Hands-On with the Pokémon Sun & Moon Demo [UPD]

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Hey everyone, the Japanese Pokémon Sun & Moon Demo is out now and I’ve begun playing! I’m going to be updating this post so please REFRESH to see new updates.

At the very beginning you’re asked to choose the language. Like before, this is not an option that can be changed later. The music is awesome.

You slowly zoom into the map and up to your house. As the door opens it switches you come out and check the mailbox. It’s a letter from someone asking about how their Greninja is doing… but they forgot to write their name. Who could it be??

Mom come out and reminds him that they need to go to City Hall to change their address. Apparently ‘alola’ means hello in Alola.

While they register that you’re a new arrival from the Kanto region you’re free to poke around the City Hall. If you try to exit, Hau will stop you. He agrees to show you around town.

Right outside, Team Skull will stop you (amazing music) and they’ve got some great hand gestures going on. You go right into a battle with one.

You face off with Greninja versus the grunt’s Yungoose. After being defeated they threaten to tell their ‘big sis’ (Plumeria).

Hau is then ready to show you the Pokémon Center. If you try to access the café, the woman behind the counter will tell you she’s just looking after the place and the owner will be back in “about a month” (haha).

After Greninja is back at full strength, Professor Kukui will greet you outside. He asks you if you’d like to try a trial and agrees to hold one at Ten Carat Hill.

Poking around town before I go; one NPC mentions a famous female Alolan golfer named Kahili who is traveling, but may return. Another mentions that you must be 11 to start the island challenge in Alola, older than in other regions. There’s an area to find wild Pokémon before the challenge, but you have no Pokéballs. I’ve seen Rockruff, Yungoos and Pikipek.

There is also a police station and malasada (dessert food) restaurant.

Kukui will meet you at Ten Carat hill, so you need to walk there to catch up. You’ll have to walk through grass, fending off wild Pokémon, as well as battle a trainer (if you’d like).

To start the trial you get the Pokéfinder (Rotom Dex). You must take a picture of Jangmo-o and its evolution. Sometimes the Pokémon can be startled and attack!

Once you’ve gotten all 3 pictures you exit the cave to find a Totem Pokémon: Hakamo-o. It seems that totem Pokémon receive a buff, in this case Hakamo-o’s Sp. Def was raised. During battle it called an ally Pokémon, Rockruff.

After defeating it, Kukui will run out and give you a Z-ring as well as Electrium Z. Hau brings Team Skull back to you and it’s time to face off with Plumeria using a Z-move!

That ends the demo, but if you start again from the title screen Kukui will give you the Poké Rider tool so that you can page Tauros.

Update: Alolan Dugtrio has been found within the demo! And some new prominent characters were shown in the trailer at the end of the demo (most likely Trial Captains)!

FEATURED DISCUSSION: Official PokeJungle League Tournament