Pokemon X and Y: Choose Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle and Mega Evolve; Pokemon Bank storage system announced

Nintendo shared new information on Pokemon X and Y during today’s Pokemon Direct live stream.

Unlike previous games, players are not given their first Pokemon from the Pokemon Professor. Instead, they’re given either Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie by a friend. The Professor will give you another Pokemon later, though—one of the three classic starter Pokemon from Pokemon Red and Blue. And each of them will have a Mega Evolution, as well.

To Mega Evolve, players will need to use a bracelet called the Mega Ring in combination with a Mega Stone. A strong bond between the Pokemon and its trainer is required for the Pokemon to Mega Evolve.

Players will be able to store their Pokemon on a Pokemon cloud service called Pokemon Bank. By paying an annual fee, players can upload up to 3,000 Pokemon to 100 boxes and access them anytime with an internet connection. Through another program called Poke Transporter, players can transfer their Pokemon Black, White, Black 2, and White 2 Pokemon to Pokemon Bank, and then move them to Pokemon X and Y, as well.

Finally, Nintendo announced it is bringing the limited edition Pokemon X and Y-themed blue and red 3DS bundles to North America for $199 on September 27.

Find the full set of new details below.

Classic Partner Pokemon

In most previous Pokémon games, your adventure began when you were entrusted with your first Pokémon by a Pokémon Professor. There are probably many players who will bring their first Pokémon from past titles to Pokémon X and Pokémon Y using Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter.

In Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, it’s not Professor Sycamore who gives you your first Pokémon. Instead, when you receive a Pokémon from the professor, you’ll be able to choose from Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle! These Pokémon were the first three Pokémon you could start your adventure with in Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version, released in North America in 1998, the very beginning of the Pokémon series! And now you’ll be able to include them in your party once again.

All three of these Pokémon—Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle—will be able to Mega Evolve! First, of course, you’ll have to fully evolve them into Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. Now, many years after Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version were first released, these classic Pokémon gain incredible Mega-Evolved forms!

• Mega Venusaur – When Venusaur becomes Mega Venusaur, the flower on the Pokémon’s back blooms even more fantastically than before. Its legs and frame become more sturdy to support the weight of the huge flower. After it Mega Evolves, Mega Venusaur’s Ability changes to Thick Fat, which gives it some protection against two of its weaknesses: Fire-type moves and Ice-type moves.
• Mega Charizard – When Charizard becomes Mega Charizard, its pointed horns and long tail give the Pokémon a look of sleek sharpness. Mega Charizard is in a league of its own when it comes to flying prowess, able to reach incredible heights. When Charizard Mega Evolves, its wings become larger than ever.
• Mega Blastoise – The two rocket launchers on Blastoise’s shoulders turn into a single huge cannon when it Mega Evolves into Mega Blastoise. This cannon boasts a blast range so great that it can strike targets more than six miles away!

Secrets of Mega Evolution

The truth behind why some Pokémon can Mega Evolve is becoming more clear. When you look closely at the main character’s left arm, you’ll notice a bracelet called the Mega Ring. When a Pokémon is holding its Mega Stone, the Mega Ring and Mega Stone resonate, triggering Mega Evolution. It is said that the strong bond between a Pokémon and its Trainer also plays an important role in making these two items resonate.

• Mega Stones – Mega Evolution is not possible for all Pokémon. Only certain Pokémon, under certain conditions, can achieve Mega Evolution. One of those conditions is a special item called a Mega Stone. These special stones exist for every Pokémon that can Mega Evolve, and each is named for the Pokémon to which it grants power. To use a Mega Stone, give it to your Pokémon to hold. Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution will gain access to their potential only if they first carry a Mega Stone into battle. Other things are needed for Mega Evolution to succeed, and those secrets will be explained later! Some of the many Mega Stones seem to be hidden in secret places in the Kalos region. Finding every one of them will be one of the challenges awaiting you in Pokémon X and Pokémon Y!

Pokemon Bank

Pokémon Bank is an application and service for Pokémon X and Pokémon Y that will allow you to deposit, store, and manage your Pokémon in private Boxes on the Internet! Pokémon Bank is a paid service, with an annual charge for usage.

Pokémon Bank will be a powerful resource for players who like to obtain many different kinds of Pokémon, or for those who like to raise many Pokémon in preparation for battles and competitions!

• Online Boxes – As long as you have Pokémon Bank, you’ll be able to link up to your own dedicated Boxes online using your Nintendo 3DS to easily deposit and withdraw your precious Pokémon. If the worst were to somehow happen and you lost your copy of Pokémon X or Pokémon Y, your Pokémon would still be safe and ready to be withdrawn to a new game if they were deposited to Pokémon Bank!
• Store up to 3,000 Pokemon – It has previously been necessary to have two game systems when moving Pokémon between two different copies of Pokémon series games, and you generally had to trade Pokémon one at a time. Now with Pokémon Bank, you can deposit and withdraw Pokémon from different copies of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. All you have to do is download Pokémon Bank on your Nintendo 3DS system, insert your Pokémon X or Pokémon Y Game Card, and open the Pokémon Bank application. Pokémon Bank also works with downloadable versions of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. If you’re working with multiple copies of the games, Pokémon Bank makes it easy to gather your Pokémon in one place!
• Store Pokemon from Multiple Games – With Pokémon Bank, you can deposit and withdraw Pokémon from different copies of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. All you have to do is download Pokémon Bank on your Nintendo 3DS system, insert your Pokémon X or Pokémon Y Game Card, and open the Pokémon Bank application. Pokémon Bank also works with downloadable versions of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. If you’re working with multiple copies of the games, Pokémon Bank makes it easy to gather your Pokémon in one place!
• Move Many Pokemon – In the past, if you wanted to transfer Pokémon that you caught in other Pokémon games, you sometimes needed two game systems, and you had to move Pokémon one at a time. Now, with Pokémon Bank, you can conveniently transfer many Pokémon at once without needing two game systems. In addition, Pokémon Bank has a variety of search functions, so you can find the Pokémon you’re after among all of the Pokémon you’ve deposited. Even if you deposit a lot of Pokémon, you won’t have to worry about being unable to find the Pokémon you need!
• Service Charge Info – The Pokémon Bank application and service allows you to store your Pokémon on an online server. To ensure that the service stays running worry-free for all of its users, Pokémon Bank will be a paid service. An annual charge will allow the service to be maintained long-term so it can provide support for future Pokémon titles. The service charge will also enable the management and maintenance needed to allow everyone access to the online storage. Look forward to a free trial period after the launch of Pokémon Bank. Be sure to try out the software for yourself during this time to see everything that Pokémon Bank has to offer!
• Poke Transporter – When you download Pokémon Bank, you can also download the linked application Poké Transporter! When you insert a Pokémon Black Version, Pokémon White Version, Pokémon Black Version 2, or Pokémon White Version 2 Game Card into a Nintendo 3DS system, you’ll be able to use Poké Transporter to transfer Pokémon from these games into their own online Boxes. Then, you can easily transfer those Pokémon into Pokémon X and Pokémon Y using Pokémon Bank! Poké Transporter is a free downloadable application for the Nintendo 3DS system that will be available along with Pokémon Bank. Note that Poké Transporter cannot return Pokémon to Pokémon Black Version, Pokémon White Version, Pokémon Black Version 2, or Pokémon White Version 2 after they have been stored in an online Box.

Watch a new gameplay trailer below. View a new set of screenshots and shots of the Pokemon X and Y-themed 3DS bundle at the gallery.

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