We're going to start this update back in Lush Jungle, to catch some of the new species to find here. There's a lot going on in here, but comparatively fewer Pokemon in the kerfuffle.
In USUM, there is a visible encounter in this grass, not found in SM. It does complete clockwise laps of this area, and unless you remember it's there, odds are you'll hit it trying to pass by. I start with it because both of the encounters from it are relevant.
Such a neat view of Lush Jungle in the USUM camera angle. Anyway, what's the plan this time, then?
On top of the official sign designated this as a no-tourist zone, we have a natural sign scratched into wood. Probably Mallow's doing. Now then, for what is often considered the hardest Trial in the game, what have I packed?
I have had Flambebe in the party almost the whole way through Route 8, soaking up EXP so that it could hit level 24 during the Trial. It's not going to seem like much, but this is going to come in handy later.
Feather Dance cannot be understated. Dottie is sure going to be an ace here.
Honourable mentions to Razzly. This might just be a bit too soon for her, though.
No joke, Lord Huggington is going to be one of the most important members of the team. And it won't be because Baby-Doll Eyes- although Baby-Doll Eyes can never go without praise.
I actually considered evolving Zapple now- literally the only reason I am not is to give it Nuzzle at 29. I think this is a bit of a bold plan, but Nuzzle is just good enough for me to try for.
Woodstock is a surprisingly important choice to remember exists- if you've got a Poison type, now is the time to use it.
It turns out that, in all of mainline Pokemon, there is no better time to say this: Welcome to the Jungle.
We've seen the fae fisher, we've seen the not-very-serious fire-dancer, let's see a cook who has absolutely no business looking for her next big dish in the middle of a jungle.
The lot of you have chosen fascinating careers.
Mallow knows good Trial Stew when she sees it.
Probably because she makes so much of it herself.
My Pokemon are.
My stomach, less so.
Our team is now getting stronger by the day and raring to challenge the next route.
No time like the present!
Yeah, you know how we got Pokemon Breeding between "arriving in Akala" and Lana's Trial, and then Battle Royals between then and Kiawe's? Nah, Mallow's Trial is literally just up the road.
I know we're gonna be spending a lot of time on this route.
Right after Wela Volcano Park, SM shows off another of it's absolutely hilarious "so, was there supposed to be a thing here?" sessions. I am skipping absolutely nothing here. The difference between these two screenshots is sliding up on the Circle Pad.
The Dividing Peak Tunnel was added as a proper location in USUM, although all it is is a long pathway and a creepy theme. There are two types of visible encounters that may randomly appear here.
In Pokemon Sun, after completing Kiawe's Trial, there will be a twelth option on the bottom tab unceremoniously added. It does get mentioned on the next route, but it's a good idea to check in on it now.
As a side note, for some asinine reason, they put it on Page 2 and throw Festival Plaza and the Photo Club to Page 1 even if you rearrange your bottom screen menu to put the empty space on Page 1. This is presumably them setting a default, but seriously, why does the default have Pokemon Refresh on Page 2...
In USUM, you don't get it right after Kiawe, but you have to walk most of the way to the Route 7 barricade instead.
The justification for locking Poke Pelago to this point is that we have to Charizard Glide there, although it has been mentioned a few times before now and some features kinda feel odd to be dropped at this point.
Yup. This will be a feature related to catching a lot of Pokemon. You been wondering why even Noah and Ray have been working on that?
As a side note, Poke Pelago can be accessed anytime, not just in areas that are valid for Charizard Glide. If you are considered "indoors", you spin around in a sort of "warps somewhere" before triggering the Charizard Glide.
Poke Pelago is super bottom screen, but most of the explanations will be conducted on the top screen.
(Whether the proprietor is wearing red or green is based on SM/USUM).
Right, we're going into this one for Ultra Moon. What are we looking at this time?
Basilissa is racking up far too many jobs for an Ekans to handle. I will be lucky if she manages one.
Chip's Hydro Vortex can hit hard, especially with the Adaptability bonus. Specialisation over coverage, in a way.
I think the fact Callie is holding an Expert Belt when her only offensive move is Dark type should tell you loads about what I expect her to be fighting. Foul Play should be very nice here...
I gave Gorg a shot, but the downsides of Larvitar aren't worth the final result. Which is a bit of a shame, because Ailey is going to want Ground-type Pokemon in the time between now and after the sixth Trial (when she finally gets a different one). Still, though, early Larvitar, might as well.
Chip and Ridley feel very redundant to have, and considering Ailey's team has the most rotating members right now, I'm no doubt going to feel the pressure to commit to one or the other at some point, but I think I like what they each respectively offer.
Can you tell I want to Thief something here? The fact Anna is in the final teamslot says plenty here. In hindsight, I really should have put Anna higher up and added someone like Neo in the last slot to try and benefit from Illusion. At the time, I didn't think it'd be much help: the types we're facing and how they are employed would likely have meant none of my team could bait the correct move.
No changes here. The Trial takes the same form: three "Spot the Difference" dances, with minimal difficulty, and the actual challenge comes with the removal of access to the Bag and Party menu. They did shake up two of the actual dances, at least.