Les plus défecteux starters (sans a masterpiece possibly the best-ever: Greninja), characters (sans a great old-fashioned rival: Serena/Calem, Scooby-Doo! protagonist-gang inspiration, & heartbreaking tragic eternal-life king or pure emotion with growth/redemption-arc and masculinity allegory as delicate as a flower: AZ), and evil team retreading past villain designs/aesthetics against what should’ve been theme-synergized dual contrast teams (sans idea of Flare being a secret organization of rich-bourgeoisie buying a ticket to safety from apocalypse metaphorically-and-physically genociding the marxist proletariat, led by a masterpiece ahead-of-its-time prognosticable tech mogul x eco-radical darwinist antihero of crucial finite resource vs. population overgrowth exposition x the devolution of mankind from cultural, value, intelligence, artistic, etc. perspectives x omen of too-far-gone sin and celebrity-worship/consumerist-neokings x hopeless-romantic, utopia-quixiotic, beauty-preservantionist noble lion x fiery-yet-autumnal-cool passion flame x ??? x reverse-Alder and Bezos/Musk/Jobs/Gates/Zuckerberg: Lysandre) avec a postgame of ~nonexistence and few QOL-reversions like previous gen. dominance (of a fine/infracturing nouveau adventure, difficulty-nerf by exp. share, & fine/inoffensive new roster of ‘mons [with one all-time bad one in Klefki] ne peux kill pas an otherwise-précieux/revolutionante gen. of jeux-vidéos-des-rêves – a perfect vacation travel euradventure w. a breathtaking, 10x more comprehensive than BW’s Unova, extreme-authenticity (even down to berets, furfrou-poodles, tourisme-gentrification, IG photography hotspots, hotels, tour-de-france, vespa-skidoos, romance, fine chef-escargots cuisine, and pretense/superiority-complex) experience of France through a Baroque/Rom. Versailles XIV Architecture x Floral Tulip/Rose/Lavendre/Daffodil Maze Formal Jardins x Cobblestone-Villages x Notre Dame Cathédrale x Royalty/Bourgeoïse Moated Brick-And-Mortar Châteaux-Mausoleums x Switzerland Frost-Windmill Oktoberfest Alps/Pyrenees Traditional Folk Towns x Parisien Café-Lined Tour D’Eiffel Masterpiece Region Of Cosmopolitanism quite arguably the Best Worldbuild In PKMN History: Kalos, a beautiful neoclassicism Beethoven x Mozart x Tchaikovsky symphony orchestration of pure major-key luxe-aestheticization & élegance/grâce with rich timbre motifizing violins x dolce waltzes x arias x swan-ballets perhaps the greatest score in-franchise, bold viz canvas of perfectly-goldilouxe chibi polygonal 3D graphics with advanced camera perspective technical diversification and colour-vibrance, brave l’amour joie-de-vivre life x cœur-douloureux tragique death in a complex ecosystem of anti-purgatory natural codependence/balance in XYZ planes through fundamental blocks/paradoxes and similarities/differences thematically/historically-analyzed and prismatized through all-time epic legends, flipped dynamics of self-de/reconstruction of a world without PKMN wherein *we* save them, groundbreaking meta shake-up in the introduction of a perfectly-aestheticized/executed design x demographic-expanding new girlpower type: fairy, avatar customization by clothier x modeling x boutiques chic-verité to the city of fashion, lore expansion of dark/mature ramifications like war and carnage, and new region-synergized features holding the crown of most ambitious since G/S/C and maybe of all-time (e.g. new wave cinema indie filmmaking studios, post-impressionistic Van Gogh art-galleries, ride pkmn, complex photog technique picture taking, horde encounters, route idiosyncrasy, return of localized weather/climate, O-Powers, inverse battles, & Amie giving you whole new ways to interact with PKMN as pets/friends) alongside the Greatest Addition In The History Of Pokémon [one able to remix/grow/reimagine/modernize world-beloved classics w. new lore and fixes while also equalizing the playing field between previous ‘gens w/o the limitless resources, time, carte-blanche imagination, pre-established fandom, etc. of V & VI]: Mega-Evolutions. 8.7/10.

…

Plot Synopsis: Pokémon X and Pokémon Y are 2013 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. They are the first installments in the sixth generation of the main Pokémon video game series.

Full Review Coming Soon

Pocket Monsters was in need of a soft-reboot in the early-to-mid 2010’s – at least from a PR and fandom perspective. Black/White were a cityscape gothic VG neoadventure of big 21st Century NYC lights, Greco-Roman mythology, Medieval folklore x fantasy x fairy-tales, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Zoroastrianism, Biblical Christianity, LOTR, Tarzan, Zorro, Witchcraft, Judaism, Slavery, Kitsunē キツネ, V For Vendetta, Game Of Thrones, etc. – a de/reconstruction of the world’s biggest media franchise and greatest fiction universe ever made from crux original ’96 TIME | Conservative | Pontifex criticisms, psychoanalysis of the USA through a color-spectrum prismatized allegorical lens of the tricky/illusive nature of evil in contexts of history, religion, politics, science, cinema, ecology, capitalism, and gender/race, and royalty-themed 21st Century Shakespeare w. the greatest story, [N-led] characterization, (chi ro knighthood x crusade x groupthink x yt cult maga/nazi) villains, & hyperambitious/complex/brave themes in the history of PKMN: truth vs. idealism, liberation, war, existentialism, dialectic, civilization, youth, law, apex predation, knowledge, balance, violence, love, hate, fear, generalization, harmony[i/a], vigilantism, justice, freedom, oppression, renewable energy, parenthood, ancestry, megalomania, psychology, multiculturalism, humanity, and life… yet managed to be the worst-selling new generation [perhaps due partly to pretense challenging Gen. I and ~mixed region, feature +’s like seasons, and roster of new creatures/legends, but still not even remotely close to overshadowing its brilliance of achievements], especially in the America its region was (ironically) based on.

Real Pokéfans salivated at the prospectus of dechiphering the mystery of the series’ newest installments after they delivered perhaps the greatest new generation ever made (sales figures being a poor judgment indicator for art, as any novice could tell you but studio execs have nightmares over), and that hype got amplified 10x on the proclamation of a bold new setting for the franchise: France. Though it doesn’t quite hit the high-notes of B/W or previous generations [due in major part to obvious franchiseisms and CEO interferences by Nintendo], X/Y are still damn good games – in multiple areas, even better than their predecessors. Les plus défecteux starters (sans a masterpiece possibly the best-ever: Greninja), characters (sans a great old-fashioned rival: Serena/Calem, Scooby-Doo! protagonist-gang inspiration, & heartbreaking tragic eternal-life king or pure emotion with growth/redemption-arc and masculinity allegory as delicate as a flower: AZ), and evil team retreading past villain designs/aesthetics against what should’ve been theme-synergized dual contrast teams (sans idea of Flare being a secret organization of rich-bourgeoisie buying a ticket to safety from apocalypse metaphorically-and-physically genociding the marxist proletariat, led by a masterpiece ahead-of-its-time prognosticable tech mogul x eco-radical darwinist antihero of crucial finite resource vs. population overgrowth exposition x the devolution of mankind from cultural, value, intelligence, artistic, etc. perspectives x omen of too-far-gone sin and celebrity-worship/consumerist-neokings x hopeless-romantic, utopia-quixiotic, beauty-preservantionist noble lion x fiery-yet-autumnal-cool passion flame x ??? x reverse-Alder and Bezos/Musk/Jobs/Gates/Zuckerberg: Lysandre) avec a postgame of ~nonexistence and few QOL-reversions like previous gen. dominance (of a fine/infracturing nouveau adventure, difficulty-nerf by exp. share, & fine/inoffensive new roster of ‘mons [with one all-time bad one in Klefki] ne peux kill pas an otherwise-précieux/revolutionante gen. of jeux-vidéos-des-rêves – a perfect vacation travel euradventure w. a breathtaking, 10x more comprehensive than BW’s Unova, extreme-authenticity (even down to berets, furfrou-poodles, tourisme-gentrification, IG photography hotspots, hotels, tour-de-france, vespa-skidoos, romance, fine chef-escargots cuisine, and pretense/superiority-complex) experience of France through a Baroque/Rom. Versailles XIV Architecture x Floral Tulip/Rose/Lavendre/Daffodil Maze Formal Jardins x Cobblestone-Villages x Notre Dame Cathédrale x Royalty/Bourgeoïse Moated Brick-And-Mortar Châteaux-Mausoleums x Switzerland Frost-Windmill Oktoberfest Alps/Pyrenees Traditional Folk Towns x Parisien Café-Lined Tour D’Eiffel Masterpiece Region Of Cosmopolitanism quite arguably the Best Worldbuild In PKMN History: Kalos, a beautiful neoclassicism Beethoven x Mozart x Tchaikovsky symphony orchestration of pure major-key luxe-aestheticization & élegance/grâce with rich timbre motifizing violins x dolce waltzes x arias x swan-ballets perhaps the greatest score in-franchise, bold viz canvas of perfectly-goldilouxe chibi polygonal 3D graphics with advanced camera perspective technical diversification and colour-vibrance, brave l’amour joie-de-vivre life x cœur-douloureux tragique death in a complex ecosystem of anti-purgatory natural codependence/balance in XYZ planes through fundamental blocks/paradoxes and similarities/differences thematically/historically-analyzed and prismatized through all-time epic legends, flipped dynamics of self-de/reconstruction of a world without PKMN wherein *we* save them, groundbreaking meta shake-up in the introduction of a perfectly-aestheticized/executed design x demographic-expanding new girlpower type: fairy, avatar customization by clothier x modeling x boutiques chic-verité to the city of fashion, lore expansion of dark/mature ramifications like war and carnage, and new region-synergized features holding the crown of most ambitious since G/S/C and maybe of all-time (e.g. new wave cinema indie filmmaking studios, post-impressionistic Van Gogh art-galleries, ride pkmn, complex photog technique picture taking, horde encounters, route idiosyncrasy, return of localized weather/climate, O-Powers, inverse battles, & Amie giving you whole new ways to interact with PKMN as pets/friends) alongside the Greatest Addition In The History Of Pokémon [one able to remix/grow/reimagine/modernize world-beloved classics w. new lore and fixes while also equalizing the playing field between previous ‘gens w/o the limitless resources, time, carte-blanche imagination, pre-established fandom, etc. of V & VI]: Mega-Evolutions.

This is in conjunction with a beautiful neoclassicism Beethoven x Mozart x Tchaikovsky symphony orchestration of pure major-key luxe-aestheticization & élegance/grâce with rich timbre motifizing violins x dolce waltzes x arias x swan-ballets perhaps the greatest score in-franchise, bold viz canvas of perfectly-goldilouxe chibi polygonal 3D graphics with advanced camera perspective technical diversification and colour-vibrance, brave l’amour joie-de-vivre life x cœur-douloureux tragique death in a complex ecosystem of anti-purgatory natural codependence/balance in XYZ planes through fundamental blocks/paradoxes and similarities/differences thematically/historically-analyzed and prismatized through all-time epic legends, flipped dynamics of self-de/reconstruction of a world without PKMN wherein *we* save them, groundbreaking meta shake-up in the introduction of a perfectly-aestheticized/executed design x demographic-expanding new girlpower type: fairy, avatar customization by clothier x modeling x boutiques chic-verité to the city of fashion, lore expansion of dark/mature ramifications like war and carnage, and new region-synergized features holding the crown of most ambitious since G/S/C and maybe of all-time (e.g. new wave cinema indie filmmaking studios, post-impressionistic Van Gogh art-galleries, ride pkmn, complex photog technique picture taking, horde encounters, route idiosyncrasy, return of localized weather/climate, O-Powers, inverse battles, & Amie giving you whole new ways to interact with PKMN as pets/friends) alongside the Greatest Addition In The History Of Pokémon [one able to remix/grow/reimagine/modernize world-beloved classics w. new lore and fixes while also equalizing the playing field between previous ‘gens w/o the limitless resources, time, carte-blanche imagination, pre-established fandom, etc. of V & VI]: Mega-Evolutions.

Of primary importance is eulogizing the absolute brilliance of the world X/Y takes place in. Kalos may just be the Greatest Region In The History Of Pocket Monsters. A perfect vacation travel France adventure unlockable free anytime within the privacy and safety of your own home [without need for packing, flights, tourist crowds, hotel fees, pickpocketers, taxi mishaps, etc.], what The Pokémon Company was able to achieve with Kalos is absolutely breathtaking – Baroque/Rom. Versailles XIV Architecture x Floral Tulip/Rose/Lavendre/Daffodil Maze Formal Jardins x Cobblestone-Villages x Notre Dame Cathédrales x Royalty/Bourgeoïse Moated Brick-And-Mortar Châteaux-Mausoleums x Switzerland Frost-Windmill Oktoberfest Alps/Pyrenees Traditional Folk Towns x Parisien Café-Lined Tour D’Eiffel Masterpiece Region Of Cosmopolitanism. The laborieux authenticité extends far beyond the aesthetics, colour vibrance, breathtaking architecture, and general feel/physiology of the region: even the NPC’s and tiniest of iota details of the overworld are classically français: berets, furfrou-poods, macarons, chaud-froix boissons, paparazzi, floral jardins, limonade, art museums, photography/cinema studios, modeling agencies, vespa-skidoos, press journalisme, fine chef escargots cuisine, chic fashionista boutiques breathing snooty pretense/superiority-complex towards outsiders (!!!), and more cafés than you can even imagine – all complete with accents and french language. Myself having spoken French and been a passionate francophile since I was in grade school to the level of fluency [able to get by on extended summer vacations in France 100% exclusively in-language, also being there in Paris in 2018 when France won The World Cup (!)], I can wholly attest that Kalos is a miraculous achievement amongst (if not THE) most accurate and painstakingly-recreated real-world location homages in the history of video games – and 10x more comprehensive and better than Black/White’s Unova with fleeting references missing definitive major landmarks x identifying hallmarks of America (Grand Canyon, Statue Of Liberty, Mt. Rushmore, Vegas, Yosemite, etc.) focusing too much on one monotone city of NYC only a minuscule + wildly-overrated portion of The USA.

We’re able to literally become waiters/baristas and work in art/photography/film studios, nobles at the battle chateau, and experience the french new wave and [post]/impressionism at the very epicenter of where the movements began in-game! The architecture of every damn building around is 100% authentic to the principles of french provincialism and classicism: brick exteriors, step rooves, tall second-story windows, porch balustrades, fountains, acqueducts, floral jardins with colored roses arranged into geometric patterns amplifying the crux theme of order and the symmetry of nature, etc. Heck, even the new trainer archetypes are french: gardeners for the jardins, chefs, young lovers, punk guy/girls [the français known for their youth rebellion/~delinquency], artistes, filmmakers, beauties holding supermarche bags (complete with loaves of pain = bread), and tourists holding shopping bags and pixel cameras with the whole game pointing fun at how awkward, cringeworthy, and gentrification-dangereux tourists are across its hotels, souvenir shops, and IG photog hotspots while also providing the good things tourism/travel does like capturing/dotting memories with real pictures you can extract beyond the game via Nintendo DS -> beyond. The cities, towns, routes, and natural areas of Kalos ~100% match/correspond with real-life counterparts in France – even some beyond to the larger consortium of Europe for a broader experience abroad and some diversifying flavor, and overall-shaped like a crown for max synergy between Kalos and the royal archetype/theme definitive of français history and aesthetics fulfilling the best part of PKMN beyond its eponymous creatures: travel/adventure!

Vaniville town is a classic small eurovillage whose ivy x gas-lamp lined cobblestone paths flooded us with nostalgia of France instantaneously: CLC’s favorite hometown since Pallet, and easily overcomeable past Gen. I rose-hued goggles as you pass through the transitional Route 1 into the overworld. Acquacorde breathes french colonialism down to the buildings and streetlights, S.lune Forest is a lush Viridian-evocative jungle (even down to the same PKMN found as a nice reference), and Santalune City furthers the Viridian parallels by its location of the first gym and being connectable to a forest and city wherein a kanto starter is available and a badge checkpoint to the PKMN league while also being a beautiful pink rosebush city complete with impressionistic photography studio art gallery (amazing gym design!) all clearly referential of the real-world location of Fontainebleau. As Fontainebleau is metropolitan commune of Paris, Santalune is connected via kaleidoscope flower gardens complete with trimmed hedge bush mazes teasing Versailles to the mack-daddy of all region-hearts in the history of Pokémon: Lumiose City. Lumiose City is absolutely *breathtaking*: a dream recreation of Paris [colloquially known as the city of lights: la ville des lumiéres; luminous: lumiose] and citybuild so fcking huge, it has to be split into two halves not even all accessible/explorable at the very same time. Cafés, boutiques, hotels, fine restaurants, salons, museums (its one clearly Le Louvre), pop-up shops, bars, dog groomers, film and photography studios, taxis, a train station, and everything you could ever want in a city is packed into Lumiose – a masterpiece of spatial awareness, VG architecture, and craftsmanship down to back alleys, bridges, plazas, etc. that makes full utilization of the processor-evolution of the 2/3DS and nevertheless doesn’t sacrifice even an ounce of authenticity, clearly visible by the magnificence of Prism Tower not even just transposing into handheld devices but [impossibly] modernizing/improving one of the world’s most famous x iconic landmarks over centuries: La Tour Eiffel!

Rte 5 Versant Road exemplifies another major improvement of the region comparatively to past ones: idiosyncrasy and individuality of every route so that no two are alike or the same, here symbolized by a freaking skate parke encounterable for maximum fun. Champhrier Town 180’s into elder’s ancient stone-wall taste of ages with breathtaking chateaux like Shabboneau (clearly a reference to Chambourd from consonant-syllalolgy to white/navy coloration) eulogizing the Loire Valley in France, and this is just an amuse-bouche prelude to what comes next. PARFUM PALACE IS NOT ONLY DEBATABLY THE GREATEST WORLDBUILD AREA IN THE HISTORY OF POCKET MONSTERS, BUT ONE OF THE GREATEST IN THE HISTORY OF VIDEO GAMES! It is no easy task Chibi VGifying the world-wonder and most iconic, famous, complex, passionately-beloved, celebrated architectural masterpiece of all-time (~only rivaled by The Taj Mahal): Versailles. The de facto capitol of the nation for centuries from its creation by Louis XIV in the 1600’s to Napoleon Bonaparte in the 1800’s post-revolution, Versailles is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that noncoincidentally brings in 15,000,00+ visitors a year – crazy given the fact it was once just a house/estate on the biggest and most luxurious scale imaginable. From the pure golden fleur-de-lis decorated gates to damask wallpapered-rooms, herringbone antique wood floors, damask velvet walls, silk bed linens, statues (humorously of PKMN synergizing with royalty archetypes like Bisharp for chess pawns/knights, Snubbul and Furfrou for dogs, Escavalier for jousters, etc.), endless floral jardins, hand embroidered fjurniture, silver/bronze-leaf crown-moldings, verde-black marble granite, baroque/romantic paintings, moonlit fountains, and a hall of mirrors, Parfum Palace is easily the most beautiful structure I’ve ever seen in a video game (and even, perhaps, real-life; myself even being a sidelines architect by trade with specialized knowledge in the field).

It sounds sacrilegious to even say for anyone whom knows/loves architecture, but PKMN’s remix of Versailles > the real thing, and it’s a privilege to have experienced this area we at CLC hold dearly in our hearts amongst our favorite moments in video game history. Bonus: there are some architectural references to England and Buckingham Palace hidden within the design of the palais [just like there are twinges of references to other euronations like Spain, Italy, etc. throughout the overworld for maximum experience]. Beyond the blueprint-calculational architecture and cold 0’s-and-1’s by a crew of hundreds or thousands for years requisite to lift the multi-billion £ structure up in the overworld, they have fun with the concept with humorous references like the bourgeoise marxism of the owner of the palace charging $1,000+ per entry to exploit the poor workforce proletariat by a ‘mindset you can never have too much money’! Route 7 is a beautiful riverside evocative of La Seine, Ambrette Town is a spectacular-view coastal beach town with a new feature aquarium together based on La Rochelle, Cyllage City is a jagged rock-lined Saint-Nazaire reference complete with a Tour-De-France bike path (and incredible gym design of rock climbing so huge in scale it has its own tourist attraction waterfall in the gym), Route 10 Menhir Trail is filled with mysterious 3,000 year old megalithic stones later revealed to be monolith grave tombs emitting special energy inspired by the Carnac stones and Brittany’s La Trinité Sur Mer [as well as fellow euro world wonder Stonehenge], and Shalour City is built around a gargantuan monolith basilica fortress named the Tower Of Mastery clearly based on and evoking the same awe as Mont St. Michel. There’s even territories, countries, and provinces that aren’t exactly in France but owned or french-speaking thrown in for extreme diversification of biomes like Coumarine City: a ritzy yacht habour with its own monorail system (and a breathtaking gym masterpiece grassy treehouse fairy-tale rapunzel tarzan swing design that might just be CLC’s favorite gym design of all-time) based on likely Monaco or Le Havre, Couriway Town referencing Niagara Falls in Canada by its multi-waterfall tourism, and Azure Bay [+ Kiloude City in the postgame]: whose breathtaking turquoise-aquamarine/sea-green waters and lush tropical jungles of palm trees evoke the most beautiful places on planet earth in CLC’s vote French Polynesia and Caribbean islands like Tahiti, Bora Bora, Fiji, Martinique, and St. Barts [an even better execution of tropical aesthetics than the next Gen. VII’s Alola].

There are also a few liberties taken with surrounding euronations snuck in to fix the biggest problem with Black/White and Gen. V: seasons and weather/biome diversification. Gone is the imbecilic overall-seasons real-world synergy [meaning 95% of players will never see more than one weather pattern… unless you’re willing to – we guess? – play one video game for 4-5+ months] and back is localized biomes playing freely into the fantasy imagination the series first won the public’s hearts with. Every possible season and ~biome imgainble is covered as part of what makes Kalos able to punch against any region beyond the basic impressiveness of its unparalleled architecture complexity – from the red-brown forest of falling autumn leaves of Route 15 Brun Way to classic rainbow-hued color flower springtime fields and farms like Route 12 Baa Ranchof the majority of routes and PKMN Village to hot scorching heat summer badlands & desert canyons like the Area 51-evocative (where tf was this in Unova literally based on America?) Route 13 alongside tropical beach surf in Azure Bay and swamp/marshlands in Grand Vallée Route 19 to one of our other favorite worldbuild areas in the history of Pokémon: North Kalos (Dendemille Town, Frost Cavern, Snowbelle City) complete with Netherlands x Germany Oktoberfest Swiss Alps & French-Comte Besançon snowy mountainous winter wonderlands! Every town and route has a cool idiosyncrasy and tourist attractions – ranging from natural/ancient like Menhir to cool and important overworld evolutions like hotel-lodging and pokéball factories explaining how they get mass-produced on multi-region world scales to otherworldly like the pink diamond alien sundial of Anistar City (1-up’d by a jaw-dropping galaxy consciousness-ascension psychic gym, again, amongst the best and most wild, hyperimaginative in the franchise). Bonus: many of them have fun references for the experienced fandom like Anistar City clearly referencing Mossdeep down to the water surroundings and science-psychic synergy, Lysandre Labs referencing Team Rocket hideout by the black-and-red backlit experimentation, and Snowbelle City inspiring reminiscence of Snowpoint even down to a visitor in cabin whom hails from the city and plays you the soundtrack of it if you wish.

Speaking of mature older demographics, the region also has them covered and spoiled 10x over by the bizarre-yet-wildly-appreciated preponderence of horror-inspired scary places in Kalos. There’s a ghostly abandoned mine-shaft straight out of an Indiana Jones comic serial in Terminus Cave (housing a leviathan snake legend in Zygarde haunting the work station), an endless nightmare forest with ghost trees [Trevenant] hiding ready to play demonic psychology illusion tricks on you in Route 20 Winding Woods, alienic mars-evocative badlands with desert creatures preying and hunting you like Jaws beneath the surface on Route 13, decaying hotel ruins with hex maniacs bringing dead fairy girls back to life (infamous fan theory; it is bizarre how every time the trainer archetype is present, there’s a hex maniac close by and their eyes seem devoid of soul/humanity. oh and bonus points for them looking exactly like the twin axed blue dress daughters in morphology and outfit from the movie the hotel clearly references) in The Shining-esque Overlook-evocative Lost Hotel, dark red devilish malevolent sci-fi apocalypse Lysandre Labs, carnival funhouse just ready for a ghost clown to pop out Route 11 Miroir Way and Reflection Cave, and Laverre City/Trail: again, one of the best areas of any region in the history of Pocket Monsters and a haunted Grimm fairy tale nightmare cabin and swamp that will curdle your blood! Any horror junkies like us will love love love these areas, and it’s amazing to see by a PKMN whom has consistently delivered the chills all the way back to Lavender Town and The Ghost Of Maiden Peak in S1E19 of the Gen. I Animé, here 10x amplified.

Leading to a Pokémon League easily taking the crown title of greatest design of all-time by its Notre Dame-evocative stained glass rainbow-hued design and masterpiece architecture of insane scale with 75-100 ft ceilings and billions of dollars of cash synergizing with the importance and grandeur/scale the finale quest of the games should have, Kalos is quite arguably the Greatest Region Of Pokémon from diversification of topography to craftsmanship of architecture to authenticity/comprehensivity to its target inspiration [we only maybe give Johto the slight edge for its cultural Japanese majesty synergizing with the origins of the franchise’s creation and breathtaking 8-bit nostalgia chibi visual style, but it’s damn close… and maybe even tied!]. It’s only given even a stronger champion pedigree by the A/V package. A whole new world, the [true] franchise transition from 2 -> 3D visualized was trapezed lightly and gently for years by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo. Black/White were a goldilocks paradox half-step between the two not fully satisfying or feeling quite like either, but X/Y is the first bonafide generation of 3D: the biggest evolutionary step ever for Pocket Monsters, and one Gen. VI does fantastically. Make no mistake: this was no easy task. Character models, move animations, region areas/topography, and ~650 pre-existing ‘mons had to be 100% redone by-hand from scratch… in addition to making a whole new generation, roster, legends, story, villains, score, region, features, lore, etc. expected from a new duology. That doesn’t even include the fact that they were given a requisite background of FRANCE: one of the most celebrated and famously-complex/detailed architecture hostpots in the world.. and a puny 1-2 year timeline for development from B/W/2. The ability to even pull off a game that looks this freaking good is an achievement of pure VG witchcraft – one that honestly seems impossible and is 10x more glaring in difference by how comparatively lazy TPC x Nintendo are with the newer generations of ‘mons; they truly don’t make them like this anymore: the last truly good and craftsmanship gen.

The visual style of X/Y is, again, a goldilocks midway point – only, this time, it’s done right. Gen. VI has managed to, somehow, create a full-3D immersive world, yet one that retains ~all the charm and nostalgia of its 2D & 8-Bit predecessors. There are polygons, anchored movements, chibi avatars, and a je-ne-sais-quoi ’80’s-ness of the overworld here that feels simultaneously a huge evolutionary leap for the series and franchise into the 21st Century and one that feels authentically Pokémon and lets the extra dimension not overshadow or change too much but instead just make it feel more alive. The colour aestheticization is of major vibrance synergized with the rainbow-hued flower jardins of the region, U.I. is far more intuitive and well-designed than B/W’s, spatial awareness A+, and the cinematic cutscenes feel 10x more cinematic – taking full advantage of the New DS processing power. What is most impressive, though, about the visual canvas is the cinematography; there is a whole new plane and dimension of experience evolved through avant-garde utilization of a new feature not previously in consideration in Pocket Monsters: the camera. The advent of different camera perspectives is absolutely game-changing experientially – bizarre that something as simplistic and textbook-fundamental can make such a huge difference in bringing the canvas to life. The wow-factor begins from the very first opening flickers: POV aerial shots of Fletchling twirling around and waking you [well, your avatar] up from morning slumber. From there, seamlessly blended In transitions are techniques ranging everything from overheads to multi-planar tracking pans to rotational axes to long shots/takes to iris/zoom-ins and outs, etc. We actually have views off into the distance – showing the evermystery of just what our FP avatars see when we’re not just forced to look from overhead ~95% of the adventure like God and highlighting the tourist-level attractions and sights of Kalos.

There are dynamic [lowdown] camera angles rotating between perspectives and shots that make the battle experience 10x more epic and hyperenergized, and the characters do complex expressive movements of idiosyncrasy and personality like twirling and spinning around and tough walks to further the characterization and deliver a great visual package that stands out as the Best 3D Visual Aestheticization Of Pokémon [until Let’s Go Pikachu & Eevee! (2018) easily took the #1 crown, but its visuals look exactly just like a smooth modernized-and-polished version of X/Y]. Of course, visuals need a score to accompany – and X/Y’s absolutely steal the show. In fact, the soundtrack of X/Y may just be the Greatest In The History Of Pokémon [a huge moniker to even be in consideration of, given the all-time great and classic, beloved scores the series has produced, from the nostalgic 8-Bit of Red/Blue and G/S/C (we likely give a slight edge to for legacy, influence, and fun, but it’s damn close) to the icon theme song of the Indigo League animé]. A beautiful neoclassicism baroque x romanticism symphony orchestration evocative of Beethoven x Mozart x Tchiakovsky x Vivaldi, X/Y’s score perfectly synergizes with its français region – with (ostensibly) a 20-piece full orchestra weaving breathtaking soundscapes just as expansive in scale, advanced in avant-garde innovation for a VG, complex in classical music theory we can verify as musicians trained in sheet music and multiple-instruments from childhood-on, and luxe in aestheticization in everything from richness of timbre to key to grâce of violin string quartets x dolce waltzes x arias x swan-ballets. A 180 from the dark, malevolent choral chants of Ghetsis in B/W, we love how pure in happiness, fun, innocence, genre-diversification, and french flavor the score of X/Y is – from the alarm clock Fletchling to begin/end the game to folk guitar strums of Vaniville Town, bouncy xylophone fun of Route 1, parisien accordians of Acquacorde Town, soft frolicking strings of Route 2, marimba jungle of S.lune Forest, fiddle country blues twangs of Santalune City, epic techno-metal hard rock of gym leader themes, pop-alternative theme for shops, lo-fi hip hop beats in route transition hubs, harp-strummed chillstep majesty of Camphrier Town, 3/4 harpichord 3/4 step waltz of Parfum Palace, macabre creepypasta staccato violins of caves and the many horror areas of region, medieval brassy adventure score of Route 8, surf-rock wah guitar of Cyllage City, & floating airy filtered piano scales juxtaposed with flamenco guitar and crunchy bass shifts of Geosenge Town [quite likely the greatest city/town theme in the history of the franchise].

There’s also mystical chimes and legendary japo-franco feel of Shalour City and Tower Of Mastery, 90’s ritz nouveau jazz in Coumarine City, Vivaldi stanzas of Lumiose Art Museum, game show theme for Lumiose Gym, dark minor key sugar plum fairy progression with strategic utilization of silence for max eeriness in The Scary House of Route 14 [blood-curdling], fairy tale remix of main PKMN theme in Laverre City, beautiful autumnal symphony of Route 15 [again, a masterpiece amongst the best-ever scores in series], German x Swiss x Dutch oktoberfest jocularity of Dendemille Town, epic drama lo-fi utilizing actual grand master and cuckoo clock sounds for snares and hi-hats to synergize with area of Anistar City [wild avant-garde imagination and innovation], dark français jazzy villain bass guitar slippery synth plucks of Lysandre Labs [broken record: another all-time great score in Pocket Monsters history], one mixed theme in the Elite Four, epic glitzy pop-energized fast-paced twinkling major key score for the Champion Battle, and breathtaking Russian Swan Lake Tchaikovsky ballet fantasy symphony of Snowbelle City [sorry, last time: maybe THE best theme of all-time in Pokémon; so good, it could be a score beyond the confines of VG architecture transcending to the real-world]. The magnificence of the A/V package only ~pales in comparison to the new features added to franchise lore in X/Y: again, even quite arguably over the precipice of nostalgia and shiny versions and mythicals from G/S/C, the Greatest New Features In Pokémon History. First, A New Type. The most groundbreaking addition of Gen. VI is the introduction of a new type – one that completely shakes up the dynamics and changes everything: Fairy Types.

Pretty, powerful, and pink, the addition of fairy types injected a new hyperimagination and avant-garde expansion into the franchise: in addition to being a perfectly-synergized addition by its region of France [fairy as a concept and mythological fantasy creature being first imagined and reported by ancient European civilizations], huge demographic expansion to female skews by its obvious (rootable!) celebration of girlpower and cute-and-cuddly fantasy creature designs, ones that may seem innocent and harmless as a little girl to the eye, but are a force to be reckoned with and more than just a one-off gimmick – a sugary kryptonite to the most OP, badass, and [*literally*] legendary type: dragons. There’s some complex IQ allegory and karmic justice to the idea the most powerful, intimidating, aggressive, sovereign, awe-striking dragons in the world of Pokémon [easily the best type overall by designs, lore, mythology, etc. from Rayquaza to Giratina] can be neutralized by a iddy-biddy fairy. The dynamic feministly references yet flips the script/dynamic on fairy tales of yore and eons past: for e.g. Sleeping Beauty, fire-breathing dragons being inconquerable obstacles the male knight in shining armor had to overcome to save the princess, here being given the agency and empowerment to be able to save herself. This also works in-tandem for the other two types Fairy is supereffective on: Fighting [predominantly male and powerful, yet whose hearts are melted by love of women in both authentic romance and faux-privilege housewifedom, gold-digging, etc. manipulation with beauty] and Dark [hopeful allegory on the triumph of good vs. evil in fairy tales especially, but most of fiction!].

The type still humorously and wryly/cleverly references and plays by the rules of fairy tales in other typology dynamics; Poison [brilliantly referencing the ~oldest tale and project that first begun Disney’s animation portfolio back in 1937 bringing them to the forefront of pop culture: Snow White, The Queen famously poisoning the princess posing as a hag with a poison apple] and Steel [the type referencing the swords and mankind that have fought them in folklore, and the knight in shining armor archetype whom is able to save and melt the heart in love of princesses throughout fairy tale lore] being supereffective on Fairy (and also giving two comparatively-underwhelming/~useless types new life and importance in the dynamic system). This typology is a self-analysis, remix, and correction of power x type imbalances akin to the best changes made in B/W – and it’s introduced in the best possible way by the region, and even box legend. Route 14 & Laverre Trail/City is one of the greatest region areas in the history of Pokémon: a real Grimm fairy tale gumdrop forest x dying tree tombstone-lined swamp with faded grass, deserted playgrounds, and decrepit haunted hansel-and-gretel cabin/shack. Laverre City takes the fairy tale aestheticization 10x farther by creating a fantasy world of reference to ~every damn fiction tale of public cognizance: Alice In Wonderland x Rapunzel x Jack In The Beanstalk x Princess Frog x Sleeping Beauty in everything from literal NPC names like Alice to trippy mushrooms to pixies to tudor cottages to river bridges to sugary neon coloration leading to a princess doll house (what indoctrinates girls from a young age into social preconceptions/norms through their favorite toy) that celebrates and encompasses the history of the girl/woman in every room [makeup department, seamstress mannequin, fashion vanity, luxury bathroom, kitchen, tea party, bedroom with nursing station, library, etc. rooms] and sneaking in a nice japo-franco touch with the furisode girl kimonos of all different nationaly and color to signify these principles bind all ♀ around the world.

Fairy types are also introduced in the most epic way imaginable: by a box-legend and one of the Top 25 Pokémon Of All-Time, Xerneas [as we’ll get to later], and play as reference to some huge major shake-ups and potential lore evolutions about the mystery of the pokémon world canonically: like in Laverre City, where someone says they say in ancient days man and pokémon were the same – even mentioning an old story where a froakie turned into a human, reversing the classic fairy tale/cliché of the princess and the frog further connecting lore to the new type. The New Type is yet just one of the many amazing new features X/Y add to the franchise – many of them perfectly-mixing/inspired by the français background region, and ones we must properly eulogize for how ~impossible and insane it is to even dream up new ways to evolve a franchise 6+ generations, ~20 years, and billions of dollars in, especially given how near-flawlessly Red/Blue established the blueprint archetype for the entire series back in ’96 that still dominates the games to-date. There are 12 letter-names over the previous limit of 10, we can actually sit in chairs and lay on beds and jump on ride pkmn to interact with the environment in entirely new ways, we’re able to run sideways in a whole nother [XYZ-synergized] plane, we have type moves as starters instead of just boring tackle normal moves that ~underwhelm in early-game battles, our avatar does boredom fill-in moves (looking around, kicking heels, etc.) when not moving, characters give and recognize nicknames and normal names in the overworld, & pokémarts and pkmn centers are more like boutques hidden in the overworld with french café themes and item specialization by kind like some only having pokéballs or potions (the pkmn center design in X/Y is the best one of all-time, balancing nostalgia with futurism). Catching ‘mons now gives ours exp. points to give some more reward for a crux mechanic of the game, trainers tilt heads to see you coming before you physically cross their path instead of just looking in one direction forever (lol), we’re given a new way to cruise around and speed-zip through the region even with fun circle-pad tricks and moves on roller-skates, & the holo-caster is a futuristic prototype device obviously meant to reference the iPod/Phone [as we’ll *definitely* get to later] giving us the ability to send and receive holographic clips via camera]. Wait, there’s more (!): pokémileage collects miles when you trade pkmn or pass by people in the 3DS online features, the pokérus virus ‘infects’ pkmn traded or obtained at random or purposely with a positive effect of growing better than normal ‘mons do, O-Powers give miniature boosts in type, stat, feature, or effects, horde encounters let you battle 5+ pokémon at once [making shiny hunting way easier], 57 new moves and 26 new abilities are introduced, ghost and dark type moves now have normal effectiveness against steel, Inverse Battles switching in- and super- effectiveness with types/moves for avant-garde fun, Super Training to increase EV’s [*huge* for competitive play!], new grass-up animation for wild encounters, sky battles only for flying pkmn, new ways of encountering ‘mons in the overworld (drop down encounters from ceiling, shadows you walk into within caves, Jaws-like dig-ups from underground after folllowing you in deserts), bathrooms (humorously, we never saw those in franchise before XD), back-alleys, weather effects visible on the UI, rock smash breaking walls, & pkmn hiding in trash cans.

Whew, we haven’t even gotten to the very biggest feature additions yet, and already