5 Ways the New Pokémon Games Are Totally Different

In Sun and Moon, Pokémon you encounter in the wild can call for backup. When this happens, another Pokémon of the same species as your current opponent will sometimes appear in battle, meaning you’ll have to defeat them both for the battle to end. This can be helpful for trainers looking to boost their team’s experience points more quickly, but you can’t attempt to catch a wild Pokémon when more than one creature is present in battle.

Trainers are likely to encounter many familiar faces during their journey through the Aloha region. But classic Pokémon from the original roster are getting a fresh appearance in these games. Rattata, for example, now has black fur and stands upright, whereas he previously moved on all four legs and was colored purple. And Dugtrio has striking blonde hair.

As the Pokémon universe has expanded, it’s become increasingly difficult to remember which types of moves are powerful against which kinds of Pokémon. Sun and Moon help address this issue. When battling a Pokémon you’ve encountered before, you’ll be able to see whether or not a move is effective, super effective, or not effective against an opponent in the battle menu.

The Pokédex has always been a companion to trainers, but in Sun and Moon it can actually communicate and give you tips. That’s because a Pokémon called Rotom, which has the power to inhabit electronic devices, now “lives” inside it.

The Rotom Pokédex also packs a new map with an objective locator that guides you to your next goal. This red marker can be helpful if you’ve spent a lot of time training or capturing Pokémon and have forgotten where to venture next.