118) Pokémon Y (2013)

Beginning development in 2010, Pokémon X and Y would mark one o the biggest shifts in the franchise's history. While no stranger to using 3D assets in previous games, X and Y marked the first time that the main series would shift from the 2D sprite based aesthetic and instead explore the world of 3D gaming. The names X and Y were chosen to represent the X and Y axis, with the third legendary, Zygarde, representing the third. Deciding on the main themes of beauty, bonds, and evolution, France was chosen as the basis for the Kalos region, with heavy European influences being seen throughout the game. In addition, X and Y would mark the first time the series would see a simultaneous release in all regions, and the team sought to have the new Pokémon introduced to carry the same name across all regions whenever possible.

We begin by choosing our gender and naming our character, which is pretty standard fare for the series. In short order, we're accosted by our new neighbors and introduced to a motley crew of NPCs that will insist they are our friends going forward. We have either Serena or Callum, using the model of the gender we didn't choose, who is the more traditional rival. We also have Tierno, a jolly boy who loves to dance, Trevor, the quiet nerdy boy, and Shauna, the token girl of the group. We're presented with our choice of starter, Froakie the water type, Chespin the grass, and Fennekin the fire type.

After a breezy tutorial battle with Shauna, we're introduced to how to catch Pokémon and make our way to the next town. There, we have our first Gym battle against Viola, who specializes in Bug types. While not a hard fight by any measure, it still poses enough challenge to adequetely test how well we understand the game. From there, we head to Lumiouse City to meet the Professor who gives us yet another starter, this time allowing us to choose between Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. This is very clear nostalgia pandering, but who cares when I get to have a Squirtle?

We're also introduced to Lysandre, a wealthy inventor and philanthropist who, spoiler alert, is actually the primary bad guy. This is heavily telegraphed to the player, though his intentions remain unclear. From here, our primary goal is to uncover the secret behind Mega Evolution, the mysterious gimmick of the Kalos region. This becomes a bit of a wild goose chase for the first half of the game, which is only slightly annoying as several prominent trainers in the region, including the champion herself, understand and utilize the mechanic.

From there, the story becomes less focused for a while, as we continue collecting badges and thwarting the stylish Team Flare who are causing problems across the region for... Reasons? We also meet a 10 foot tall homeless man, who is likely unconnected to the plot. It's only near the final stretch that we discover that Team Flare, led by Lysandre, has somehow uncovered an ancient super weapon that they intend to use. The closest we get to a motive is that Lysandre is obsessed with beauty, and since it's a transient thing that fades over time, he might as well commit a genocide. This is played completely straight and is somehow not a joke.

After beating him a final time we get to catch the box art legendary, get a pat on the back, and then continue on like nothing happened. We get to collect our final badge, challenge the Elite Four, and take on the Champion. Only after all of this do we get any sort of recognition for saving the world in the form of a hilariously poor looking celebration and one last battle against the aforementioned giant man. Afterwards, there's not much else to do other than fill our our Pokédex, hunt down some familiar legendaries, and save up money to buy all of the most expensive clothing items.

Story aside, as it's very silly, I had a genuinely good time revisiting this game. While I remember thinking all of the dialogue and cutscenes were annoying at the time of release, the experience is refreshingly breezy in light of more recent iterations. The game has a rather robust character custimization system with a ton of clothing options, fitting for a place based on France, and while the franchise was a bit late to the party, the transition to 3D was blissfully seamless. I also greatly appreciated how much detail went into making the region feel unique, with an emphasis on arcitechture and natural landscapes that still impress.

In addition, these games introduced the Fairy typing, an answer to the dominance of Dark and Dragon types in the competetive meta. A few old Pokémon were given the Fairy typing, while a few others saw minor tweaks to their stats. That said, the game is hardly balanced, with Fairy types being completely overpowered and more than a few of the Mega Evoltions beng outright broken. While frustrating for competitive, it does allow for more viability in a regular story experience, which is appreciated.

Pokémon X and Y are much like one of the primary products the region is based off of. Like a fine wine, I feel the experience has only gotten better, in part due to the missteps the series has had since, but also owing to the sheer amount of options presented to the player. Whether it be in how our character looks, which Pokémon we decide to use, or even playing through with some optional self imposed rules, I find myself yearning to return to the narrow alleys of Lumiouse or the dappled forest outside of Santalune. If, by some random chance, you've never experienced a Pokémon game before, I can wholeheartedly recommend X and Y as the start of your journey.