Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon: New Form Details from the Pokemon Company

Apart from a short teaser earlier in the summer, The Pokemon Company has been rather silent about Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the upcoming sequels to last year’s wildly successful Pokemon Sun and Moon games. However, a short while back, it revealed Dusk Form Lycanroc, a brand new Pokemon form, and recently offered a wealth of details about it.

Like its Midday and Midnight counterparts, Dusk Form Lycanroc evolves from the irresistibly cute Rockruff and retains its Rock-type nature. It also combines the best of both evolved forms in terms of personality and appearance. Like Midday Lycanroc, the Dusk Form is quadrupedal and unfailingly loyal, but its eyes flash red when attacking an opponent, just as Midnight Lycanroc’s do. Dusk Form Lycanroc sports the Midday form’s rock necklace too — though it doesn’t seem visible in the photos released — and complements it with the Midnight form’s mane, adding its own unique dusky coloration to set the whole look off.

Dusk Form Lycanroc also gets an interesting mix of old and new for its combat, and the Pokemon Company expects players to develop new battle styles than they were used to with the previous forms as a result. It learns the Midday form’s Accelrock, a Rock-type version of Quick Attack that goes first every time, and Midnight’s Fighting-type Counter, a more passive move that deals high damage if the user is attacked by a foe in that turn. However, Dusk Form Lycanroc also gets its own ability, Tough Claws, which raises the power of physical attacks.

Yet you won’t be able evolve any Rockruff by leveling it up bathed in the setting sun’s fiery glow. Dusk Form Lycanroc only evolves from a special Rockruff, and that Rockruff will only be available via special distribution. Like the special Munchlax in Sun and Moon, this Rockruff will be available for a decent period of time, from the Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon launch date of November 17 until January 10, 2018.

There is another piece of Lycanroc news that is sure to delight collectors and fans of fuzzy-wuzzies alike: plush Dusk Form Lycanroc. Siliconera reports that as of now, the plush is only listed on Japanese sites, with no word yet on Western availability. At the very least, this is one import you don’t have to understand Japanese to completely enjoy.

Introducing Plush Form Lycanroc! I’ll take twenty…

Does this new form mean there will be more new Pokemon forms to follow? Will dusk play a central role like day and night did in the original Sun and Moon? Only time will tell, but be sure to check back for any new Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon updates!