Is a trip to the Kalos region to be a Pokemon master worth your time?
Pokemon X and Y are the unofficial start of the 6th Generation of the Popular handheld franchise and shows that the series has no intentions of slowing down. This time, Pokemon trainers have their journey set in the Kalos region, which is loosely based on France. Mr. Masuda mentioned at the Pokemon Developers Q and A session, which I was a part of, that the main theme of X and Y was “beauty.” What better place than France is there for beauty? Without giving too much away from the story, and trust me, I won’t, you strive to be the best Pokemon trainer in all of Kalos by taking the Gym Leader challenge. The main story is pretty straightforward Poke-stuff.
You start out your journey by moving into Vaniville town and you’re the new kid. In typical Pokemon fashion, you meet your friends/rivals as well as receiving your starter Pokemon. In the Kalos region, players can choose between Froakie, Chespin, and Fennekin. All the Pokemon mainstays are in the Kalos region like Pokemon shops and Pokemon Centers. Something new is the clothing shops and dressing rooms in the Pokemon Centers. You can customize your trainer to an extent by buying new clothes and accessories. There’s plenty that was added in for X and Y and I’ve only scratched the surface.
In every new generation, there are modifications to the Pokemon series that make things better or worse, mostly for the better. Pokemon X and Y is no exception. Pokemon training is easier than ever. For starters when you catch a Pokemon, you still gain the experience points which is a welcome addition to the series, unlike in previous games. Another addition is Super Training which makes EV training much easier than in previous games. These super training mini games are pretty addictive and you’ll find yourself playing these and not even realizing that you’re actually training your Pokemon. The game here is soccer, to a point. What I mean by that is you shoot soccer balls into far away little goals while dodging the giant “balloon” poke-clone that throws giant soccer balls at you. The point is to get the required score in the allotted time.
