The leaks were real.
Yes, the Chinese leaks we saw a while a back claiming to be the final evolutions for the starter Pokémon in the upcoming Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon turned out to be completely legitimate amid widespread belief that it was another fake mock-up.
We first got hold of these images when the Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon demo suffered an intensive data mine from users who extracted every detail they could muster from the demo. It showed off a lot of unrevealed Pokémon, including the starters' final evolutions.
The Official Pokémon Channel has uploaded another video, following the reveal of the starters' mid-evolutions, that shows the three starters' final evolutions, and while it was an easy pick for most players back then when these little rascals' evolution weren't publicly known, let's see how the final evolutions factor in eventually deciding which one to get when the games come out.
"Decidueye," The Grass-Ghost Type Pokémon
The learning curve to pronounce certain Pokémon names has really been expanding, and Decidueye's addition doesn't help it. If we get past the challenging name, though, this is an absolutely cool-looking Pokémon.
It's sort of a mashup between Robin Hood and the infamous masked vigilantes trying to protect the world from ill activities. Throw in a bow and arrow and you got yourself a dark, ominous figure, close cousins with the apathetic allure of Hoothoot or Noctowl only cooler.
Many thought that Decidueye would turn out to be a flying type, but it's actually a grass and ghost type Pokémon with the Overgrow ability. Of course, we're holding our breath for specific stats of all these starters, so actually determining how strong they are won't come until the game's release, but for aesthetics' sake, this is indeed a uniquely designed Pokémon that will probably win the hearts of many, outmaneuvering the ongoing proclivity for players always choosing Fire or Water starters over Grass.
Its special move is called the Spirit Shackle, which prevents the opponent from switching out during battle.
"Incineroar," The Fire-Dark Type Pokémon
This one is a little disappointing for many fans. Why can't final fire type evolutions remain on all fours? Why does The Pokémon Company keep on making them stand up all of a sudden? Well, at least it's not a Fire and Fighting type, a combo that brings a tremendous amount of criticism even among the most loyal Pokémon fans.
It appears to be a bipedal tiger with huge, sharp claws, donning an attire very reminiscent of a wrestler, which became the source of speculation suggesting it will be a Fighting type Pokémon or not. Thankfully, it ended up being a Fire-Dark type with the Blaze ability.
Incineroar's special move is called Darkest Lariat, which ignores the opponent's status changes. This is easily the most surprising thing about Incineroar. Being able to cause damage to an opponent despite its stat changes is a very powerful premise since stat changes are a huge component in the battle system. Incineroar being able to override that means volumes for player tactics and maneuvers.
Incineroar's design might be arguably lackluster, but its special move more than makes up for it.
"Primarina," The Water-Fairy Type Pokémon
It's the first time for a starter to evolve into a Water-Fairy type, after the latter was first introduced in the first Pokémon game for 3DS, X and Y.
Primarina is a mermaid, hence the name, and while users didn't take kindly to Popplio when it was first showcased, it now boasts a very feminine and pristine design, with a tentacle-like hair that unfurls during battle.
It has the "torrent" for its ability and a special move called Sparkling Aria, which heals the burns of any target it strikes it with. This special move is a bit polarizing for many users, since it does more good than harm.
Sure, it could halt the burn of a Pokémon, preventing it from further lowering its HP every turn if you want to catch it, but burns are fairly rare during battles, so Primarina's special move is kind of a downer.
Which One You Should Pick
Basing entirely on the special move without consideration of stats, Incineroar's Darkest Lariat is easily the best special move a starter, or any Pokémon, could have. In the end, though, it's up to you which starter you'll pick on your upcoming journey in the Alola region.
Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon comes out Nov. 18, but you can preorder the game now.
