Pokemonfans are eagerly awaiting the release ofScarletandVioletthis November, marking the beginning of Generation 9. A few of the series' ongoing mobile games have events to keep them occupied in the meantime, such as Niantic’sPokemon GOpreparing to launch Season of Light on September 1. DeNA’sPokemon Masters EXjust began its three-year anniversary celebration, which includes a handful of unique Sync Pairs with accompanying story events.
The anniversary units added this year are undoubtedly DeNA’s biggest draw, with the game currently doling out access to anime star Ash Ketchum with Pikachu (in a tie-in for the ongoingPokemon JourneysWorld Coronation Series), Champion Cynthia with Mega Lucario, and Champion Red with his own Pikachu. All of them utilize a new Buddy Move mechanic, which opens up powerful attacks after meeting specific criteria such as being hit a number of times. However, another big selling point forPokemon Masters EX’s anniversary is the Trainer Lodge, which acts as a pseudo-dating sim to unlock more dialogue and Pokemon for a handful of beloved characters.
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How Pokemon Masters EX’s Trainer Lodge Works
Pokemon Mastersplayers can unlock the Trainer Lodge as soon as they complete Chapter 1 of the main story and team up withBlack 2/White 2protagonist Rosa - the first character invited to the lodge. As of this writing, eight additional characters across thePokemoncanon are on its guest list: Blue, Silver, May, Cynthia,N, Professor Sycamore, Lillie, and Marnie. However, not all of them can be invited immediately; players need to have scouted them to gain access, with DeNA planning a monthly rotating Poke Fair featuring each one. Even then, only five can visit the Trainer Lodge at once.
Players can have a casual conversation with any trainer in the lodge, which offers unique dialogue compared to selecting a trainer on the home screen, but the main reason to invite characters is for the “Interact” feature. Up to three interactions can be started each day, and DeNA encourages players to do so by making it one of their daily missions to collect a fewGems (Pokemon Masters' microtransaction currency). The daily Interact options can be spread among three trainers, or all used to get extra points for one individual.
All trainers have the same Interact mini-game, which is rather straightforward and somewhat reminiscent ofTea Parties inFire Emblem: Three Houses. Players are given three topics of discussion and have to decide what would best appeal to the character in question - though each conversation also has a hidden bonus topic worth extra. The more questions asked without depleting a trainer’s interest meter, the more their Friendship Level raises. Rewards are doled out about every five levels, ranging from power-ups for the main game to unique story segments and photographs displayed in a scrapbook.
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The Pleasure’s in the Details
Ultimately, the Trainer Lodge Interact mini-game falls a bit flat. While it’s interesting to see what topics interest a trainer like Marnie versus N, none of them provide unique dialogue. It’s the major prizes that really stand out, and most important for many fans will be a new Sync Pair partner unlocked at Friendship Level 100. For example, Blue will pair up with Exeggutor andCynthia with Gastrodon. There is also merit to casual conversations in the lodge, which offer small character-building moments like Silver adamantly denying he’s there to make friends or N complaining about the lack of a Ferris Wheel on Pasio.
Unlike the characters in Intelligent Systems’Fire Emblem Heroes, who each come from their original games but are summoned to a new world where they can interact,Pokemon Masters EXis structured to imply it’s a sequel for every mainline game. DeNA celebrates the history of the franchise by collecting a variety of characters under one roof, but there’s more continuity given they can build upon their own adventures and stories told in the wider world.
Snippets of conversation and new Pokemon available through the Trainer Lodge are a great extension of this philosophy, even if it fails as a true"dating sim.“While N already has a few alts, including both Reshiram and Zekrom, it’s just as interesting to see him with a lesser-utilized Pokemon like Sigilyph (which he originally uses for one battle inBlackandWhite). A lot of gamified elements exist to try and expedite the bonding process, with Expeditions unlocking items to trade for various gifts, but it’s probably worth enjoying the ride as DeNA introduces new characters and costumes like Cynthia’s third-anniversary Aura suit.
Pokemon Masters EXis available now on Android and iOS devices.
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