Pokémon Yin and Yang (2025)

This page is under construction. Please excuse its informal appearance while it is being worked on. We hope to complete it as soon as possible!

Pokémon Yin and Pokémon Yang are upcoming paired additions to the Pokémon franchise within the eighth generation. These titles intend to function as a reboot to the series through reworking countless gameplay mechanics and overhauling many traditions.

Pokémon Yin and Yang are the first games of the Pokémon series to include every creature from the first generation through the current, though no new Pokémon are added. Furthermore, the two titles have been described as "open world." The Aiguo region is the largest region yet by far, based on the geographical region of southern China during several imperial periods.

Story[]

Because Pokémon Yin and Yang are open-world titles, the player has much control over their adventure. Most of the journey is of the player's volition, meaning that the story stems from exploring the region and completing sidequests and subplots along the way. However, in order to have completed the game, there are two intertwined plotlines that the player must complete.

The player begins their journey in Canton City, a sprawling metropolis along the coast of the Aiguo region. The head of the local Guozijian (an imperial college), Professor Maple, is looking for new assistants in her pursuit to catalogue all the Pokémon of the Aiguo region. The player and their sibling (who is of the opposite gender), two students at the Guozijian, are commissioned to take on this quest. Professor Maple gives a Pikachu and an Eevee to the player and their sibling respectively to start out their journey. After this, the player and their sibling move out on their quest and diverge paths from here. However, the player will meet their sibling periodically throughout the storyline, and they will battle to compare their progress.

Main Quest[]

See also: Plot of Pokémon Virtue

The Taiping movement is a movement growing in popularity all across the Aiguo region. Inspired by the original goal of Team Plasma, supporters and components of Taiping strive to liberate Pokémon from their chains and highlight the systematic world problem of harmful human-Pokémon relationships. The player may either join them or oppose them, and there are several clashes throughout the course of the story. Taiping supporters see Pokémon battling as a means to an end in the long run. Tensions escalate when one side (opposite of whichever the player joins) has acquired Jirachi, the mythical Pokémon said to grant any wish.

Pokémon League[]

As in other Pokémon titles, the player must take on the gym challenge to eventually challenge the Pokémon League. There are ten gyms scattered throughout the region, which may be challenged in any order. Once they have defeated the leader of all eight gyms, they may travel to the island of Haikou to take on the League. The Pokémon League is fundamentally different from its appearance in previous titles; the League is now a proper tournament similar to in the Pokémon anime and manga series. There are four rounds of the tournament, meaning the player will challenge up to sixteen powerful foes. Once they are victorious, the player must challenge the Pokémon Champion.

Other Quests[]

• Galar City: Representatives of the Galar region are attempting to set up a trading port with the Aiguo region called Galar City. Since the beginning of this project, Galar Pokémon have escaped from the city and are hostile to the wildlife of Aiguo. Someone must capture these escaped Pokémon before it's too late!

Gameplay[]

The gameplay formula has been generally overhauled from previous Pokémon titles. In the overworld, the game has changed completely. The world is more open and the player has full control over their camera. The option to run has been removed, being replaced with running being the default when the analog stick is held all the way in a direction versus walking when it is held part way.

Hidden moves have been removed completely from the game. However, the player must still use their Pokémon to fully traverse the world. Field moves are simply determined by what type of Pokémon is needed for the task. For example, larger Pokémon that can swim can allow the player to surf on water. Larger Pokémon that can fly can allow the player to fast travel between locations. Luminiscente Pokémon can lighten caves.

Battle[]

Every trainer and wild battle in the world has its difficulty scaled based on the player's progress in their journey and current location, with each Pokémon's level determined by a combination of the player's current number of collected badges, the average level of Pokémon on their team, and the location they are fighting in, with places farther from their hometown having more difficult encounters overall. This allows for the abolition of grinding from the game, but the player must use more strategy when fighting against other trainers. Furthermore, because the game is much larger than previous titles, leveling up is slightly slower, taking a bit more time to complete each level.

Most battles in the game havebeen replaced with double battles, with the exception of wild Pokémon battles and a select few scattered battles on the map. This requires more strategy to approaching battles, such as gauging the benefits of using a move that damages all Pokémon on the field, and also enables new gameplay mechanics focused on double battles to emerge such as new evolution methods for Karrablast and Shelmet.

Typing[]

Main Articles: Sound type, Cosmic type, list of retyped Pokémon

The type matchup has been slightly changed to better balance the game. This is highlighted with the addition of two new types: Sound and Cosmic. The new type matchup attempts to balance the Fairy and Electric types by giving them both a new weakness, and strengthens the Ice type by giving it more resistances and less types that are strong against it.

Furthermore, a large number of Pokémon have had their types changed-- usually simply receiving a new type that matches their traits.

Stat Changes[]

Main Article: List of Pokémon with stat changes

Several Pokémon have had their stats changed to add better balance to the series. This typically involves increasing their most powerful stats and giving several Pokémon their own new niche so that they are not obsolete at the hands of more powerful Pokémon.

Friendship[]

Friendship is one of the most important elements of Pokémon Yin and Yang. The story attempts to highlight what makes a relationship good or bad, and this is reflected by the gameplay. The friendship system is completely overhauled from previous titles. No longer can a player simply battle with a Pokémon and expect them to have maximum friendship; players must take alternative methods to maintaining relationships with their Pokémon.

Friendship is not seen as being completely necessary in this game. The player can incentivize what they find the most important to Pokémon-- loving their Pokémon or having powerful Pokémon. In this title, Pokémon with lower friendship perform marginally better in battle than those with higher friendship. Pokémon with higher friendship will perform marginally worse in battle, but having high friendship with a Pokémon comes with a wider number of benefits.

Most Pokémon requiring friendship for evolution have had their evolution method changed.

Friendship does not come into play in multiplayer battles except in the usage of the moves Return and Frustration.

Region[]

Main Article: Aiguo region

The Aiguo region is the largest region yet included in the Pokémon series. It is based on southeast China, including Taiwan, Macau, and Hong Kong. Much of the architecture and many of the people of the region reflect the diverse cultures of the Canton region of China, though the southeast is used as a metonym for the entirety of China. For example, the region is full of high mountains to the north, modeled off of Tibet. Jungles can be found scattered about the region, based on Yunnan. The largest cities in the region are located in the position of Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Taipei.