New Pokemon Sun and Moon features announced today

As promised, Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have revealed more Pokemon news today.

Along with new Pokemon, three new characters in the story, a brand-new feature called the Poke Finder and Ultra Beasts, differences between Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon were announced.

In previous games, players could discover only certain Pokemon in only one of the two versions of the game. Now, in addition to this feature, there will be a difference in the way time is set in the two games.

Each game will be 12 hours apart, and are tied to the actual time in real life. Pokemon Sun operates on the same time as the Nintendo 3DS system, but time in the world of Pokemon Moon is shifted by 12 hours.

Some Totem Pokemon which appear in the trials throughout the game will also be different in each version. Players will encounter different Pokemon on their routes depending on whether it is day or night. In short, this means players will have different Pokemon experiences depending on which version of the game they own.

A new feature called Poke Finder will debut in Pokemon Sun and Moon which allows players to take pictures of the Pokemon they find.

It’s loaded into the Rotom Dex and, when used in certain spots in the Alola region, players will be able to snap pictures of Pokemon. The pictures taken will be evaluated, and more features such as the ability to zoom will become available as the player gets better at taking snapshots.

New characters part of The Aether Foundation, an organization that works in the Alola region on various research projects, were also announced.

They reside on an artificial island they have created called Aether Paradise. Here, they care for wounded Pokemon and provide shelter as they convalesce. Below you will find information on the new characters.

Lusamine: President of the Aether Foundation.
Faba: Sports signature accessory—green sunglasses and is second-in-command of the Foundation.
Wicke: Assistant branch chief who provides support to Faba.

In the Alola region, players will come across he professor’s assistants Dexio and Sina from Pokemon X & Y. They will provide players will an item called the Zygarde Cube, which tasks the player will collecting Zygarde Cores and Zygarde Cells. These are found all around Alola, and if enough are collected, the "path to finding Zygarde may become clearer."

Ultra Beasts will make appearances throughout the Alola regions. These creatures possess "mighty powers and pose a threat to humans and Pokemon." There are multiple Ultra Beasts and the Aether Foundation mentioned above is conducting research on them and provided each a code name.

UB-01 is an Ultra Beast composed of a glass-like substance which can change shape at will. It's movements "resemble that of a young girl."

And finally, three new Pokemon were announced: Type: Null, Jangmo-o and the Alolan Raticate.

Type: Null - Normal

Type: Null is a Synthetic Pokémon which was constructed to synthesize the strengths of various Pokémon, making it adaptable enough to complete a mission that requires a Pokémon as strong as the Pokémon of mythology. The mask fitted to this Pokémon’s head is a piece of equipment designed to control its power. Type: Null is the partner Pokémon of a newly revealed character—Gladion, the taciturn enforcer of Team Skull, who places a high value on being strong in battle.

Jangmo-o - Dragon

The Scaly Pokémon Jangmo-o has the pride of a warrior and never neglects its training in its pursuit of becoming stronger. This Pokémon uses the scales on its head as a weapon both offensively and defensively. It lives in harsh locales, like canyons, where it can train.

Alolan Raticate - Dark/Normal

Raticate in Alola live in urban areas, leading to a higher-calorie diet than that of Raticate elsewhere. This means they have tough bodies but have gotten a lot fatter. They stockpile huge amounts of food in their nests and prefer fresh fruit and high-class ingredients. Alolan Raticate is the Totem Pokémon of the trial that takes place in Verdant Cavern on Melemele Island in Pokémon Moon.

An Alolan variant of Rattata, which is also a Dark/Normal Type Pokemon, was revealed last week.

As previously announced, those who purchase either Sun or Moon by January 11, 2017 will receive a unique Munchlax, which evolves into Pulverizing Snorlax.

Pokemon Sun and Moon will be released on 3DS November 18 in North America and November 23 in the UK.

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