Pokémon video game director reveals new battle scenarios and new ways to connect in Pokémon X and Pokémon Y

Junichi Masuda, Director at GAME FREAK inc., joined Tsunekazu Ishihara, President and CEO of The Pokémon Company, at Nintendo’s E3 Developer Roundtable on Tuesday evening in Los Angeles to discuss Pokémon history and share new features debuting in the Pokémon X and Pokémon Y video games when they launch worldwide October 12, 2013, for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.

Mr. Masuda revealed a new communication feature debuting in Pokémon X and Pokémon Y—Player Search System or PSS. He also showcased two new battle scenarios players will come across when exploring the Kalos region—Horde Encounters and Sky Battles. These new ways to battle will require Pokémon Trainers to plan accordingly and build a Pokémon party that can withstand a multitude of Pokémon or take on flying Pokémon high in the sky.

The PSS allows players to connect, battle, and trade with other players nearby and around the world. PSS makes it easy to find other people playing Pokémon X or Pokémon Y near you or even on the other side of the world. When the new communication feature is on, PSS alerts players when someone nearby is playing Pokémon X or Pokémon Y and gives you the option to battle or trade with them wirelessly. Players with an Internet connection can also connect with Pokémon X and Pokémon Y players anywhere in the world via the PSS, making it easy to battle or trade with others close by or thousands of miles away.

When Pokémon like Houndour, Axew, Tauros, and Miltank appear en masse in the wild in Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, players will be facing a Horde Encounter. In past Pokémon titles, Pokémon battles have always involved the same number of Pokémon on both sides, like a regular one-on-one match or a Triple Battle. Horde Encounters take battling to a new, intense level that forces a player to battle against multiple wild Pokémon that attack all at once—with only a single Pokémon on the player’s side. Players will need to ensure their Pokémon has moves that can attack multiple Pokémon at once or they may quickly find themselves on the losing end of the battle.

Select Trainers you encounter in Pokémon X and Pokémon Y will challenge players to Sky Battles—fierce battles that take the action high above ground. While players traverse the Kalos region, Trainers standing high on cliffs or in other distant places will want to battle, but players can only participate if they have certain Pokémon in their party that can fly. The Sky Battle is a visually stunning battle scenario and an exciting new addition to Pokémon video games.

Never-before-seen Pokémon made their debut at Nintendo’s E3 Developer Roundtable:

· An evolved form of the recently announced Fletchling, Talonflame, is a Fire- and Flying-type Pokémon that gains a whole new level of speed and firepower. Reaching speeds of up to 310 mph when diving for its prey, Talonflame can attack its foes with devastating kicks while embers spew from its body as it zooms through the sky. Talonflame knows Brave Bird, one of the strongest Flying-type moves. Use Brave Bird carefully, though, because the incredible strength of this move also does damage to the user.

· The Water Gun Pokémon Clauncher uses its one oversized claw not only to seize prey but also to shoot condensed water at others as a projectile. This capability is so intense that it can crack a boulder! A Water-type Pokémon, Clauncher can also use its giant claw to crush opponents with the powerful Water-type move Crabhammer, which is more likely to land a critical hit. Critical hits against opposing Pokémon will do twice the usual damage.

· Some would say that the Poison- and Water-type Pokémon Skrelp appears to be nothing more than a rotting piece of kelp, but don’t let its appearance fool you. Using its unique look to its benefit, Skrelp pretends to be a piece of seaweed, and when prey wander past it, Skrelp bathes them in poison so they can’t struggle when it attacks. Skrelp uses the Poison-type move Sludge Bomb, a move that can leave opposing Pokémon poisoned. A poisoned Pokémon will slowly take damage over the length of a battle.

It was also revealed that Pokémon X and Pokémon Y are the first Pokémon titles that allow players the choice to play the game in one of seven languages: English, Japanese, Korean, French, Italian, German, or Spanish.