Let’s check out all the new information that’s dropped about Pokémon Masters!
The new trailer for the Pokémon Masters game just dropped with information about the setting of the game itself and its mechanics. We’ve got a lot of good things to cover, so let’s get it started.
The Region
Pokémon Masters is set on the artificial island of Passio. This region is known for being the setting of the Masters League, which is a large draw for experienced trainers from all over the world. As a result, many famous trainers have flocked to the region to compete in teams to win this tournament.
Passio is shown to have a variety of different biomes and environments. On top of the large stadium that appears to be the focal point for the tournament, there are also large forests, beaches, volcanoes, and other routes. While it is not entirely clear at this moment what the purpose of these different areas are, it is possible they are meant to help you train and recruit other trainers to use in the Masters League tournament.
Trainers
Trainers from all over the world have flocked to the Passio region to compete in the Masters League. As a result, you’ll be seeing a lot of familiar faces including protagonists, rivals, Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, champions, NPCs, Trial Captains, Kahunas, evil team members, and more. There are also a variety of new faces as well though, with the trailer hinting as some potential antagonists that the player will encounter throughout the game, though no information other than their appearances were shown.
Something unique about the trainers is that each trainer only uses one Pokémon. These are known as Sync Pairs. It appears that these Sync Pairs tend to be Pokémon these trainers are known for using in the past and are Pokémon these trainers have strong bonds with. It is unknown if these Sync Pairs can be altered, or if each trainer is only able to use the one Pokémon assigned to them. There are supposed to be 65 Sync Pairs at launch, but more will be added after the launch.
Confirmed Sync Pairs so far are:
- Red & Charizard
- Brock & Onix
- Rose & Snivy
- Misty & Starmie
- Blue & Pidgeot
- Cynthia & Garchomp
- Iris & Haxorous
- Clair & Kingdra
- Brendan & Treecko
- Flannery & Torkoal
- Barry & Piplup
- Thorton & Bronzong
- Korrina & Lucario
- Acerola & Palossand
- Caitlin & Reuniclus
- Cheren & Stoutland
- Crasher Wake & Floatzel
- Diantha & Gardevoir
- Elesa & Zebstrika
- Grimsley & Liepard
- Lance & Dragonite
- Nanu & Alolan Persian
- Norman & Slaking
- Professor Kukui & Lycanroc
- Wulfric & Avalugg
- Steven & Metagross
Mechanics
Trainers battle in groups of three in Passio in a similar style to Triple Battles. This means that players will be in command of three Pokémon and three Trainers at the same time during a battle. Once a player has made friends with other sync pairs, they can recruit those friends to their team and battle to become champion of the prestigious Pokémon Masters League tournament. In addition, each sync pair has a different role, such as strike or support, so it’s important for players to not only evaluate the opponent but also form a team of sync pairs that complement one another.
Players will be able to release a barrage of moves while their AI opponent unleashes attacks at the same time using the move gauge. This gauge charges up steadily as time passes allowing players to use a variety of moves each turn depending on how much time has transpired. This leaves players with the decision on if they want to spam moves or save up their gauge for more powerful attacks.
Players can also utilize “Sync Moves”, a new mechanic that appears to be similar to Z-Moves. It is not clear what exactly triggers Sync Moves at this time, but it appears that each trainer Pokémon combination has their own unique moves such as “Never-ending Royal Nightmare” for Acerola and her Palossand, “Give-It-All-Ya-Got Power-Up Punch” for Korrina and her Lucario, “Rock-Solid Rock Slide” for Brock and his Onix, and “Thunder of Newfound Passion” for the main character and their Pikachu. What is known is these attacks are said to be extremely powerful and were shown to be capable of inflicting large quantities of damage on the opponents.
Pokémon are not the only ones who can use moves in Pokémon Masters, Trainers can too! Similar to the Warrior Abilities from Pokémon Conquest, trainers are able to use moves that heal or buff the stats of Pokémon on their team. While the specifics of this mechanic are unclear, it does appear that the Trainer Moves can be used on any Pokémon on the team and not just the Pokémon the trainer is linked with. However, it is still unclear if these moves are allowed to be used in addition to the Pokémon’s moves like in Pokémon Conquest, or if they take up the turn like using items in the main series Pokémon games. In addition, it is unclear if trainers can use their moves more than once per battle via a similar mechanic to the move gauge, or if, like warrior abilities in Pokémon Conquest, they can only be used once per battle per trainer.
One goal of the game also appears to be winning badges. While it is unclear exactly what role these badges play in the game, the animated trailer showed the player facing off against Erika’s team for a badge that was not her usual Celadon Rainbow Badge. It is possible, similar to the main series games, players need to collect a certain number of badges before they can participate in the Masters League and as a result must defeat certain trainers while on their journey.
Release Date
While no specific date has been stated, the game is expected to be released sometime later this summer. Be sure to tune in here as well as on Pokémon’s official website and social media for updates on the game’s release.
