Summary
Last week, Game Freak was targeted by one of the biggest hacking attempts it’s ever seen if not the single biggest, and it was successful in flooding the internet with an incredible amount of undisclosed details regardingPokemongames from Gen 1 to Gen 9. This unprecedented attack even led to some of the games in the series popping up online with their source codes, and information aboutGen 10 andPokemon Legends: Z-Aalso started to surface. With so many leaks going around, it’s easy to miss some interesting things that transpired, such as cut content from pastPokemongames.
Cut content is more often compelling to analyze because it’s telling in regards to what could still come to the series as well as why it didn’t when it was first ideated. For example,Pokemon’s leaked Jynx Mega Evolution is being discussed a lot online as it could make its way back withPokemon Legends: Z-Aalongside the leaked new Mega Evolutions for Zygarde and Zeraora. Among other leaks tied toPokemon Black and White, it was reported that one move was planned for the games and never saw the light of day - one called Melt.
Pokemon Black and White’s Leaked Cut Move is a Double-Edged Sword
Pokemon Black and White’s Cut Fire-Type Move Would Have Been The Perfect Ice-Breaker For New Players
Meltwas supposed to be aFire-type status movewith 100 base accuracy and 15 PP, with the text stating “Turns the opponent’s Steel type into a Normal type. Turns the opponent’s Ice type into a Water type.” The text may be inaccurate considering it’s translated from Japanese, andPokemongames were very different back in Gen 5 from a design and competitive standpoint. A modern version of this move would most likely turn any Pokemon into a Normal type if it’s Steel and Water if it’s Ice, regardless of whether it’s friend or foe. That’s precisely why this move would have been a big deal.
Normally, assuming no secondary types are present on defending critters, Fire-type attacks are supereffective against both Steel-type and Ice-type Pokemon.
For newcomers to the series who have yet to fully familiarize themselves with thetype chart inPokemongames, turning an enemy Ice-type Pokemon into a Water type, which is actually resistant to Fire, would have been a lesson learned the hard way. At the same time, removing a Steel-type’s weakness to Fire by making that Pokemon Normal could have been equally problematic. However, this move could have been quite useful in double battles.
Why Pokemon Black and White’s Cut Move Would Have Been Great in Competitive
One of the main elements ofPokemongames is strategy, be it at a casual level when dealing with the main story or at a competitive level in high-end settings. The most usedcompetitive format inPokemonby a huge margin is double battles, which involve a different kind of strategy compared to singles because players can use combos to make certain Pokemon much stronger or weaker than they normally would be. A good example is Indeedee alongside a Pokemon like Hatterene for Expanding Force AoE damage when used on Psychic Terrain. In the case of Melt, this could have been great both for allies and opponents.
For example, giving Melt to aPokemon with the Prankster Abilitywould make it go first with this move due to priority brackets. Players could maybe use this on an allied Steel/Fairy-type Pokemon, one of the strongest type combos in the series, to make it resistant to Fire rather than neutral. Likewise, a Pokemon like Abomasnow, which is four times weak to Fire, could become Water/Grass with Melt, becoming neutral to Fire, instead. Depending on what kind of Pokemon would have had access to Melt, it could have been great on enemy critters too, for example making an Ice-type mon suddenly weak to Grass from an allied attack, turning the tables on the opponent.
There would have been infinite applications for a move like Melt in the series. Still, whilePokemonGen 10may show itself as soon as early next year with a trailer, cut content from so far back in the franchise as Gen 5 seems quite unlikely to come back, so fans shouldn’t hold their breath over Melt.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
WHERE TO PLAY
The school that you’ve enrolled in as you playPokémon ScarletandPokémon Violethosts a special independent study project. The theme of this assignment is “A Treasure Hunt.” Explore the world and seek out your very own treasure!Three stories will be woven into your adventure while traversing the sprawling Paldea region. Along Victory Road, you will go to Gyms in different locations in order to to achieve Champion Rank. On the Path of Legends, you can join Arven in search of rare ingredients. And in ★ Starfall Street ★, you’ll challenge Team Star, a group of delinquents causing trouble for the school.These stories are set in an open world, so where you go is all up to you. A world teeming with Pokémon and people to meet is waiting for you—traverse the Paldea region wherever you heart desires.
