Pokemon Alola Bonus: The Trials of Vast Poni Canyon

This is going to be a bit irritating because of how it shakes out. This update will have Noah's Grand Trial, and all three kids' Ancient Trials.

Pokemon Sun Vast Poni Canyon: Yell Into The Wild

Time to go dungeon crawling. We're going to see a lot of Trainers. This'll be good EXP.

I thought Bethany was going to get a new team member, but the typing turned out poorly enough that I wound up giving him to Ray. Still, though, there's multiple options in here.

...Looks like the same statues around the Lake of the Moone. Not that this gets me any closer to an answer.

One more for the pile.

Well, glad you were looking through Lusamine's old stuff for cool stuff too. Surprised there aren't any TMs in there- I guess Psychic was enough for her.

Don't worry- you don't have to follow me so thoroughly. Perhaps it'll be better if you wait for when I find the good route.

Pokemon Ultra Moon Exeggutor Island: Take My Hand

A more minor change for USUM to start- the plot advance trigger in SM was in front of the Magikarp, while the one for USUM is in front of the Wailord. Thankfully, the fact that your next plot flag is marked on the touch screen helps, especially when you're doing what I'm doing and playing both.

Not that I imagine that comes up often...

There is a change here for Mina- she asks if we found anything useful, rather than whether we found Hapu. We weren't looking for the kahuna for any reason other than she knew information we might find useful, so it makes sense that it's more important to consider whether the information we got is relevant rather than whether we got said information from the right person.

USUM has Mina explain what Poni was doing to maintain the Island Trial tradition, simultaneously answering not just that question, but also the question of why Nanu seems so jaded with his job. He's literally doing the work of two men here, and also in the traditional order of Melemele > Akala > Ula'ula > Poni, having a second boss that's the same as the last one would no doubt be dull.

Especially when you remember what comes afterward.

Now Hapu can actually do things suited to Poni Island rather than having the guy on the furthest island do it in between spying on Team Skull and naptime.

Pokemon Sun Exeggutor Island: Date With Destiny

I'm always kind of impressed Mudsdale and Tauros can be used in Seafolk Village. Then again, one of my more major fears has always been of uncertain footing, that may just be a me thing.

You can actually see me having appeared from the Seafolk Pokemon Centre, rather than the entrance of town. Cutscene starts either way, though.

Lillie gets a moment to be grateful to Hapu for what she's done for her, which Hapu brushes off as just her being normal things to do.

Also, once again, Lillie is happy to include Mudsdale in her words.

Your mother has really done a number on your self-esteem, girl. Then again, by this point, she's become a Kahuna, it does seem more natural to have a less personal relationship, more like the one you have with Olivia.

Also, Hapu's aid has been more magnanimous than personable, so I can see the hesitance. But no, Hapu totally thinks you're cute.

This turns out to be a particularly inspiring moment for Lively Lillie, and it will in fact continue playing through the overworld gameplay up until we finally arrive at Exeggutor Island.

All the girl really needed was a friend, clearly.

Pokemon Sun Poni Wilds: The Smallest of Hopes

Right, with our business in port dealt with, our next port of call (pun not intended) is the mainland.

Most of the outdoor areas here on Poni Island- and indeed, the background theme to most of this update, is this rather emotion-tugging piece, managing to combine both the triumphant rallying cry of an ending stretch with the same realisation that yeah, things are changing now. It gets some solid points as a musical piece.

Narratively, we're not putting Lillie somewhere safe and going on ahead. She's following us directly.

Mechanically speaking, while Pokemon has had follower NPCs, I don't think it knows how to correctly program the precise mechanical interactions necessary to actually have Lillie follow us around- especially if we were to decide to backtrack to another island- and is more or less going to take a business-as-usual approach of having Lillie wait in a static location until the next plot flag. It's just going to make the plot flags happen more often to move Lillie around more.

From a mechanical perspective, Max Repels are an interesting approach to the wildlife on Poni Island, especially if you know what's going on with Nebby. I think the "only keeps away lower levelled Pokemon" thing is probably just mechanics?

Anyone else seeming the romantic vibes going on here? Not just me?

There are still plenty of Trainers around, but they're going to be nice and rugged.

Not sure how many are supposed to be Poni natives and how many are in this place for the thrill.

Pokemon Sun Seafolk Village: Drifters in a Garden

Fittingly, we start this update with another timeskip! We did say we were going to have a nap, didn't we...

The first we see of Bethany after waking up is her having gone straight to where Lillie was sleeping, only to find her not there. This entire setup is kind of hilarious, although it does lead to the ultimate outcome of us resuming gameplay in the same place we left it.

No, she doesn't ask why we're here. She knows we're here for Lillie, she happens to know what she's up to, and comes to direct us appropriately. This gets very slightly weird when you try to explain it, and considering what has happened, I'm not sure if it ever stops being weird.

Right, this place is now significantly less evil, regardless of whether that is because it has been redeemed or because all of the evil people have been removed.

From here, we are directed to leave the Aether Mansion. Doing so will trigger the next cutscene.

In which we get introduced to... well, someone one might describe as "a new girl".

But really, it's still the same Lillie, just... no longer under the shadow of her mother.

There's just something about the Lillie redesign that really speaks to me. It's a very personal thing, although this little smile she gives for a second certainly delivers most of the impact.

Pokemon Generation VII Compilation

The reference list for Pokemon Sun, Pokemon Ultra Moon, and their twin versions:

Melemele Island:

• Introduction
• USUM Introduction
• Festival
• Hau
• Hau'oli Outskirts
• Trainer's School
• Hau'oli City
• Captain Ilima
• Route 2
• Verdant Cavern
• Normalium Z
• Route 3
• Melemele Grand Trial
  
• Fightingium Z
  
• Melemele Cleanup
• Ultra Moon
  
• Melemele Analysis
  

Akala Island:

• Heahea City
• Paniola Town
• Route 5
• Rivals
• Brooklet Hill
• Waterium Z
• Exploration: Water
• Royal Avenue
• Route 7
  
• Wela Volcano Park
• Firium Z
• Poke Pelago
  
• Route 8
  
• Lush Jungle
• Grassium Z
• Dimensional Research Lab
• Konikoni City
• Akala Outskirts
• Akala Grand Trail
• Rockium Z
• Akala Cleanup
• Hano Grand Resort
• Aether Paradise
• Akala Analysis
  

Ula'ula Island:

• Malie Garden
• Hau
• Malie City
• Mount Hokulani
• Hokulani Observatory
• USUM Observatory
• Electrium Z
• Malie Garden 2
• Guzma
  
• Route 12
• Tapu Village
• Abandoned Thrifty Megamart
• Ghostium Z
• Haina Desert
• Ula'ula Meadow
• Po Town
• Guzma
• Ula'ula Grand Trial
• Darkium Z
• Aether Paradise
• Part 1
• Part 2
• USUM
• Battles
• Ula'ula Analysis 

Poni Island:

• Seafolk Village
• Poni Wilds
• Exeggutor Island
• Vast Poni Canyon
• Dragonium Z
• Altar of the Sunne
• Altar of the Moone
• Final Trial
• Fairium Z

Final Challenge:

• Mount Lanakila
• Pokemon League

Postgame:

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