon have the chance to get a unique Pikachu wearing Ash's signature hat--one of them anyway. Codes will be available to download one and only one special Pikachu starting from September 19 and running through October 30, just a few days before the limited screening of Pokémon The Movie: I Choose You!

Each Pikachu will have a unique set of moves that corresponds to the area and era from which it hails. Code will appear on the following dates at Pokemon.com.

• September 19-25: Original hat
• September 26-October 2: Hoenn hat (Ruby/Sapphire)
• October 3-9: Sinnoh hat (Diamond/Pearl)
• October 10-16: Unover hat (Black/White)
• October 17-23: Kalos hat (X/Y)
• October 24-30: Alola hat (Sun/Moon)

The above variations are only for the original Pokémon Sun & Moon, but a Pikachu donning the same hat as Ash in the film will be available in the upcoming Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. To receive it, you'll ?have to see the movie where you'll receive a QR code to scan.

Along with the QR code, if you go see the movie you'll receive the unique Pokémon trading card "Ash's Pikachu." Reminds me of receiving the Ancient Mew card back when seeing Pokémon The Movie 2000.

Make sure to mark Se??ptember 19-2??5 on your calendar to get the best version, you'll only get one shot at it.

The post Ash’s Pikachu available to Pokemon Sun & Moon players for limited time appeared first on Destructoid.

Get the last Pokemon in the registry

The latest rare Pokemon -- technically a "mythical" monster, even rarer than a "legendary" -- Marshadow was announced in April, but trainers will finally grab hold of the Ghost/Fighting blob to fill the very last slot in their Pokedexs starting October 9, according to The Pokemon Company.

North American trainers can show up to ??participating Gamestops between October 9 and 23 for a code that will unlock a level 50 Marshadow with the ability Technician. It will also be holding at item, Marshadium Z.

The post Pokemon Sun/Moon l?egendary Marshadow hits Gamestop soon appeared first on Destructoid.

It starts August 14

It's not a Legendary??, but it's something, I guess.

If you feel like heading over to a GameStop from August 14 until September 12, you can grab a free Salazzle. It'll sport Fake Out, Flamethrower, Sludge Bomb, and Toxic. Naturally this distribution event is exclusive to Pokemon Sun and Moon given the Pokemon in question.

I'm still really happy with Sun and Moon, though it's interesting to hear such a mixed reaction to it. Some are just sick of the formula in general, so I wonder how much of a shakeup the Switch edition will be ??when it eventually hits.

My ??suggestion after researching images for this story -- do not Google Sala??zzle.

Salazzle Event [Serebii.net] [image]

The post GameStop ?is giving out a free Salazzle for Pokemon Sun and Moon appeared first on Destructoid.

Now live in North America, Europe, and Australia

Game Freak has yet another online promotion running for Pokemon Sun & Moon -- one that does not extend to previous generations for obvious reasons. The new Pokemon Tapu Koko is up for grabs in sh??iny form as ??a mystery gift, and all you need to do is go sign in and take it. It's shiny, if that sways you at all.

It just went live in North America last night, but it's also av?ailable in Europe and Australia rig??ht now. There's no clear end date in sight, but given the history of these promotions it's likely to expire in several weeks.

Tapu Koko is a formidable 'mon and my person??al favorite Alolan addition, so don't sleep on? it.

Pokemon Sun & Moon [Serebii.net]

The post Go grab a Shiny Tapu Koko in Pokemon Sun & Moon before it’s gone appeared first on Destructoid.

Code: 'AZUL'

Nintend?o is still rolling out Mega Stones in various ways, and this one just happens to be easy peasy code-based.

If you own Pokemon Sun or Moon, log in, then type in the code "AZUL." You'll get a set of Mega Pidgeot, Mega Steelix, Mega Heracross and Mega Houndoom stones for your trouble. In a sort of bal?ancing measure you can't use the stones online until May 16, to ensure that everyone is able to grab them and is on e??qual footing, which makes perfect sense.

I've been winding down my Pokemon Sun and Moon time since I nabbed every 'Mon, but it's still on??e of my favorites in the series. It has so much character -- ??I really hope we don't have to wait too long for a followup or even a third version.

Pokemon Sun and Moon [Serebii.net]

The post Go grab your Mega Steelix and Mega Pidgeot stones in Pokem??on? Sun and Moon appeared first on Destructoid.

Midnight Lycanroc Run

Bring your 3DS and Pokemon Sun or Moon into a GameStop between May 15 and June 5 to snag a code for a special Midnight Form Lycanroc. The level-50 rock mo?nster features a hidden ability that guarantees all moves -- its own and its opponents' -- will hit during battle and comes holding a Life Orb.

Meanwhile, last month Japan was giving out Shiny Tapu Koko. Enjoy your edgelord furry.

The post GameStop is giving away Midnight Form Lycanroc for Pokemon Sun?? and Moon appeared first on Destructoid.

The delicious sounding Marshadow

When I picked up Pokémon Moon back in November, I swore to myself that it was going to be the Pokémon game that would finally turn me into a diehard fan. Here we are nearly five months later and I've racke??d up approximately 35 minutes of playtime with it. ?Shame, shame, shame on me.

For those of you who have put the time and effort into exploring everything Sun and Moon have to offer, something new is coming your way soon. The Pokémon Company dropped a trailer deb??uting its newest mythical Pokémon M??arshadow. It's a very limited teaser, not even bothering to show the creature in action, but it's something I guess. I'm just trying to get through writing this without calling it "Marshmallow" because since I first heard its name, all I've been able to think about are s'mores.

The post New mythical Pokemon coming to Sun/Moon appeared first on Destructoid.

We're not failing anymore

Let's take a brief trip down memory lane for Pokemon Sun and Moon's Global Missions. In summation, they're little meta-missions that involve some sort of online collective goal, which reward players with in-game currency. The first, which merely involved catching Pokemon, failed spectacularly. The second, which tasked players with scanning for creatures, also fa??iled.

But since then we as a community have been faring much better, amidst eas??ier goals from Nintendo. The third trading, fourth battle tree, and even the fifth egg hatching Global Missions have been a success. Yep, it was just confirmed that the goal for the most recent mission, which ends ?on April 10, has been met.

As I've always posited, since these missions are hidden behind a gate in some extra menu option, a lot of the casual community probably were??n't even aware that they existed. Plus, a lot of casual users kind of just coast through the story and may not even care about anything after that. By lowering the goals you can basically have competitive players carry the load for you, and everyone win??s.

Serebii.net [Twitter]

The post The ship h?as been set back on cours?e when it comes to Pokemon Sun and Moon Global Missions appeared first on Destructoid.

You have to pre-order a movie ticket

Japan is having a particularly insidious distribution event for Pokemon coming up, and it involves pre-ordering tickets fo??r an upcoming film to get a special creature. That creature is an adorable Ash Pikachu, but there's a massive catch involved.

By pre-ordering tickets during specific times, you'll get certain colored hats with different abilities. The promotion runs from April 15 to October 9, with repeated dates in-between, so you'll have a few chances to get the one you want. And you know some people are going to try to?? get the??m all.

You thought GameStop promotions were bad! But? really, if/when it comes west, I hope it's just a quick download from the main menu.

Pokemon Sun and Moon [Serebii]

Origin?al Cap – Level 1 – Thunderbolt, Quick?? Attack, Thunder, Agility
Hoenn Cap – Level 6 – Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Thunder, ?Iron Tail
Sinnoh Cap – Level 10 –?? Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle
Unova Cap –? L?evel 14 – Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle
Kalos Cap – Level 17 ?– Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Electro Ball
Alola Cap – Level 20 – Thunderbolt, ?Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Electro Ball

The post Pokemon Sun and Moon is getting an exclusive ?Ash Pikachu distribution appeared first on Destructoid.

Its goal was surpassed in less than a day

It wouldn't be much of an exaggeration to say that Pokémon Sun and Moon's Global Missions feature had a bit of a rocky start. The first two events -- which required players to capture 100 million Pokémon and scan 1 million of the creatures respectively -- both ended up in failure, although players were still rewarded for their efforts. Thankfully, the third Global Mission was far more successful, with players easily managing to exceed the one million Pokémon trade goal that was set by the game's develo??pers.

Well, on the 28th of February, a fourth Global Mission began. This one tasked players to earn 250,000 Battle Points in the Battle Tree, which is accessible after completing the main story of Pokémon Sun and Moon. Within 24 hours, participants of this event had managed to ac??quire over 500,000 BP, doubling the amount required to complete the event.

As per usual, to participate in this event, all you need to do is head on over to Festival Plaza and talk to the lady in the castle. From there, you just need to go to the Battle Tree and earn some Battle Points. The reward for completing the Global Mission is 2,000 Festival Coins, or 4,000 if you happen to have your game tied to a Pokémon Global Link account.

Players who earn at least 3 Battle Points will be rewarded with 5 Rare Candies, which can be used to level up their Pokémon. Participants of the event will also receive a Heavy Ball as a bonus for th??eir collective effort in acquiring over 500,000 Battle Points.

Considering that fourth Pokémon Sun and Moon Global Mission began only yesterday, the fact that it's already been comp??leted is quite an impressive feat, although the success of it could easily be attributed to its relative simplicity when compared to its predecessors. Either way, if you happen to own a copy of one or both of these games, you should definitely consider signing up for this event before March 13 to get your hands on those Festival Coins and Rare Candies.

Tuesday: Pokémon Sun & Moon - Global Mission + Battle Compe?tition + Pokémon Shuffle Events [Serebii]

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Use a code card to pick up someone else's trash!

_{[Header image by SittingOvationArt on Etsy]}

No, it's not a Fallout crossover. In Pokémon Sun and Moon, Bottle Caps are used in Hyper Training to raise one of your creature's statistics to the maximum potential value. They're especially useful for people who want to use their Poké??;mon competitively, or take on some of the harder post-game content. They're exceedingly rare, so any opportunit??y to pick one up is welcome.

Starting today, code cards that grant a silver Bottle Cap are being distributed in physical game stores worldwide. In the U.S., Germany, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Ireland, and Italy you can pick one up at GameStop stores, in Canada you'll need to visit an EB Games. The codes are available at GAME stores in Spain and the U.K. French Poké;mon trainers will need to visit a Micromania store, and Mexican players can get codes from GamePlanet. Finally, in Belgium and the Netherlands, the codes are available at Game Mania. Some countries had started their distributions before today, but cod??es should work in all territories at the time of this writing.

To use the Bottle Cap, head to the shopping mall at Hau'oli City and speak with Mr. Hyper. The creature you want to train has to be at level 100. The codes only work once per game, but don't expire until May 13. You should have a few weeks t??o go to your local game store and pick one up. The U.K. distribution is ending soonest on February 28, but most other?? regions will have codes available until at least March 5.

Snag a Bottle Cap at GameStop [Pokemon.com]
Pokémon Sun and Moon Bottle Cap Event [Serebii.net]

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Pokemoana? Moanamon?

I have a friend who's a professional movie critic, and one of his favorite movies last year was Disney's Moana, a Hawaii-influenced take on a traditional Disney movie. One of my favorite games last year was Pokémon Sun, a Hawaii-influenced take on a traditional Pokémon title. Like mooshing chocolate into peanut butter, here's something we can both enjoy. 

Korean artist Hallpen is responsible for the sketches, which combine some of the movie's most iconic characters with appropriate, island-themed Pokémon. Moana herself hula dances with a Bellossom, while her Gramma Tala stands before a se??lf-satisfied Mantine. Half-god Maui needs a link cable to trade his Graveler, and comic relief character Heihei is stuck with a Magikarp.

I love this kind of mashup, and the artwork on display here is pretty impressive. I'd like to see Tamatoa mixing it up with?? a Crabrawler or Pua standing with a Tepig, but maybe those would have been a little too on-the-nose.

H4llp3n [Twitter]

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On undisclosed dates

It's not ideal, but a lot of those missing Mega Stones from Pokemon Sun and Moon are coming at some point. And take note of that key phrasing "at some point," an??d through undisclosed means by way of distribution events. Yuck!

Mega Stones have been a contentious part of Sun and Moon's pro scene, a?s all of the stones aren't actually present in the game, leaving many to the mercy of these upcoming events to actually obtain them. It's not really a new thing for Game Freak though, as some Pokemon are even fully data-mined (with complete models and movesets!) for up to a year and change before they actually get a distribution of some sort.

At least it's not paid DLC I guess? Except for when some GameStops try to scam unsuspecting customers and claim "you have to pre-order the game" to get their ??distribution codes.

Pokemon [Serebii]

[Image via]

The post Those missing Pokemon Sun and Moon Mega Stones ar?e coming as gifts appeared first on Destructoid.

It's probably not worth it

As you would probably expect, importing the infamous glitched Pokemon Missingno into Pokemon Sun and Moon with the newly minted Bank update will have some sort of negative impact on your save file. Although its far-reaching effects haven't been fully documented, at the very least it'll mess up your nicknames for Sun and Moon, which counts them as "transferred" n??icknames, leaving you un??able to change them.

On one hand, I get how dumb it would be to bring a glitched Pokemon into Sun and Moon. Outside of the people trying it for science (like the one below), you have to expect something to happen. But on the other, Nintendo kind of? knew this would happen and could have tested it, or just removed that functionality from the Bank. I mean, you?? don't need to use an outside device or even hack the game to get it.

The post Duh: Bringing Missingno into Po?kemon ??Sun and Moon will bork your game appeared first on Destructoid.

I'd crack under the pressure

At one ??point I could name every Generation 1 Po??kemon in order. I'm a little rusty, but I can still mostly do it -- unless someone gave me a time limit.

That's just what Nintendo did with Game Freak producer Junichi Masuda, when he's asked to name as many creatures as he can in 20 seconds. He does admirably with 30, but he cracks near the end before spitting out "Mew!" With 801 in all at this point it's more of a test of how fast you can s?peak than it is memorization, but Masuda is fun to watch regardless.

The post How many Pokemon can you name in 20 seconds? appeared first on Destructoid.

Don't wear your eyepatch and hook to the store

Pirates obviously haven't learn??ed the??ir lesson yet.

After a crackdown of people playing online prior to release, The Pokémon Company has smoothed up that ole banhammer and is now putting to use again. 5,944 players have reportedly been barred from using Game Sync, Rating Battles, Battle Competitions, and Global Missions. If you try to access any of these and get the error code 090-0212, you'd been hammered.

Not that I would advocate piracy, but if you're going to do it don't be silly and play online. That's like stealing a car and doin??g donuts in the dealership's parking lot.

Th??ursday: Pokémon Sun & Moon - Online Bans + Episode Pictures & Character Bio??graphy [Serebii]

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Third time is a charm?

So uh, about those Pokemon Sun and Moon global challenges? We failed both of them.

A number of things could have contributed to this, in spite of the game's monumental record-setting sales. Recently, I mused that a lot of people didn't even know how to access the challenges, as they're buried within menus of menus inside of room inside of a virtual space in the ?game. There's also the very realistic scenario that a lot of folks picked up the game due to hype, and have no interest in "catching them all" or even beating the story, much less completing esoteric challenges.

So we're left with two failures (catching 100 million 'mons and scanning one million), and ?a third is on the way. This time we're tasked with simply trading Pokemon through the GTS, though the actual numbered goal has not been shared. It'll run from January 31 until February 14, so we'll get those details soon enough.

I think Game Freak should increase the rewards and make these challenges bi-monthly instead, ?and you'd probably see a lot of renewed interest. Several people I know only heard of the first two missions near the end of their expiration -- because again, they don't consistently go to the Festival Plaza. Better yet, update the game and have the Pokemon Center announce them and run them through the attendant.

If this one fails, something needs to change.

Tuesday:? Pokémon Sun & Moon Glob?al Mission [GoNintendo]

The post After two failures, the third Pokemon Sun and? Moon global chall?enge is on the way appeared first on Destructoid.