How Pokemon Sun and Moon’s Cut Guardians Mechanic Can Be Seen in Future Generations

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As a long-time fan who’s been with Pokémon since the good old Red and Blue days, I can’t help but be intrigued by these leaked Guardian mechanics that were initially intended for Sun and Moon. It’s fascinating to see how Game Freak has managed to breathe new life into this scrapped feature across generations, much like a certain Eevee evolving into an endless array of species!

Among all the upcoming and cut content leaked during Game Freak’s data breach is a “Guardian” mechanic supposedly intended for Pokemon Sun and Moon, yet despite being scrapped, it seems the feature has survived in one form or another across future generations. While much of the attention from Game Freak’s leaked content focused on details, such as a supposed successor to Nintendo’s Switch console or cut Pokemon designs, some leaks included more technical revelations like early Pokemon game builds. One of these cut gameplay features stands out, however, as it appears to have outlived its original place in Pokemon Sun and Moon.

Under the pseudonym “Guardians,” a discarded battle mechanic featuring the Sun and Moon characters seemed to bear a strong resemblance to the Mega Evolutions of previous generations. However, this likeness was not the only factor behind its removal from the final game. Additional details about the leaked Guardian feature suggest that the complexity of the Sun and Moon battle system may have been too intricate for a single game. Interestingly, it appears that the elimination of the Sun and Moon’s unique combat feature paved the way for the advancements in Pokemon battles over the subsequent generations. The Guardian concept was later transformed into Z-Moves, Dynamaxing, and Terastallization.

How Pokemon Sun and Moon’s Leaked Guardian Mechanic Would Have Worked

From what I’ve gathered about the rumored Guardian feature for both Sun and Moon, it seems reminiscent of Mega Evolutions, but with a twist! Instead of Mega Stones, you’d collect “Miracle Stones” from the enigmatic location known as “Miracle Mountain.” The type of stone you use during battle determines an additional avatar that appears behind your Pokemon, complementing their type and providing an extra move on top of the traditional four.

How Pokemon Sun and Moon’s Z-Moves Evolved From the Guardian Mechanic

In simple terms, the intricate mechanics of the Guardian character in earlier Pokémon games were quite complex, featuring an extra move and different types of avatars with unique in-battle effects. Given this complexity, it’s not surprising that Game Freak decided to abandon this concept. However, the Z-Moves introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon seem to have been inspired by the Guardian’s additional moves, using Z-Crystals instead of Miracle Stone. Additionally, there are hints that the idea for Pokemon-specific Z-Moves may have originated from Gen 6’s Mega Evolutions. As a result, the Gen 7 games retained a more streamlined version of what could have been Game Freak’s most ambitious battle feature yet.

How Pokemon Sword and Shield’s Dynamaxing Evolved From the Guardian Mechanic

In contrast to the discarded Guardian mechanic, the following Pokemon generations appear to have adapted aspects of it in different areas when introducing Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing features in Pokemon Sword and Shield. These elements share similarities with Z-Moves and the Guardian mechanic, as they enable a player’s Pokemon to utilize powerful Max Moves with additional effects related to their type. Furthermore, Gigantamaxing presents new species-specific G-Max Moves reminiscent of Mega Evolutions and Z-Moves, suggesting that Game Freak continues to draw inspiration for each new generation’s battle gimmicks from Sun and Moon onwards.

How Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Terastallization Evolved From the Guardian Mechanic

As a dedicated fan, it feels like the natural progression for Gen 9’s games, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, to build upon the elements from the scrapped Guardian mechanic that were incorporated in both Gen 7 and Gen 8. Instead of the original Pokemon-specific aspect, we now have Terastallization, which seems to be an evolution of the Guardian’s idea of multiple avatars, allowing Pokemon to possess various Terastal types. This new feature not only adds a layer of complexity but also enhances the power of moves, providing strategic variety in battles similar to that of the multiple Guardian types.

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2024-11-19 23:54