The region itself is gorgeous to look at. They’re definitely a bit overpowered in the beginning, but become practically essential as the difficulty ramps up near the endgame. Each Z-Crystal has one of the 18 types assigned to it, and giving it to a Pokemon knowing a move of the same type allows it to use a powered-up supermove.
Furthermore, these Z-Crystals are far more practical than Badges, allowing players to give their Pokemon an extra boost in battle. This results in a much more natural progression where players traverse and complete tasks on the islands instead of in isolated buildings scattered around the region. After each of these battles as well as the big battles against each island’s Kahuna, the player receives Z-Crystals instead of badges. With buffed stats, improved movepools and the ability to call in helpful Ally Pokemon, these battles may give some players trouble. While most of the game is still pretty lenient, players complaining of last generation’s easier difficulty will be glad to know these Totem Pokemon put up more of a challenge.
Players now traverse the Alola Region’s four islands finding different Trial Captains and completing their Trials, each ending with an entertaining boss fight against a Totem Pokemon. Gone is the familiar structure of chasing after Gym Badges, instead, being replaced by the similar yet original Island Challenge. The first thing experienced players will notice, and part of what makes Sun & Moon so great, is how fresh and new they feel. After the attention on Pokemon Go and this being both the series’ 20 th anniversary celebration as well as the start to its seventh generation, many were expecting Sun and Moon to be the best entries in the series.