New Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon details could shake up the competitive scene
Bosch.
Another new Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon trailer has appeared, and buried in there is something that could be a bit of a twist for the competitive scene.
The trailer features a closer look at the new Legendary Pokémon forms, Dusk Mane Necrozma and Dawn Wings Necrozma, including some new, seriously over-the-top, interdimensional Z-Moves that look like they belong in Final Fantasy 12, and a new move for regular Necrozma itself.
The interesting point for the hardcore fans, though, is the set of changes that are coming to the Rotom Dex - Sun and Moon's version of the traditional Pokédex.
Over time and according to your usage, you'll build up a bond of friendship with your Rotom Dex - it is possessed by a Pokémon, after all - which unlocks special items via the new Roto Loto feature. These will grant various modifiers, like a temporary boost to Exp. Points earned from battle, but most interestingly it unlocks a new Z-Power for the Rotom Dex itself when maxed out which lets you use not one, but two Z-Moves per battle. Here's a look at the trailer:
For competitive players, that's a huge difference. Z-Moves, being the super-strong attacks that they are, can be game-changing as it is, and their single-use limit has been an effective means of balancing the game so far.
It's not clear yet whether the Rotom friendship will affect non-story encounters like the Battle Tree or online modes, but if it does, the combination of Z-Moves would mean a huge shake-up to the balance of the game.
Hopefully, that wouldn't happen - the competitive Pokémon scene has, for the most part, maintained a remarkable amount of variety and balance over the years - but for those already thinking about new strategies in Ultra Sun and Moon, it's a fascinating possiblity.