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The new Alola region!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DHg_ayXU0AAtvPb.jpg
Things...look interesting. There's a rift above Poni Island not unlike those seen while soaring in OR/AS and the overworld has an orangey, sunset-ish tinge. What could those mean? Something tells me the rift will involve a legendary of some kind. |
The rift above Poni Island is likely the portal to the Ultra Dimension/Ultra Space that we went through in Sun/Moon, the positioning seems about right for it. Hopefully that indicates a greatly expanded Ultra Space for us to play through.....it was pretty disappointing in S/M.
Don't really think the map being at sunset/sunrise really means much though |
I'm probably looking way too much into this, and I hate to bring the clouds back into this, but...
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Does this cloud look like Kommo-o to anyone else? There also looks like there's something next it, that doesn't really look like a cloud... It's more than likely than nothing, but mildly interesting. |
Like Nah, I think that dark cloud above Poni Island might be an Ultra Wormhole. Hopefully this will mean an expanded Ultra Space, because it was disappointing in S/M.
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also that's a boat. |
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It's probably absolutely nothing, but now I can't unsee. |
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If you take a look at the original Alolan map from S/M and look and take a look at the USM map that little island behind Akala isn't covered up anymore. (Clouds are covering it in the original SM artwork) Am I overthinking this? I don't think it was an accessible area in SM.
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I've also just noticed something. If you look at Brooklet Hill in the original map, you'll see the fountain-esque design, where all the water appears to trickle down, but here there doesn't seem to be any water. What could this be representing?
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in the area around the rift, the water is the normal blue color. What if the hole thingy takes you to an alternate version of alola?
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I love the colour scheme of the map, while there isn't much different it looks miles better than the original imo. That purple void above Poni Island has a striking resemblance to the one above Mt. Coronet.
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Apart from the purple void, the region looks the same to me. Can't see new areas. Disappoinment growing.
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What are those things near Ula Ula Island? At first I thought they might be rocks but they aren't in the original map artwork. And they look pretty big to be fish or birds unless they're Wailord or Wailmer.
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Anyway, I just discovered something rather...disturbing about the Alola map. According to this new Alola map, a few sinister, ecological-related issues seem to be cropping up, and we don't know why these things are happening.
Well, first off, the water in Malie Garden appears to have dried off: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/241214786308669440/348231717628280833/image.png Also, on a somewhat similar note, the water in Brooklet Hill has dried up, like I mentioned in a previous post: https://i.imgur.com/1awHq5k.png But looking on the other side of the spectrum, it seems like the Wela Volcano has become dormant, yet in the previous game it was active and smoking: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/241214786308669440/348233219511943168/image.png While Alola has changed a lot though, I couldn't help but examine those three things, because they seem to be somewhat...familiar if you've played R/S/E and noted down Team Magma/Aqua's goals at trying to dry the ocean/expand the ocean respectively. Is this too much of a coincidence, or is something going wrong with the ecosystem in Alola? Is this a hint at bigger things to come? It was also said that Zygarde appears when a region's ecosystem is disturbed, so could this be a hint at Zygarde, perhaps eliminating the collection quest? |
Most people have pointed out things, that I could spot. But there are a few new things. Ones known though are:
Volcano's are no longer smoking on Akala. Brooklet Hill is dry. The rift which there is almost no doubt in Ultra Space. Water in the garden on Big Island is dry. Or some is. Others things I see are these things: ~ School of Wailords of Wishiwashi just south of Akala. ~ There is a new beach with a building or cave on Akala Island, just north of the port building. ~ Multiple buildings have different color roofs. ~ There is a new building on the beach on the east side of Big Island. ~ The water at the Lake of Moon/Sun is dry ~ The Islands are larger on the Northside of Melemele in the hidden area that we get to from a cave. ~ New beach area with a cave or something on Melemele that is behind the Hotel. ~ There is a new building in the main city on Melemele where the empty spot was. That is all the changes I can see. However, I will say that a lot of the "dry spots" where water was could be them trying to depict the color of the water in a sunset and it could just look dry. I think the only really dry spot currently in Brooklet Hill, even though I think there is water still there. If it was dry, it would be all that light grey color, but there is a color difference.. And although I can see the Garden thing, I don't know why only half would be gone, especially when it goes in like a circle. |
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Other small changes I see, which I wasn't sure if they were large enough to point out, is that there is no rock wall on the southwest side of Poni Island and the rocks have been added to the southeast side of Poni Island.
I wasn't going to point that out, but all other rock walls are in the correct spot. Also, here is a very High Res map too look at the region better. https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/283217767757512704/348136226588459008/New_Alola_Map_Large.jpg This map proves that Brooklet Hill isn't dry. |
I think someone should compile a comprehensive list of all the differences found so far - there's a lot more there to look at than I think we realize. More subtle changes and altered perspective.
I am disappointed in the general lack of large new areas, but there are some encouraging things here and there and I think there may be more to be excited about than we think! |
That rift gives me hope the ultra beast dimension will be larger- large enough to be explored at least. Hopefully.
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Alola is basically the same. This is clearly a third version split into. Minor changes but nothing big. Not impressed to be honest.
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Maybe it's just me, but the region seems a bit more... eery? Desolate? There's a lot of dried-up places scattered over the map, and the red tint really amplifies it all. The ultra wormhole also adds to this effect!
Small note, but some of the tiles haven't been filled and are still just lying there. It doesn't seem for GF to just leave them like that, so they might be getting some purpose as just tiles alone. |
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(And yeah, that big hole in the sky was totally there before) |
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvl9bjTg4jU
According to this video, there is also a similar looking purple portal over the Sinnoh region like the one over the USUM Alola region. Its probably a coincidence, but it is at least a tiny bit of evidence that either hints to Sinnoh remakes or hints towards traveling to Kanto in USUM. |
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What looks suspicious to me is that below Poni Island in at least one spot it looks like there's land underneath the giant cloud. I couldn't tell you how much land specifically, but you can see what looks like a shoreline, and that wasn't there before in S/M's map. So maybe there IS something more there we just... can't see it yet. You can also see a boat trail being covered up, which looks kinda suspicious considering I doubt they'd cover up something as minor as a boat. But don't quote me on this. This is just speculation on my part and I could be wrong.
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Looks like 4chan noticed something with that forest in the trailer.
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Very interesting. Kind of cool to go to each ultra beasts individual corridors.
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Okay, the Alola map has changed, it's true. However, what most makes the region look different is just the sunset/sunrise. Yes, we can see some new areas on Melemele, etc, and things on Poni don't look so good, but there aren't that many big differences (aside from the cloud). The "dried places" are kind of an illusion since it's just the water's color being different thanks to the sunset. Now, I'm not saying the ecossystem in Alola is doing great, and I really WANT a plot focused on its ecossystem. As many have said, Zygarde might have a role in the plot of this games.
Now, if Alola's ecossystem is actually getting worse or being altered, then who could possibly do this? Aether Foundation? I doubt it. The Ultra Beasts? Maybe... What about Necrozma? What will be its role in this game. Things are still pretty confusing so we should wait and see... |
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The thing about individual ultra spaces is really cool, and it makes perfect sense now that I look at that image closer. I wonder what would cause us to go to their ultra spaces instead of them being dropped in Alola? Alternative story, that's what I'm thinking.
The thing about environmental changes and a possible Zygarde connection is interesting too. IIRC, Dexio in SM makes this comment in SM after you collect 10% Cells: "Zygarde is said to maintain the order of the Kalos region...then why is it in Alola...? Is it a sign that something is about to happen?" Another semi-related thing I wanted to point out is that there doesn't appear to be any rain on Po Town anymore. It makes me wonder if it will be restored to its former glory and Team Skull will have their base elsewhere? |
Even if this should be in another thread, it's still related to USUM's region map:
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The pictures are self explanatory. So, what do you guys think? Is it really a reference or are we just imagining things? |
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I really do hope those clouds are something, as unlikely as it may be - perhaps they saw all the fan speculation about "seeing legendaries in the clouds" last time around?
The amount of references to Sinnoh increasing wouldn't be a bad thing either, but I question where that would take us since they traditionally do that right around when they're about to release a set of remakes... and that's not likely to happen with the Switch game in development already. Regarding Zygarde, I'm very, very strongly opposed to its involvement in the plot. It had its generation, and it didn't get a game then - that doesn't mean that they need to keep making it up to fans that like Zygarde. Lore-wise, it doesn't make all that much sense anyway - I don't think the map so far suggests any kind of major ecological incident or shift, and I don't think it makes much sense to assume that Zygarde's role reaches that far outside its own trio, as that would run contrary to most other legendary Pokémon ever. |
Don't count on Zygarde being a part of the story or post game. These games are about the mascots.
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I already know what you're gonna say though, idk why I bothered replying. I hope there's some sort of explanation as to why the cells are scattered in Alola. |
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Though, here's another thought. This place that Kartana is in....why are we assuming it's Ultra Space? (I mean we only have one example of Ultra Space and it looked a lot more foreign than this) Isn't there another possibility we haven't considered? That this is a new location in an alternate reality? Maybe we'll be able to use Ultra Wormholes to visit completely different locations in alternate realities. Maybe it's an alternate reality where people live in harmony with Ultra Beasts. |
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As for the people in Kartana's Ultra Space, recall that both Lusamine and Guzma were in Nihilego's as well. Iirc Guzma said he couldn't get out, so perhaps those NPCs in Kartana's space were also stuck there, too, unable to escape. |
If I remember correctly, Amazon or some other place said there would be several new islands to explore. We don't see any new islands, so not everything may be on that map.
I went back to check amazon. But I can no longer see the parts that said that anymore. But that is something to remember. And I can't remember if I said this or not, but we also don't see an area that matches all the Pikachu in the first trailer. |
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Oh, I completly forgot about the G/S remakes! I wasn't paying attention to the clouds because I thought that the Gen 2 legend clouds didn't mean anything.
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the clouds do not indicate anything special
given that the first three generations have been remade, and that it's been a generation since the last one, and that it's been ~10 years since D/P were released, the obvious next step for Game Freak would be to do Sinnoh remakes, much the same as how G/S on the VC after RBY VC were the obvious thing for them to do this is not to say that the clouds are not a nod to what they are/did announce soon after, it's just that it's not some cool subtle hint that only a smart select few will get that indicates something no one saw coming--if/when sinnoh remakes are announced soon it should not be surprising to anyone, and the lack of surprise should not be because of some clouds |
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B2/W2 reveal reactions "OMG WHERE IS MY POKEMON GRAY??" "OMG WHY THE HELL IS THIS NOT ON 3DS??"" "OMG WHERE ARE MY HOENN REMAKES??" US/UM reveal reactions "OMG WHERE IS MY POKEMON STARS??" "OMG WHY THE HELL IS THIS NOT ON SWITCH??" "OMG WHERE ARE MY SINNOH REMAKES??" |
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I wonder if its possible for Alola to have a major city like New Tork city in USUM. I guess Ula'ula is only Island that can have a city like this. |
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I don't see Sinnoh remakes happening this Gen, but I do think that there may be some alluding or connection to them in USM. Completely ignoring the clouds issue, there are several blatant references to Sinnoh lore in SM, and even one of them is a Pokemon created by an organization who also happened to study the Sinnoh myths. It's also interesting that people have made comparisons of the ultra wormhole we see in the new map to the Distortion World, and I'm guilty of that one especially. I also liken Lusamine entering Ultra Space to Cyrus entering the Distortion World, as well as Lusamine and Cyrus themselves as people. I have a little theory involving Necrozma and Sinnoh, but that's for another thread and when I can properly sort out my thoughts on it.
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I look forward to reading your theory once you finish it :). Now about Sinnoh remakes, I don't see them being the next main games. I just can't see them begin a new generation with remakes. Now, that area with Kartana-like leaves. Some think that it's a redesign of the first trial. Others think that it could be a new place in Malie Garden. |
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Since Alola feel too much like a rural area. |
An interesting tidbit, but TPC Japan just released a small clip of the player encountering Hiker Dave at the top of Wela Volcano instead of Kiawe like you normally would.
Another thing I wanted to point out to add on to my earlier post about Zygarde is Resolution Cave. Eerily similar layout to Terminus Cave and you find a Zygarde Cell in the spot you would find 50% in Terminus Cave. Also, "terminus" and "resolution" both have similar meaning as something being final... terminus being the end of something, and resolution meaning intention and being resolved. You also encounter Guzzlord in it during the UB mission, and it's also a Dragon-type like Zygarde. |
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so doesn't look like there's a trial here at all. |
What is that video hinting for?
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So so far we've seen a gym without Lt. Surge, and a trial without the trial leader.
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The Gyms probably won't happen, since the empty spaces were taken up by the Photo Club. |
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Is it worth saying that Kiawe might be a captain still, just not at the top of the mountain?
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Based on the text dialogue box though, if the player had pressed A there would be more. |
The Vermilion Gym tease in the trailer and now Ash visiting Kanto in upcoming episodes in the anime is starting to make me believe in the possibility of a Kanto visit in USUM. I just... I don't know, but getting that tease in the trailer and the Misty and Brock appearance in the anime getting hyped to high heaven is making the gears in my mind do their thing. I know this topic of revisiting Kanto can get pretty heated sometimes, so please don't slam me for suggesting this.
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...of course, the cynic in me says they held it back just so they'd have another set of games for this year, equalling more money, because that is very clearly all they care about. But that's the cynic in me for ya. That said, I highly doubt Kanto revisits this time either - the hints suggest a remake on the horizon, possibly on the Switch, but they don't suggest to me a revisit, any more than SM's hints did. |
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I feel that we likely won't return to Kanto in US/UM, since the reason why the return to Kanto in the anime was likely due to it being to honour the 20th anniversary of the anime.
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What do you all think of what Po Town could be like this time? I bring this up because the new Alola map no longer shows a rain storm happening over it, and I've heard speculation that the mansion used to belong to Lusamine's family before crap hit the fan with her losing her husband.
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