Myths and Legends of Alola: New Information Revealed

[PokéCommunity Daily]

Read up on the exciting new information regarding the mythical and legendary Pok?mon of the Alola region. Just what is a Tapu Koyo?

Click here to view the article.

 

[Z25]

The forms are interesting. Can't say much on them though as we don't know enough. I think it will be plot important though.

And the four guardians sounds awesome. Perhaps it could work like the regis but with four guardians and one ruler?

 

[Nath74K]

I think these guardians will have a huge role in the plot, can't wait to learn more.
Also, I would like those guardians to be 4 legendary Pokemons we don't know yet. Because Solgaleo and Lunnala respectively represent the Sun and the Moon, so it'd be logical to have 4 other Pokémons that represent each Islands.

 

[Desert Stream~]

Ah, I saw this on youtube and I was waiting for an article :D
The 4 guardians sounds awesome, I like legendaries, so the more the better IMO.

 

[blue]

Perhaps one of the guardians is what the Strange Souvenir from X/Y referenced? The description of the item is "An ornament depicting a Pokémon that is venerated as a protector in some region far from Kalos." Obviously it hasn't been revealed yet but it certainly sounds plausible from that description.

 

[Iceshadow3317]

I am 90% sure that one of the Guardians are what the Strange Souvenir depict. Tealls you how much time they have put in to Pokemon Sun and Moon.

 

[Bobbylicious]

Eh... I'm a little indifferent. I was really excited to see this, but it's starting to look like the game is a direct copy and paste of Hawaii rather than being inspired by Hawaii.
I'm sure these will be great games, but the fact it seems too focused on real Hawaii breaks the immersion for me.

 

[Iceshadow3317]

Eh... I'm a little indifferent. I was really excited to see this, but it's starting to look like the game is a direct copy and paste of Hawaii rather than being inspired by Hawaii.
I'm sure these will be great games, but the fact it seems too focused on real Hawaii breaks the immersion for me.

How exactly is it a direct copy and paste? Everything they are doing is inspired by Hawaii. Just like all other games. Nothing is 100% the same.

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

I think that the phases could be similar to Kyurem's formes' 'Overdrive formes'.

 

[Winter]

The phase names are really cool but they aren't impressive design wise lol. Literally clouds were tacked onto the silhouettes.

Four guardians being tiki-designed is a very sound theory and I'm excited for its reveal because that is just so creative. I wonder if they each represent an element (fire, water, wind, earth). Tapu means holy/sacred, so I'm curious as to what koyo might mean or might be inspired from.

 

[WingsofBliss]

Whatever Tapu Koko is, going by the dialogue in the E3 video it appears that we encounter it towards the beginning of the game. It's probably all connected to Solgaleo, Lunala, Zygarde, and quite possibly the new game mechanic bracelets along with those diamonds in the Japanese game logos. The starters might have a connection to all of this as well, because the CoroCoro leaks we had earlier states that there's a secret about them.

 

[Iceshadow3317]

The phases could also possibly be Mega Evolutions. They called Mewtwo Y an Awakened Form until megas were confirmed.

From as little as we have seen, it reminds me a lot of Rayquaza's Mega with Dragon Ascent. Possibly a type of burst evolution thats boosts the attack power or something for 3 turns or so.

 

[Poké Bean]

It's certainly all getting intriguing! I'm torn between wanting to get more information and discovering it all for the first time when playing the game!

Poor Magearna, think it's story is going to tug on the 'ol heartstrings!

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

The phase names are really cool but they aren't impressive design wise lol. Literally clouds were tacked onto the silhouettes.

Four guardians being tiki-designed is a very sound theory and I'm excited for its reveal because that is just so creative. I wonder if they each represent an element (fire, water, wind, earth). Tapu means holy/sacred, so I'm curious as to what koyo might mean or might be inspired from.

I too think that they could use the four elements.

If Lunala and Solgaleo are Tepu Koko (I see it as more a title than a Pokémon's name) then perhaps they'll be based on the four states of matter. Lunala will represent plasma, Solgaleo solid (which is funny enough the opposite one would expect as the sun is largely plasma, and the moon is solid), and the rumored Marshadow liquid, while the rumored Gigareki can be gas.

 

[WingsofBliss]

After re-watching the E3 presentation, something caught my attention that has started causing me to debate on whether to get these games or not. During the festival thing that your character comes upon, your battle with the rival is apparently some sort of ritualistic sacrifice to Tapu Koko(this comes from reading the dialogue of the gameplay). I don't really mind it when NPCs in a game are worshiping a fictional deity of sorts, but to actually make you the player participate in it is kinda grating on my nerves... what I mean is that it's making you participate in that battle to advance the game. I know it's a videogame and that gameplay may not actually be the final product, but to me it's still the equivelant of forcing religious beliefs onto me that I don't agree with. That does sound weird, but that is how I feel.

 

[J-Money808]

The 4 guardians thing sounds like they really are doing their research on Hawaiian mythology as well, as in hawaiian mythology there is 4 major gods. Ku, the god of war, Kane, the god of procreation and life, Lono, the god of music and fertility and Kanaloa, the god of the underworld and magic.

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

After re-watching the E3 presentation, something caught my attention that has started causing me to debate on whether to get these games or not. During the festival thing that your character comes upon, your battle with the rival is apparently some sort of ritualistic sacrifice to Tapu Koko(this comes from reading the dialogue of the gameplay). I don't really mind it when NPCs in a game are worshiping a fictional deity of sorts, but to actually make you the player participate in it is kinda grating on my nerves... what I mean is that it's making you participate in that battle to advance the game. I know it's a videogame and that gameplay may not actually be the final product, but to me it's still the equivelant of forcing religious beliefs onto me that I don't agree with. That does sound weird, but that is how I feel.

You got a point there. We've had religious like things like Zinnia's devotion to Rayquaza, and even the Kimono girl's dance can be considered a religious ceremony. We also got a cathedral in Sinnoh, and Arceus is held to be a creator god in Sinnoh myths. However, this is the first time someone does a prayer like Hala's where the player participates.

 

[Mister Coffee]

Pokemon being revered as omnipotent creatures has been a theme since generation 3. Generations 1 and 2 are the only pokemon games that don't have omnipotent pokemon. Why would it be an issue now? Pokemon games are fantasy, the gods in pokemon shouldn't be an issue now when they never were an issue in the past. None of the games are banned because of religious views, and as far as I know I don't think their sales have been impacted over religious views.

I'm excited for some omnipotent tiki pokemon! Hopefully they will play well and will be accessible for capture naturally in the game.

 

[mew_nani]

After re-watching the E3 presentation, something caught my attention that has started causing me to debate on whether to get these games or not. During the festival thing that your character comes upon, your battle with the rival is apparently some sort of ritualistic sacrifice to Tapu Koko(this comes from reading the dialogue of the gameplay). I don't really mind it when NPCs in a game are worshiping a fictional deity of sorts, but to actually make you the player participate in it is kinda grating on my nerves... what I mean is that it's making you participate in that battle to advance the game. I know it's a videogame and that gameplay may not actually be the final product, but to me it's still the equivelant of forcing religious beliefs onto me that I don't agree with. That does sound weird, but that is how I feel.

That whole ritual is probably something based on an actual Hawaiian custom much like the other bits of lore we've seen, and from a lore standpoint it seems to make sense. The legendaries we'll see in the game are likely actually revered as deities by people in the game, and people have revered other legendaries as such in the past like Arceus, Dialga and Palkia. You're merely an outsider observing, not an actual member of this religion, and given all it is is a mere ritual I don't really see the harm in it.

 

[Desert Stream~]

I don't really mind, although I can see where you are coming from.