What are these empty spaces around the Alola region?

[blue]

For reference:

Spoiler:

So I'm interested in getting some opinions on something that seems to be standing out on the map of Alola. It appears that there are a few of these empty building spaces scattered around Alola, one of which we've already seen located in Hau'oli City. At first glance, they just look like empty spaces with no real purpose, but on closer inspection, it looks like they could actually serve some sort of purpose going by how many there are in total.

There was a rumour quite a while back about being able to create your own league which would make sense given how there are so many of these empty plots located on the four islands. Anyway, what I'd like to know is will we be able to use these areas to construct various different buildings and facilities? Is it possible that these spaces are purely cosmetic and have no use whatsoever? If we can build on these spaces, what kind of buildings would you like to create?

Discuss away!

 

[clbgolden]

I'm pretty sure those fourth and sixth ones aren't really empty lots given they don't have that fence around them.

... But other than that, yeah, those lots confuse me as well. There's not eight, so I doubt it's for gyms. Maybe eventually you can just build whatever you want there?

 

[The_Awesome_Pikachu]

Maybe you can build some thing like secret bases.

 

[Darkbirt]

Fingers crossed that building a league is actually a post-game thing and we'd use those empty lots for gyms or something.

I mean, it's wishful thinking, but still!

We still don't know anything about the post game. I'm wondering.

 

[chacha77]

IDK it seems like we are missing some vital information.. if we get another repeat of how disappointing X and Y was I will not be impressed. I understand X and Y's content drought because it was the first time they tried the whole 3D thing but this time there really is no excuse.

 

[MegaKuriboh]

I really like the theory that you can build buildings there and they can be either secret bases, or actual Gyms, either way would be a lot of fun so I hope you can do something with them so there's a lot of stuff to do in the Post-Game.

 

[OuterTsuchinoko]

IDK it seems like we are missing some vital information.. if we get another repeat of how disappointing X and Y was I will not be impressed. I understand X and Y's content drought because it was the first time they tried the whole 3D thing but this time there really is no excuse.

This I really hope does not happen. I don't think I could handle that disappointment in my life if these games turn out as bare as X and Y. I don't think they will though, these are the 20th anniversary games so I would think Game Freak would pack these games to bursting with postgame and extra content. I think they're not going to do the same mistakes that X and Y were and proof of that would be how ORAS turned out which was really good especially in my case where I very much disliked Gen 3 to begin with but loved them now.

As for the empty spaces my thoughts are that they are either a new form of secret base or maybe you can make your own place to live, sort of like a little apartment or something. Which would be a secret base pretty much anyway.

 

[janejane6178]

Why I cant see UB's as Pokemon:
1. They said to be a threat to HUMANS and POKEMOMS ( on the OFFICLA website), which means they r nor human nor Pokemon.
2. They got no names.
3. Not even single one of 'em has an evolution ( I know there r Pokemon that got no evolutions but still)
4. Their artstyle and design is COMPLETELY different then ALL Pokemon's artstyle.
5. They even have their own special Pokeball so u cant catch them with normal Pokeballs

Seriously, I know there is a huge chance they r gona be considered Pokemon eventually but I personally just cant see them as Pokemon and I think its gonna be a lame excuse for having like 70 real Pokemon besides them.

 

[OuterTsuchinoko]

Why I cant see UB's as Pokemon:
1. They said to be a threat to HUMANS and POKEMOMS ( on the OFFICLA website), which means they r nor human nor Pokemon.
2. They got no names.
3. Not even single one of 'em has an evolution ( I know there r Pokemon that got no evolutions but still)
4. Their artstyle and design is COMPLETELY different then ALL Pokemon's artstyle.
5. They even have their own special Pokeball so u cant catch them with normal Pokeballs

Seriously, I know there is a huge chance they r gona be considered Pokemon eventually but I personally just cant see them as Pokemon and I think its gonna be a lame excuse for having like 70 real Pokemon besides them.

Never heard of this until now and looked it up. I saw that jellyfish looking one before but thought nothing much of it except that it was a new pokemon. Those UBs look pretty cool though, even though the style for them is pretty new.

 

[Rivvon]

I think I saw only 6 or 7 of those spaces while looking at the high-quality map of Alola; surely there'd need to be at least 8 if you were able to make your own Gyms? Preferably more so if someone doesn't like one area they don't have to use it. These are definitely pretty suspicious though. I wonder if we've seen any of those spaces in-game thanks to any of the trailers we've been given so far? How they look in-game may give us a better hint of what they could be for.

Actually, wasn't it pointed out that in some town there's a building with a sort of construction-looking sign, with a hammer or something like that? Maybe they could be related. I'm definitely curious as to what you'd be building, though.

 

[Coconutteh]

I think I saw only 6 or 7 of those spaces while looking at the high-quality map of Alola; surely there'd need to be at least 8 if you were able to make your own Gyms? Preferably more so if someone doesn't like one area they don't have to use it. These are definitely pretty suspicious though. I wonder if we've seen any of those spaces in-game thanks to any of the trailers we've been given so far? How they look in-game may give us a better hint of what they could be for.

Actually, wasn't it pointed out that in some town there's a building with a sort of construction-looking sign, with a hammer or something like that? Maybe they could be related. I'm definitely curious as to what you'd be building, though.

I agree, you'd definitely need 8 - something to consider though is that while the artwork is pretty good at showing what's on each island, it's not 3-dimensional like it will be in game. There could be towns or sections we're not seeing just yet.

I do like the whole "build your own league/gym" theory (and I'm actually kinda hoping that's what these are for), but I have a feeling these will be for something else.

They could be like secret bases, but maybe it's more gym-based than how ORAS was set up - you actually build the gym from the ground up and can then share it with others via QR code? It would make sense to have multiple locations so that you could entertain a number of these buildings at a time.

A throwback to the house in Vermilion City that never got built, perhaps?

 

[TheDeathryder]

I think that creating gyms there could be a possibility in post game. If they decided to pull ideas from the anime, the Orange League was only 4 gyms, so it isn't entirely unreasonable to think that you may have the option of creating less than 8.

I think another possible situation could be that those locations have structures that they aren't ready to leak yet. These could be related to a new feature that we don't know about at the moment.

 

[MegaKuriboh]

These are definitely pretty suspicious though. I wonder if we've seen any of those spaces in-game thanks to any of the trailers we've been given so far? How they look in-game may give us a better hint of what they could be for.

We see one in Hau'oli city in the demo with a Machamp hanging around in it.

 

[Rivvon]

I agree, you'd definitely need 8 - something to consider though is that while the artwork is pretty good at showing what's on each island, it's not 3-dimensional like it will be in game. There could be towns or sections we're not seeing just yet.

Yeah, or even some of the emptier locations on the map that just don't fit the criteria of "empty square" could be reasonable locations for whatever this is going to end up being.

We see one in Hau'oli city in the demo with a Machamp hanging around in it.

I just downloaded the demo and see it now; it really does remind me of in gen 2 how there's a Machoke or Machamp helping build a new building in that area in Vermillion City. I'd say it's pretty likely, then, that you can build something in those spaces... It's just a matter of what.

 

[MegaKuriboh]

I just downloaded the demo and see it now; it really does remind me of in gen 2 how there's a Machoke or Machamp helping build a new building in that area in Vermillion City. I'd say it's pretty likely, then, that you can build something in those spaces... It's just a matter of what.

Yeah I wasn't so sure on the theory before until I saw that area (and that it specifically had a Machamp there) and I was like oooooh of course. I also like how having a Machamp there was kind of a nod to Gen 1 and the Vermilion City guy. (See Game Freak this is how you do Gen 1 pandering)

 

[Altairis]

Wasn't there a screenshot of a street somewhere and there was a shop with a hammer sign? I definitely think we'll be able to build something, the question is just WHAT. Since it doesn't seem as expansive as secret bases (there doesn't look to be too many places to set up), I really have no idea.

 

[blue]

Spoiler:

That was the image. I'm definitely thinking they'll be used for some facility that will most probably be post-game content. It would kinda explain why the game size is so big unless we are actually going back to parts of Kalos afterall. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Lunar]

I think they'll be places where the player can build their own house/secret base kinda thing. Although, making your own gyms would be really cool and I think both ideas are definitely a possibility and I'd be happy regardless tbh.