Pokémon: 'Alola Impresses with New Activities!'

A recap on what’s new to experience in Alola.

☆ NintendObs Weekly – Monday, November 20, 2017 – Sunday, November 26, 2017.

Pokémon Ultra Sun Ultra Moon

Alola Impresses with New Activities!

If you’ve already explored the Alola region in Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, you’re already aware of the many fun activities scattered across the islands. We’re excited to introduce even more amazing things to do on your return trip in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon! Take a look at some of our favorite excursions that you can experience on your latest Alolan journey.

And if you’re looking for a refresher on some of the features that were introduced in Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, be sure to check out our new visitor’s guide to the Alola region.

Mantine Surf

Catch the waves off the Alolan coasts with Mantine Surf! Each of the main islands of Alola has a Surf Spot where you can hop onto the back of Mantine and show off your surfing skills. Glide and perform cool moves to earn points and increase your score! But watch out for obstacles in your way, such as a lurking Sharpedo or giant Wailord! If you’re able to execute a string of great moves in the time allotted, you can earn a tidy sum of BP to get powerful items or teach your Pokémon rare moves for battle if you perform well. Do your best at Mantine Surf—the top rider can eventually earn a very rare prize.

Pikachu Valley

It doesn’t get much better than hanging out with Pikachu all day long, and that’s exactly what you can do at Pikachu Valley. It’s just off Route 4 on Akala Island, and like the name suggests, you won’t find much else besides lots of the famous Pokémon. Here you can interact with Pikachu in the wild, snap photos at a special Poké Finder photo spot, take a test to receive Pikachu-themed clothing for your Trainer, and more. Enjoy a relaxing moment with Pikachu in Pikachu Valley!

Rotom’s Upgrades

Your trusty Rotom Dex has been upgraded with even more features that make traveling with the handy device even better. Pay close attention to Rotom and interact with it every once in a while when it seems to be getting a little bored or tired. If Rotom pops up with a question, answer it to strengthen your bond with the Pokémon inside your device.

When your connection to Rotom is strong enough, you’ll be able to use the Roto Loto, which grants you items that unlock a random short-term effect that can help you during your adventure! Look forward to perks like earning extra Exp. Points or prize money for a short while, or improving your chances of catching Pokémon. And if your bond becomes really strong, Rotom may even help you out in battle with a bit of extra Z-Power. Connect with your Rotom and find out what powers it can grant you via the upgraded Rotom Dex!

Battle Agency

Festival Plaza has expanded to include a new challenge for Trainers—the Battle Agency. Here you’ll compete in Single Battles with three Pokémon against a host of tough Trainers. The twist is you won’t be using your own Pokémon—you’ll borrow one from the Battle Agency for your team, and borrow the other two from friends at Festival Plaza! Plus, the more your teammates have won in the Battle Agency, the higher level their Pokémon will be when they join you. Help each other out to improve your chances for victory! The Battle Agency is an excellent way to get Festival Coins, as well as a variety of valuable items when you achieve certain goals. Good luck with fresh new challenges in the Battle Agency.

Fairy Trial

The last time you met Mina in Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, she wasn’t too interested in putting you through much of a challenge, although she did daydream about what it would be like to have her own trial. Apparently, she followed her dreams and is taking her duties as a captain more seriously with her new challenge. Mina’s trial is an interesting one: you’ll have to revisit the captains whose trials you’ve already challenged and take them on in battle to prove to Mina you’re a serious Trainer. Of course, this time the captains will have stronger teams. If you can complete the entire circuit and defeat the Totem Pokémon, you’ll earn yourself a Fairium Z.

Kantonian Gym

If you’ve been longing for the challenge of a classic Pokémon Gym, a new spot in Malie City has you covered. The Kantonian Gym has the same look and feel of Gyms of old, but this one is a little different. You’ll have to pay to battle the four Gym Trainers inside, and you’ll earn prizes once you beat all four—as well as the Gym Leader! You can challenge the Gym once a day, making it a good place to earn prize money, as well as some extra Exp. Points for your Pokémon. Also, after you’ve beaten the Gym once, a new challenger will appear the next day with a team of tough Dragon-type Pokémon. Defeat him to earn a valuable Dragon Scale!

Totem Stickers

Keep your eyes peeled for Totem Stickers with appeal! All around Alola, you’ll find little stickers to collect. You’ll need a sharp eye to find them all—what’s more, some of them require you to fish for them or hop on a Ride Pokémon. As you collect stickers, check in with Samson Oak to pick up big prizes…literally. He’ll give you supersized Totem-like Pokémon that are not only big in stature, but also have high potential. There are 100 Totem Stickers in all—good luck finding every one of them around Alola.

Ditto in Disguise!

Something fishy is going on at the Police Station on Akala Island. When you strike up a chat with one of the officers inside, it turns out to be a Ditto instead! Once you defeat this Ditto, you’ll be on the case to track down four more Ditto in human disguise. Each subsequent Ditto you defeat will earn you a nice reward. What’s more, each of the Ditto is guaranteed to have great potential in at least two of their stats, making them ideal partners when finding Pokémon Eggs at the Pokémon Nursery. Don’t miss this opportunity to catch these special Pokémon during the investigation.

The Alola Photo Club

Join the Alola Photo Club and start snapping pics of your favorite Pokémon. Choose the background, direct your Pokémon pose, and add stickers to complete the shot. You can step in to have yourself photographed along with your Pokémon, and on subsequent visits, you’ll be able to take pictures of Pokémon by themselves! As you play through the game, you’ll unlock more backgrounds, poses, and stickers to create the perfect composite image. And the photos you snap aren’t just for fun—the Pokémon you shoot will be so flattered to be chosen as a subject that their affection toward you will increase.

The photos you create will be saved to the SD Card in your Nintendo 3DS system so you can transfer them to other devices to share with friends!

As you can see, the people and Pokémon of the Alola region have been incredibly busy since your first visit in Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. Tons of new features and activities have been added with the launch of Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon, ready for you to discover and explore.

And don’t forget about all the exciting activities around Alola from your first visit that are sure to still be fun on your return journey. Check out our list of can’t miss activities for first time visitors to the Alola region.

Source: Pokémon.