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On August 28, Pokémon Masters EX will be celebrating its third anniversary, and there are big plans for the mobile game that features an ever-expanding original story, team-ups between the most iconic Pokémon and Trainers of all-time, and so much more.
While all of the exciting details on Pokémon Masters EX’s third anniversary have yet to be revealed, we do know that it will finally let Trainers play as the Pokémon anime’s protagonist Ash & Pikachu. With that spectacular news and all the expansive updates added to the game over the years, it is the perfect time to jump into Pokémon Masters EX. If you need a bit more convincing, we’ve gathered everything you need to know about Pokémon Masters EX below and why it’s well worth a download.
Pokémon Masters EX is a free-to-play mobile game for iOS and Android that brings all of your favorite Pokémon to life in a new way with 3-on-3 team battles. The adventure takes place on the island of Pasio and has Trainers working to win the Pokémon Masters League (PML), which includes Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, Champions, and other all-stars from every region.
The ever-expanding story begins with the Pokémon Masters League story arc and tasks players with battling to earn the five Pokémon Masters League badges in Tranquility, Freedom, Patience, Harmony, and Pride. Pokémon Masters EX has also seen the addition of the Villain story arc that has players facing off against villains from Pokémon’s storied past like Team Rocket.
There are no wild Pokémon in Pokémon Masters EX, but instead Trainers enter the PML with the Pokémon they’ve formed a sync pair with, which we will get into more detail in the next section. However, this means players will be able to form a party of three sync pairs (three Trainers and three Pokémon) to adventure through the game with and battle others with familiar and new moves from the mainline games. After Chapter 10, Co-Op is unlocked and you can play with your friends to add even more variety and fun to the gameplay.
As previously mentioned, Pokémon Masters EX’s third anniversary will let players play as the Pokémon anime’s Ash & Pikachu via its sync pair format. The definition of sync pairs consist of a trainer and a Pokémon that is linked to them, and they can take on one of three roles – the attack-focused Strike sync pairs, the defense and healing-focused Support sync pairs, and the tactics and status-focused Tech sync pairs.
Ash & Pikachu may be a big selling point for the upcoming third anniversary, but Pokémon Masters EX already features over 200 incredible pairings that will warm any Pokémon fan’s heart like Professor Oak & Mew, Blue & Blastoise, Blue & Pidgeot, Red & Charizard, Red & Snorlax, Leaf & Venusaur, Lance & Gyrados, Giovanni & Mewtwo, and many more.
Despite Pokémon eggs not launching with Pokémon Masters EX, it has been one of the most welcome new additions to the game. After obtaining an egg, players will be able to hatch it after a certain number of battles. After it hatches, Trainers will be able to name their Pokémon if they so choose and can pair them with their main character to form a sync pair.
At the start of the game, Professor Bellis will gift players an egg containing either Bulbasuar, Squirtle, or Charmander – one of the three starters from Pokémon Red and Blue – to get them on their way. As players progress through the story, they will have the chance to acquire eggs containing such Pokémon as Vulpix, Growlithe, Lickitung, Lapras, Igglybuff, and more. If luck is on their side, they can even hatch a shiny version of these Pokémon.
Pokémon Masters EX has added more than just Trainers and Pokémon to its repertoire, as it has also brought in other beloved features from previous entries in the franchise like PokémonSword & Shield’s Dynamax forms. When a Pokémon enters its Dynamax form, it grows to an unbelievable size and becomes extremely powerful for a short time. It also gains access to unique moves only available when in Dynamax Mode.
In Pokémon Masters EX, Dynamax is very much the same as it is in Sword and Shield, and a sync pair can Dynamax once per battle and use a devastating attack called a max move. For example, Sygna Suit Leon & Eternatus can use Dynamax and utilize a Max Move called Eternabeam that deals heavy damage to the opponent while refreshing the player’s move gauge.
These are some of the biggest features that make Pokémon Masters EX what it is today, and it serves as a foundation for many more additions in the future. They also join other features in-game, including the Champion Stadium that lets players battle the Elite Four and Champions from other regions to the Legendary Arena that pits players against Legendary Pokémon,that prove there is something for everyone.
The future is bright for Pokémon Masters EX and a glimpse of that future will be given soon when details of the game’s third anniversary are revealed. However, there is no better time than now to start your adventure in Pasio and embark on the Pokémon adventure of a lifetime on iOS or Android.
Pokemon Go’s annual Go Fest event has been bigger than ever in 2022, with three in-person events in Berlin, Seattle, and Sapporo, as well as a two-part global event accessible to all players. As the Season of Go comes to a close, the finale of the global event is coming up quickly. Here’s everything you need to know to get ready for the event and how to make the most of it.
What: Pokemon Go Fest Global Finale Event
Where: Wherever you are
First shown at Gamescom 2022, BMW’s Mini brand has announced the Mini Aceman, a compact car filled with lights, screens, gaming features, and a pikachu-inspired interface. Designed to “promote a playful mindset,” the Mini Aceman features a lot of high-tech features, including the capability for you to plug your consoles into it. And, much like pikachu, the vehicle is entirely electric, making the partnership all the more fitting.
On the BMW blog, the company shared additional information about the partnership as well as the features of the Mini Aceman. Upon opening the car, you will be greeted by Pokemon-inspired puddle lights and the vehicle’s “Experience Mode,” which gives pikachu control over the car’s many interfaces and screens. The screens then displays Ash’s loyal companion as well as Poke Balls and bolts of lightning, adding a bit of fun to the car’s futuristic design.
In addition to its internal screens, the Mini Aceman also features the ability to project the screens on to a wall, allowing drivers to create their own drive-thru movie experience. Oliver Heilmer, head of Mini Design, confirmed you can connect your gaming console to the car, though there was no clarification on what consoles are compatible. In addition, the company did not state whether or not all these features will be disabled while driving. Considering just how many screens and features are packed into the compact hatchback, it doesn’t seem a stretch to presume it could be distracting to drivers.
Fall is almost here, and with it, Pokemon Go has announced its community days for September to November. On September 3 and September 11, players will also see special in-game events–the contents of which haven’t been revealed yet, so we’ll have to wait to know what activities are planned.
Pokemon Go’s World Championship will take place from August 18-21 in London. This is the first time the World Championships are being held since 2019. In-game Pokemon GO rewards and activities will accompany the event, including a special 2022 World Championship Pikachu and increased battle set limits.
Pokemon Go Fest has also been an ongoing event during August, and will end as the month draws to a close on August 27. The Finale event has a free and an $11 paid tier. Both come with special Pokemon encounters, raids, and more–but paying players will get more in-game goodies.
At the conclusion of the 2022 Pokemon World Championships in London, The Pokemon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara unveiled a new trailer for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, which focused on battle mechanics and online play.
The trailer opened with the introduction of a new Pokemon, the Dragon- and Normal-type Cyclizar, which showed off a new move called Shed Tail. This move acts like a mixture of Substitute and Baton Pass, creating a Poke Doll substitute before immediately swapping out for another Pokemon in the party.
Meet the Mount Pokémon, Cyclizar. A Pokémon that has lived in many Paldea region households since ancient times, it’s common to see people riding Cyclizar!
Fun fact: It can sprint at over 70 mph while carrying a human! #PokemonScarletViolethttps://t.co/4aXR8qx58p pic.twitter.com/2jzUBYecRH— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 21, 2022
The trailer also showed off new battle items coming to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, including the Mirror Herb, which mimics a stat boost an opponent gives itself and applies it to the holder of the item, and the Loaded Dice, which makes multi-hit attacks have a higher chance of landing the maximum number of hits.