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Pokemon Sun/Moon Release Date Confirmed, Starter Pokemon Revealed

Meet your new Poke-pals.

43 Comments

The Pokemon Company has released a new video for Pokemon Sun and Moon, revealing the three starter Pokemon that players will be able to select in the 3DS title. Additionally, it has also confirmed the game will launch on November 18.

The three Pokemon are Rowlet, a flying grass type, Litten, a fire type, and Popplio, a water type. See them all in action in the trailer above.

In related Pokemon news, the National Championship will be shown across three Twitch channels, providing coverage of the Pokemon Trading Card National Championship, the Pokemon Video Game National Championship, and Pokken Tournament Championship. The dates, along with the Twitch channels, can be found below,

Event Dates

  • 14–15 May: Liverpool, UK (Exhibition Centre Liverpool)
  • 21–22 May: Kassel, Germany (Kongress Palais Kassel)
  • 11–12 June: Milan, Italy (Mediolanum Forum, Assago MI)

Twitch Streams

As previously announced, Sun and Moon will offer traditional and simplified Chinese as language options, which is a first for the series. Both games will also come with Pokemon Bank support, allowing players to move Pokemon wirelessly from Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow, as well as Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, X, and Y, to Sun and Moon. Further details on how this works are available here.

February 27 was the 20th anniversary of the Pokemon franchise's debut in Japan in 1996. To celebrate, Nintendo hosted a 24-hour animation livestream event on Twitch, along with releasing classic Pokemon games Red, Blue, and Yellow for the 3DS eShop.

The last Pokemon games in the series for 3DS were Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, which came out in November 2014.

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DaDLM

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I was planning on getting Sun from the start because of Dark Souls *cough* Praise the sun *cough*. Though, I would like Nintendo to add an option for your character age, about time we can play as an adult.

I like the grass starter, his typing sucks but he looks unique.

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Robinvd1986

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I'm to old for these games but i cant resist these games xDDDDDD!!! Looking forward to the release lol =DDDD!!!!!!

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AndreasRufus

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Litten... Litter is only a stone's throw from there, but I like that one a lot. And the owl seems kinda funny as well.

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trugs26

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Edited By trugs26

This looks awesome. I don't know which to choose: Sun or Moon?

I'm definitely getting Litten since I'm always a fire starter. I typically get the "fire" (or closest to) game as well, in this case, Sun.

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BR1M

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@trugs26: i prefer all of the fire starters besides torchic

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jecomans

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Definitely getting Moon, because that angelic bat thing looks cool (even though I never use the legendary's because I'm always to attached to my mains by then). And starting with Litten, who looks to me like she has the same grumpy expression as my cat when I won't put her down and she's over being cuddled.

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Ixilion

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I remember when I first saw Oshawott, I thought it looked terrible but then Samurott turned out to be pretty cool. So hopefully, Popplio...can turn out to be like its Unova counterpart. Heck, I hope all of them have awesome final designs!

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MegaPyroFlame

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Yo guys, did you see that Fire starter? It was LITten, fam.

...

...

...

I'll show myself out.

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CrimsonBrute

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CrimsonBrute  Moderator

I just have two things to say:

First, KITTY STARTER!

Second, if player customization is not included in this I am going to be very upset.

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DaVillain

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DaVillain  Moderator

@crimsonbrute: It's already been confirm customization is back and I don't know why anyone wouldn't think it's not coming back cause Pokemon X/Y was a test to see if it was a huge hit and it was.

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CrimsonBrute

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Edited By CrimsonBrute  Moderator

@davillain-: People think it wasn't coming back because it was noticeably absent from ruby/sapphire.

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RabidBurp

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Hmmm....earth owl, hellkitten or 2-legged clown seal? Decisions, decisions..

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jessie82

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kitty!

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jpcc86

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Clown seal is gonna grow up to be badass killer seal.

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MILK

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Dual type starter? Sounds OP for early game. As if Pokemon games weren't easy enough already.

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lilhurk1985187

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@milk: Are you complaining about crap that doesnt even negativley affect anyone? It is weak against Fire,Rock,and lightning. Whats there to complain about. If you are going get that upset over nothing then then the gamefqs pokemon sun boards is the right place for you. That place a shit ton of stupid topics and comments like yours.

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Lattata

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@lilhurk1985187: Flying/Grass types I forgot if Ice would be a double-whammie to such a type.

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swavo13

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I'm gonna be the oddball and say, clown seal all the way

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Jaxith

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Edited By Jaxith

I am so ready for this! Now to avoid the internet until November so I can enter this new world of Pokemon untainted!

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cell_dweller

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cell_dweller  Moderator

I'll take that Sun legendary for sure!

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madsnakehhh

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First time ever (for me of course) that the grass type looks so much better than the other options.

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Mito-EVE

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People are saying that the starters look horrible, but people say that about every new generation's starters. It's fine if you don't like them in the end, but don't count em' out just yet, folks. After all, this is only their first forms.

I'm really lookin' forward to these. That Moon legendary is weird as hell and I am already in love with it because of it, haha.

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joegec

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Those legendaries look a bit like the ones from X/Y... Why with the shitty weird-looking winged thing? Sun's legendary looks pretty cool though.

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ConnorXIIV

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The owl is adorable! Not sure about the seal though...

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GH05T-666

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Edited By GH05T-666

Cant wait! Pokemon is the best!

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TechDemon

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Those starter pokemon look horrible....and those names...

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cboye18

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Edited By cboye18

Damn those are some horrible designs (even worse than the Snivy-Tepig-Oshawott generation IMO). Might skip the upcoming game after all it seems. And what type is that mutated Seel supposed to be, water/clown? Even my 7-year old cousin can draw something with more style lol.

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Lattata

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@cboye18: Let's skip the game because of the three starters look like crap. Serious Decisions man.

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BrunoBRS

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Edited By BrunoBRS

i like the owl out of the 3 options, but TBH i'm not sold on any of them. maybe the evolutions will tilt my choice, much like in gen 6.

and for the first time since pokemon blue, i'll be opting for the cold color (moon) instead of the warm one (gold, ruby, pearl, Y [red], and now sun).

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Tiwill44

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Edited By Tiwill44

@BrunoBRS: Pokemon X was blue tho

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BrunoBRS

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@Tiwill44: i meant Y, oops.

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DaVillain

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Purely based on knowing these starters for 2 minutes, I'm going with the Grass/Flying mainly because it's an Owl Pokemon. Might have to see what their evolution's are like though... I'm guessing the Fire Starter is going to be Fire/Dark eventually is what I'm speculating, I think Gamefreak is going back to the old ways starter Pokemon with grass getting duel type early just like Bulbasaur did it with grass/poison.

I'm getting Pokemon Moon and Lunaala looks great in my opinion, another legendary dark type Pokemon I wanna have on my team.

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dcoutten

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Edited By dcoutten

@davillain-: I love big cats so after seeing the Sun legendary I wasn't as impressed with the moon legendary (even though I like the moon more). But the animation of the powers of the moon legend is awesome. So I'm on the fence even though based off what we know so far I'll probably go with Sun. Got to see that pokemon exclusive list though. I'm getting a fairy vibe from the moon legend, especially since its going to be the moon/protector of the moon or whatever. I'm guessing fairy/dark.

I need to see the starters final evolution too but I'm NOT picking the water type. The nose, ears and collar are too much. If the fire starter is a tiger then there is no option. lol.

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Employee427

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Edited By Employee427

I honestly really loathe how this looks. I feel like pokemon is losing it's sense of self, and instead trying to become this weird open-world anime game. The anime came AFTER the game Nintendo, not before... pokemon is not an anime game.

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Jaxith

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@employee427: It seems to me that the only reason Pokemon games didn't always look like this is because of hardware restraints, but really, do you actually think the ye olde pixel images were devoid of anime appeal?

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Employee427

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@Jaxith: Yes. Personally I found that sort of "grid" world was pokemon's forte. Now it's turning into a free roam environment, with a generic art style. The last good looking game IMO was heart gold/soul silver.

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Jaxith

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@employee427: That's definitely a fair perspective, though I can't really find myself agreeing with it. Personally, I'm glad that things have advanced the way they have. I don't feel like any part of Pokemon's aesthetic is being abandoned, but rather that it's just a natural evolution as the technology got more efficient. I can't really picture a Pokemon game on a modern system looking any differently, to be honest.

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adsparky

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They should add the option to choose between being a kid or an adult.

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rushiosan

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@adsparky: That would be awesome and could open endless possibilities of interaction with the world, like some NPC dialog changes and different areas to explore as both ages. I wish it was possible to happen though. Doesn't seem likely.

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adsparky

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@rushiosan: That certainly would be something to praise, but I meant just in aesthetic purposes.

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ferna1234

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@rushiosan: and you get to smoke and drink liquor as an adult. And acces to the top shelves at the video rental.

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lilhurk1985187

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@ferna1234: No thanks.

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DaVillain

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@adsparky: Wat?! No way on being adult part. Being a Teenage (well pre-teen) in all Pokemon games gives you the both worlds is the best part.

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