Say ‘aloha’ to superpowered Z-Move attacks in ‘Pokémon Sun,’ and ‘Moon’

By Gabe Gurwin August 1, 2016

The Pokémon franchise has certainly taken the “bigger is better” approach in recent years, particularly with the introduction of Mega Evolutions to quickly turn the tide of a battle. This year’s games, Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, take things a step further with the most powerful attacks we’ve seen in the series.

Dubbed “Z-Moves,” these superpowered attacks can only be used once each battle. The moves combine the power of both the trainer and his Pokémon to deliver something that seems more at home in Dragonball Z. A new trailer gives us a brief look at a few of the new attacks, including Pikachu’s “Gigavolt Havoc,” which absolutely obliterates a poor Sandshrew, and new starter Litten’s terrifying “Inferno Overdrive.” The attack launches a flaming wall at the enemy Pokémon, eventually taking up nearly the entire screen.

To go along with the new ability, TOMY International will also be releasing a physical “Z-Ring,” which will light up and make different noises based on the specific Z-Move being used. A virtual Z-Ring, as well as a crystal, are also required to use Z-Moves.

“If a Pokémon holds the same variety of Z-Crystal as its trainer, the two will be able to resonate with each other,” an announcement says.

While there are plenty of new Pokémon coming to Sun and Moon, what’s perhaps more interesting are the alterations being made to existing favorites. In the new “Alola” region, the monsters have been “adapted to the distinctive microclimates” of Alola and now bear little resemblance to their “natural” form. Vulpix and Ninetales, for example, are ice-type Pokémon within the region, while Exeggutor is a much taller creature, modeled after a palm tree. Even Sandshrew and his evolved form, Sandslash, have special forms in Alola, delivering a deadly combination of ice and steel.

Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon arrive exclusively to the Nintendo 3DS on November 18.

Updated on 08-01-2016 by Mike Epstein: This article originally said the trailer showed Pikachu using its “Gigavolt Havoc” Z-Move on a Squirtle. In the video, Pikachu attacks a Sandshrew.

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Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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