'Pokémon Sun and Moon' news: next iteration to bring new Pokémon and locations?

The Pokemon Company/Nintendo

With the upcoming seventh generation of Pokémon coming out in "Pokémon Sun and Moon," it seems that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have some surprises in store, like new additions to the lineup and new locations.

According to BidnessEtc, developer GameFreak may have inadvertently released the upcoming new additions to the Pokémon lineup. Reportedly, "Pokémon Sun and Moon" will have three new starter Pokémon: Mokuroah, Nyabby, and Ashimari. Based on their names, the industry follower surmised that Mokuroah may be a grass-type owl Pokémon, with "Dark" elements once it evolves. Meanwhile, Nyabby may turn out to be a fire-type cat. The last one in the starter pack, Ashimari, can be expected to be a water-type Pokémon, to balance the land- and fire-type selections.

While the new Pokémon starters are yet to be confirmed, observers are fairly certain that the seventh generation will introduce new ones. A previous GameRant report already alluded to it, with "Pokémon" series director Junichi Masuda reportedly revealing that there will be at least ten new Pokémon in the upcoming franchise installment. While details have been scarce, it can be expected that aside from the starters, the new Pokémon additions may also include new Legendary types and never-before-seen Pokémon introductions.

Meanwhile, rumors also say that "Pokémon Sun and Moon" will go back to a multi-region pattern. According to Yibada, the new regions in the upcoming title will be differentiated and based on real-world locations. Reportedly, the first four regions in the beginning of the game will be based in Japan, while the other two locations – Unova and Kalos – are based in New York and France.

Aside from the new locations, there are also speculations that GameFreak may introduce features which will allow players to revisit old locations, areas that were made available in previous "Pokémon" franchise games. This may be highly plausible, given that this year is the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the franchise, and Nintendo may have placed "Pokémon Sun and Moon" to be a game to bridge the gap between different Pokémon generations.