Pokemon Alola Bonus: Hau (Malie)

Fortunately for Ray and Ailey, Hau has decided to challenge us to the post-Aether battle here, after the Pokemon Centre. If there's anything you need to do to prepare, you have the opportunity to do it.

Pokemon Sun Malie Garden: Hau's Attention Span

Rather neatly, our pathway to the next island goes from Aether Paradise. Neat touch.

Welcome to Ula'ula, the third Island, based on none other than "the Big Island" of Hawai'i. We've taken off our limiters, now to see how the game responds in kind.

Welcome to, uh... the other Japanese town in this Hawai'ian game, Malie City. Because of the proximity, the Japanese are probably the largest external cultural influence on Hawai'i, even more than the United States that now controls it. At its peak, 43% of Hawai'i was Japanase. Although this percentage has dropped since, the reason has more to do with "people formerly counted as Japanese are now considered mixed-race" than it suggests Japanese culture has left the Hawai'ians.

But still, since Pokemon has less settlements than the real islands, having Malie and Konikoni may have been overkill on portraying it. Especially since we already had four regions set in Japan. Malie is definitely the one that's focusing on it, though- Konikoni just has traces of the architecture and the music.

And no Lillie to point out the problems with that one.

...I wonder just how stable Aether Paradise was. Poor conservatory, on the third floor.

In USUM, the cutscene ends around here. In SM... this is not the case.

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
• Electrium Z
• Malie Garden 2
• 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

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
• Mount Lanakila
• Pokemon League
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• USUM
• Battles
  

Final Challenge:

• 
  

Postgame:

• 
  

Pokemon Sun and Moon Analysis: Akala Island

Wow, look how far we've come. We started this island having barely got a team that could do more than click their STAB move, and now not only have teams switching out as the situation demands, but can also cover outcomes beyond what is written on the box. So how has this come about, and how has our understanding of the story evolved alongside it?

On arrival in Heahea City, we have been introduced to Akala's more involved Trial process as compared to Melemele's, as well as seeing Lillie duck out of the story for a segment to wait on (and fail to meet) a contact. Lillie then proceeds to largely stay out of our way until all three Trials are complete, which mostly works on the grounds that Lillie doesn't have too much more to do until we learn a few extra details, but also there's a general reluctance to share those details in a timely manner. This seems to be a bit of a "the middle is the hardest part of writing", but for right now, the gameplay seems to be doing quite well on its own, and Lillie could use a break- even if she's spending her time stressing about Team Skull.

Before Brooklet Hill, we get another battle with Hau, as well as one with newcomer Gladion. I like the idea of having these two battles so close together for juxtaposition, but it does kinda feel like it hasn't been long enough since our last battle back on Route 3. Considering I previously said the Route 3 content could use trimming, perhaps this is the battle to keep, and have Hau come in with Eevee, Pikachu and his Normalium Starter. And of course, first we have Hau, the friendly rival who heals us up before we get into an "old-timey shootout" in a "Western set", and then we have Gladion, who challenges us before asking questions and dismisses Hau as flighty. Gladion is 100% the more serious opponent, but with his encounter with Team Skull after the fact, it is made clear that his serious behaviour is as much a presentation as anything.

From here, we have three Trials to conduct, and they happen in an almost rapid sequence. We beat Brooklet Hill, walk south to Royal Avenue, do a Battle Royal, slip around behind it for Wela Volcano Park, and then go north and around it straight to Lush Jungle. It's likely they didn't want to leave you without your Starter's Z-Crystal long no matter who you picked, but wow they don't really feel so close together until you realise that Wishiwashi and Lurantis are four levels apart. At this stage of the game, four levels isn't much, certainly far too narrow a gap to separate bosses two notches apart. Gameplay-wise, we're spending this time gathering new teammates, and many of our next encounters narratively want to be at a point where we're operating from a position of power.

After this, we stop in the Dimensional Research Lab to plant the seeds of inter-dimensional activity that will be sprouted later, and then head south for a blitz of plot developments. We're introduced to Aether Foundation- something a long time coming, considering the time we've had where we could talk to them mechanically. Almost as soon as we are introduced, we are swiftly followed with an invitation to visit them on their home turf, we have a battle with Team Skull's Admin that's largely a continuation of all the miscellaneous Skull stuff rather than the major plot, the Grand Trial with Olivia itself squeezed in there, and then the proper major introduction at Aether Paradise, introducing, in rapid succession, Faba, Wicke, Lusamine and UB01-Symbiont. There is almost certainly an argument for spreading these out, even if Lusamine and UB01 should be nowhere else but the very end. Slip the Aether introduction in between one of the Trials, just to explain them before we get proper Aether outposts to visit, make Plumeria part of the Diglett's Tunnel encounter (or honestly, put Faba here, so him inviting Hau makes more sense), just... I know I praised a gap in plot developments during the Trials, but we have a whole island for this sort of thing. I'm not saying move anything new in here, just let it spread itself out a little more.

There are a few miscellaneous encounters scattered in here. In SM, we meet Sina and Dexio, who give us SM's island-spanning fetch quest, Hapu, a story-important character to this game, and Colress, a previous-game cameo who has some relevant to the plot of USUM. In USUM, we additionally meet the Ultra Recon Squad, who kinda cheat a little bit and show off our first UB (UB Adhesive Poipole) before we even learn about Ultra Wormholes, and then we get another cameo encounter with Looker later- and ironically, Looker was far more important to SM than USUM. Hapu kinda gets to hide her relevance here to people who don't recognise the classic characters, but mostly, I see a bunch of people using up the time that Alola's story could be spreading into. Not particularly urgently, but in general, the previous game cameos seem to be more because "SM is the 20th anniversary game and we're going to be celebrating series history" than a part of the cohesive whole. Considering how little of this carried into SM's own legacy, it is hard to describe what happened here as anything but a failure.

Lusamine's introduction at the ending serves two major purposes, depending on which game you're in. In SM, it is the payoff to a barrage of very suspicious Aether details, giving you an ostensibly philanthropic woman whose brand of smotherliness is off in just the right way to come out in front, given a new goal in "adopt the alien UB01 by whatever means necessary", and in exactly the same place that we saw Lillie escape from in the game's opening- a place Lillie shows no intentions of returning to. Even if Hau hadn't explicitly connected the two characters, we would know that Lusamine is the one pursuing Lillie, and we also have a few clues as to what Nebby has to do with anything. In USUM, the addition of the Ultra Recon Squad refocuses Lusamine towards trying to "deal with Necrozma", a situation that makes her look far closer to the role she claims for herself... but with all the hints that something's not right here left intact from SM. Even UB01's appearance feels kinda detached from the new plot, and only considering USUM's story, I'm not 100% sure what it does other than showcase UBs for Hau- something that might've been better served by us having our first battle with Poipole, had we not been in the conservatory. USUM's reliance to sticking rigidly to SM's story means that Lusamine still has an antagonistic role to play in USUM's story, but even this early, we get the sense that USUM is chafing against this requirement.

Gameplay-wise, well... when dividing a Pokemon game into four mechanical acts, Akala corresponds to the "fair-game" section. For most players, no matter which game you're playing, the largest portion of your team is typically going to come from this section, where type diversity is much greater than the early-game, but your team is much more in flux and open to comers as you find things you need to be including. The wide diversity available across the ranch, the brooklet, the volcano park, the jungle, the tunnel and the outskirts helps add plenty of environments from which to draw Pokemon, and many of our teams have found a strong core that includes something from Akala. Ula'ula will see very few additions, and most of the Pokemon that get added will be in types that we haven't seen much of- Electrics, Ices, Steels, and so forth. We also got a bunch of strong-but-not-endgame TMs like Scald (OK, maybe not that one), Flame Charge, Bulldoze, Leech Life and even Psychic at the very end. As we enter Ula'ula, we're actively thinking about our learnsets, and indeed, in this game, many Pokemon we have yet to meet will suffer because they don't have access to key moves available early in their learnset.

Pokemon Sun Aether Paradise: Don't Be Suspicious

Right. I ran out of excuses not to talk to you. Time for us to see your deal.

Because Faba is the kind of man who likes to hear himself talk, he restarts the conversation here when you click on him.

He also has this really sinister grin when you accept his offer. This is characteristic of him to the point that even his official art depicts it.

I reserve the right to judge for myself.

Pokemon Sun Hano Grand Resort: Vacation Brain

So long, Mr. Stoutland. May you have been deprived of all the litter items you picked up for blocking a public street so long.

Hano Grand Resort is its own (two) separate areas, but mostly it's just a really big place to keep NPCs. There's also one new Pokemon and several Trainers and events, which why this update has plenty of content.

...Hm, I mean, you've already been everywhere on Alola? On the other hand, perspective flips that come with experience...

...Is this one a staff Pelipper or a wild one?

...On second thought, I don't know which one I'd rather it were.

Oh, wow, Mum's asking the same question. Now might be a good time to usher the kids along inside, though...

...Typically, a place with architectural differences was constructed on by multiple settlers at a time. Also, I'm amazed how little emphasis is being put on what the Alolans, themselves, are adding to the pot.

Pokemon Sun Post-Olivia: Working Hard and Hardly Working

There wasn't that much to do on my list, but there's a surprising amount of stuff to see scattered around here. I didn't think I'd have to, but we're not making it to Hano in this update.

First order of business is to check in with the story-important character.

There's a bit of an issue here that isn't obvious at first glance, but becomes more apparent when you think about a problem the game has later (well, actually, it's suffering this problem now, it's just not obvious how). Professor Burnet having an item here is a sign that the game has no more use for Burnet in the story. I just... she has such an important role as a character, it's amazing to think they never try to do anything else with her.

To add insult to injury, it's not even a good item.

Pokemon Alola Bonus: Rockium Z

I didn't show the teams, because they're hardly necessary, but let's take a look at the other three Plumeria fights.

Pokemon Sun Rockium Z: Grand Trial of Akala Island

The theme that plays when you are in the domain of the Tapus is this very disquieting theme. Highly appropriate, although perhaps not entirely so for why we're here.

Pokemon Sun Akala Outskirts: Worthless Middle Managers

Time for us to clear up this route east of Konikoni, making our way up to Olivia. And also a nice proper chance to show off the new hat properly, after how often it's cropped up early.

That's a commitment to the guardians that speaks to a greater significance than owed in the modern day.

Humble goals that truly contrast with your elders, but are you two planning on dying at the same time?

Surprising amount of litter items on the graves. Not sure if these are meant to be offerings, but.

Plenty of tourists making their way this way, and many people to challenge en route.

Pokemon Sun Konikoni City: Precious Stones

Welcome. We have arrived, at long last, in the quaint little port town of Konikoni City. There's a lot to snap up here.

Konikoni's Night theme is not something I heard often until I finally did a Moon run. It's certainly not to be missed.

We are shown a Delibird flying up the street as a bunch of people occupy the streets. Most of these people get off the road at some point, although a fair few are around.

The Delibird stops, and delivers a letter to this Probopass. This is actually plot-relevant, not just flavour.

Here we go, now we can explore the place.