As always happens with the release of a new Pokemon game, there are inevitably some fake leaks that float around online as to what the fresh batch of pocket monsters might look like. Sometimes these leaks are way off base, but other times they're eerily close to the final product, as with what happened before the release of Pokemon Sun and Moon this time last year.
Close... but not quite. Image from Lucas Costa
Sun and Moon brought forth the interesting possibility of Alola forms: familiar first generation Kanto Pokemon redesigned and adapted to their new environment in the island paradise of Alola. This lead to many artists releasing their own Alola versions, whether those wound up in the final game or not. And whether they looked entirely credible or not.
But let’s be honest. None of us thought Alolan Meowth was real initially.
Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon promise some new Ultra Beasts and “Dusk Forms” of Alola Pokemon from the last adventures in Alola. So here’s the Alola forms we wish we were getting in these maybe unnecessary titles:
This new look for the Gen 2 starters by user badafra on DeviantArt (the mecca of fake Pokemon) reflects the focus of the Alola-typing. Fairy, Ghost, and Ice types are rampant through Alola, so this shiny new crew from Johto would fit right in on the sandy beaches of Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
It's back to basics with this Alola version of Snorlax. The changes by Tumblr artist Not Bad Word aren't exactly drastic, but are still arguably better than what happened to poor Persian.
Badafra is back at it again, embodying what we all wanted out of Sun and Moon: another Eeveelution. Why shouldn't the Alola-lution be a ghost type? I can totally see Etereon hanging out with Mimikyu and being a favorite of the spookiest girl on the island, Acerola.
Artist Rey-Menn from DeviantArt pays homage to the elongated Exeggutor native to Alola. Maybe all the Alola forms should just be taller versions of the original? Maybe this is still a better design than that of Alola Meowth and Persian? Can you tell that I'm not a fan of Alola Meowth and Persian yet?
Perhaps rocking the hula girl look a tad bit better than Snorlax is Rafibema's Alola Jinx. Complete with a peek at potential game footage, it's easy to see how a coconut-wearing Jinx would make a great addition to the Alola PokeDex.
Finally we have locomotive111's Alola Honedge that looks strangely familiar... According to Honedge's Alola PokeDex entry,
"Alolan legends tell of a powerful demigod whose partner was a magical Honedge that could pull islands from the sea or slow the path of the sun itself! Alolan Honedge are loyal creatures, and are revered because of the deeds of the legendary demigod and his Honedge."
I smell a crossover. All Disney allusions aside, a hook-shaped Honedge would be a fantastic homage to Polynesian culture, which is already wonderfully detailed through the Sun and Moon titles.
Disappointed by the lack of new Alolan forms in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon? You can always find fun and fake Pokemon around the Internet. Which is where you can also find Giovanni's reaction to seeing an Alolan Persian for the first time.
Image from Twitter
Sources: IGN, Byte
Images: TGN, DeviantArt, Tumblr, Twitter
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