On November 17, the Nintendo 3DS will get its final Pokémon titles, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. The follow-up to last year’s widely praised Sun and Moon, the Ultra versions were already rumored to have a host of new features, such as brand new Pokémon, updated surfing mechanics, and the Pokémon Global Link online service. Today, the upcoming games got a brand new trailer, and it looks like what we knew before only scratches the surface.
The main headline for this new announcement is Team Rainbow Rocket, a consortium of baddies pulled from the previous Pokémon games. Starting off with fan-favorite Giovanni of Team Rocket, all other villainous teams are represented: Teams Aqua and Magma (Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald), Team Galactic (Diamond/Pearl/Platinum), Team Plasma (Black and White 1 & 2), Team Flare (X and Y), and the original Sun and Moon‘s Team Skull. Whether this criminal all-star team is the main antagonist or a fun post-game treat is anyone’s guess, but this meeting of worlds is sure to add fuel to the fire of the “Pokémon Multiverse” theory.
That’s not all the trailer has in store, however. Also announced is the Battle Agency, the newest iteration of the series’ post-game battle arenas. New to the Agency is the ability to rent powerful Pokémon to use in battle, legendaries included. This ostensibly gives players an option to bypass the ever-complex task of breeding competitively viable Pokémon, allowing them to make a deep run in the arena without dozens of hours of prep work.
“Totem Stickers” can also now be found throughout Alola, offering a unique benefit. Sun and Moon players will remember the Totem Pokémon, beefed-up versions of typical ‘mons who served as the final challenge for the main story’s Island Trials. Though the exact mechanic is still unknown, picking up these new collectibles will let you take home your very own, oversized Totem Pokémon. Additionally, a QR-based “Island Scan” apparently allows players to catch starter Pokémon on the islands—always a hit with the fans.
The trailer truly saves the best for last, however. Now available through the “Ultra Wormholes,” introduced in Sun and Moon, is an impressive slew of legendary Pokémon from throughout the series history. All version mascots, the legendary birds and beasts, Mewtwo, the Regis, Lati@s, even the Lake Trio—the gang is (almost) all there. While mega-rares like Mew, Jirachi, Celebi, and Arceus will likely not appear in the Ultra Wormholes, this is one of the most complete lineups of legendaries available in any Pokémon game.
If Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are really the series’ handheld swan song, it looks like they’ll be going out in style. With the largest catalog of creatures, villains, and legendaries available, it figures to be a proper celebration and worthy send-off for the franchise that defined mobile gaming.