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A Beginners Guide to the Kalos Region

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A Beginners Guide to the Kalos Region

With the exciting announcement that the Kalos region, aka Gen VI, is coming to Pokémon GO, it brings with it a total of 72 brand new Pokémon! It is a smaller generation, but certainly one with a lot of valuable and potentially meta relevant Pokémon, and as a newbie to the Kalos region, I’m hyped to learn more about them!

We know the first wave that is coming, but we’ll have a quick look at some of the Pokédex standouts here. The first wave are featured below. For an in-depth look into Kalos PVP potential, check out this amazing article from ElliotUnbound here.

These Pokémon have been officially mentioned in the Pokémon GO Beyond Update announcement:

New Generation 6 Pokémon
Chespin Quilladin Chesnaught
Fennekin Braixen Delphox
Froakie Frogadier Greninja
Bunnelby Diggersby Fletchling
Fletchinder Talonflame Litleo
Pyroar Klefki

Kalos Starters

Chespin Fennekin Froakie

The starters of the Kalos region are Grass type Chespin, Fire type Fennekin, and Water type Froakie. The starter Pokémon that we know will have a lot of hype around it is Froakie, because its final evolution Greninja is an absolute fan favourite. In fact, when you see lists compiled to rank all the best starters from each generation, Froakie is usually right at the top. Greninja is a duel Water and Dark type, and in the anime it is the first Pokémon that Ash catches upon reaching Kalos. Chespin ultimately evolves in Chesnaught which gains it a Fighting type, and the pretty Fennekin becomes Delphox which gains a Psychic typing.

All three starters having dual typing makes for some interesting combinations, but typically Delphox and Chesnaught are less popular because of their weaker stats overall. They will all provide some interesting coverage in raids, and depending on the moves they get could make an appearance in PVP as some spicier picks, even with their additional weaknesses gained from dual typing.

In terms of aesthetics, the Chespin line is a little weird in terms of design, it is considered a spiny nut Pokémon, taking some inspiration from conkers, Fennekin is often heralded as one of the prettier starters with their foxy design, and Froakie the bubble frog is just a total cutie.


The Commons

Scatterbug Spritzee Flabebe Skiddo Binacle Helioptile

With every generation we get a group of new common Pokémon, and Kalos is no different. Several of the Pokémon released in the first wave will no doubt become common spawns, such as Fletchling as the new Pidgey type and Bunnelby as the new common normal type.

Scatterbug looks set to become the new common bug spawn when it is added, which could see it require only 12 candy for its first evolution, which XP grinders will be sure to love.

With a 1km buddy candy distance, there are several others we expect to be common spawns. Fairy type Spritzee could be common, much like Clefairy or Jigglypuff was in the early days of GO. Flabébé could be a valuable common spawn thanks to evolving into Florges which we discuss in the next section. Skiddo the Grass goat will probably be a common spawn, and is just a hilarious design IMO. Binacle is a Water and Rock type will likely be common in water biomes, and Helioptile is an Electric and Normal that again looks set to be common.


The Pikachu Clone

Dedenne

Every generation of Pokémon has their own version of Pikachu, and with Kalos we have Dedenne, an Electric and Fairy type cutie. Dedenne is a very obvious Pikachu inspired design, just with rounder ears, a thinner tail, and the additional fairy typing. Dedenne is considered the antenna Pokémon, and will be an adorable member of your Pokédex.


Gen VI Dragon Slayers

Sylveon

With Kalos, the current final eeveelution finally comes to Pokémon GO. Sylveon is a Pokémon it feels like we have been waiting for for a long time, with a lot of trainers saving shiny Eevee from its long passed Community Day, ready to evolve into Sylveon, and with others saving their best IV Eevee ready for this release.

As a pure Fairy type Sylveon is going to be a beast for battling Dragon and Fighting types, and we are sure we’ll see it make an appearance in many raid parties once it becomes available. Depending on how Sylveon will evolve, it could be a very accessible Fairy to add to your team, and it is a real cutie, with a beautiful blue shiny too.

Avalugg

Evolving from the tiny and adorable Bergmite, Avalugg has a whopping 240 defense stat and is a pure Ice type. In the main series it can learn both Blizzard and Avalanche, and if it is given access to these moves in GO it will be a great addition to any Dragon slaying team.

Florges

First of all, Florges is a really gorgeous design! If you are into aesthetics, this is for sure going to be a beautiful addition to your collection and I can see it being really popular with AR photographers. Evolving from Flabébé which we anticipate to be a common spawn, this could be a great budget option for raiders. Florges is a Fairy type that will not only kick dragons to the kerb, but in the main series it has access to many strong Grass type moves. If it gets access to these moves it could be a huge deal, because having access to those grass moves without having the grass weaknesses, game changer!


Dragon types in Generation 6

Kalos brings with it a variety of new Dragon types, which are always one of the most lusted after types in Pokémon GO. These are likely to be rare spawns and much sought after as lucky Pokémon, even if they aren’t all going to be meta relevant.

Tyrantrum

Evolving from Tyrunt, Tyrantrum is a proper dinosaur! With a dual Dragon and Rock typing, this grumpy looking Pokémon is a Kalos fossil with sadly a good mix of weaknesses, but what a cool looking addition to your collection.

Goodra

Goodra is a personal favourite, evolving from the slug like Goomy, into the snail like Sliggoo, before becoming a slightly snotting looking Goodra. Goodra has been given some amazing stats in Pokémon GO, with not only an attack stat of 220, but a high defense stat at 242 and a stamina of 207. It is going to be a real tank, and depending on the moves it gets, could be an amazing battler and raider.

Noivern

One of the more unusual dragons, Noivern is a bat Pokémon with dual Flying and Dragon typing. Sadly this typing does mean that Noivern is going to be absolutely wrecked by Ice types, but Noibat and Noivern are really unique looking dragons that my little goth heart can’t wait to get my mitts on.

Dragalge

Dragalge is a really fascinating looking Pokémon, somewhere between seahorse and kelp. It evolves from Skrelp, which is a Water and Poison type, to lose the water typing and become a Dragon as Dragalge. Dragalge isn’t going to be meta breaking, but it is another dragon for your collection.


Kalos Legendaries and Mythicals

The Kalos region brings with it 3 new legendary Pokémon, and 3 new mythicals. Zygarde, Xerneas and Yveltal form the Aura Trio as the 3 legendaries for Kalos.

Zygarde

Zygarde is an incredibly popular legendary, with a dual typing of Ground and Dragon, meaning it takes extra damage from those pesky Ice types. With potential access to moves like Earthquake and Outrage, it could be incredibly powerful! The snake like design is just one of 5 different forms, with Cell, Core, 10% Forme, 50% Forme, and Complete Forme. It will be interesting to see if Pokémon GO introduce all of the forms, as the Cell form cannot use any moves and are in fact single cells that add up to make Zygarde, Core forming part of Zygarde’s brain, 10% Forme being hound-like, 50% Forme being snake-like, and Complete Forme being a bipedal humanoid.

Hoopa

Hoopa is a mythical and a Psychic and Ghost type that could easily become a new go-to for kicking those Machamps out of gyms. It resists fighting type moves and with a max CP of 4014 is one of the bigger Ghost types out there! Hoopa has two forms, Confined, and Unbound, and in the main series it changes into Unbound form when using the Prison Bottle. With GO we expect that they will be released as two separate forms, like Deoxys.

Xerneas

Xerneas is gorgeous legendary, with a stag inspired design and two forms, Active Mode and Neutral Mode. It has Fairy typing, making it only weak to Steel and Poison. It will rule the ranks of the Kalos dragon slayers and is another Pokémon that will be hugely popular with the AR community. With a huge attack stat of 275, it beats out fan favourite Arceus in its fairy form!

Volcanion

Volcanion has some really interesting typing, as a mythical with dual Water and Fire typing! It is often referred to as the steam Pokémon, and certainly has a unique design. It has a solid attack stat of 241, with a defense stat of 210, and stamina of 190, a tank for sure. It potentially has access to a large amount of different movesets, as in the main series it has access Water Fire Ice and Normal moves, so it will be intriguing to see what it has access to in GO when it is eventually released. Interestingly, Volcanion being a dual fire and water typing means that with Volcanion, water typing has now been combined with all other typing at some point.

Diancie

Diancie is a Rock and Fairy type mythical, Kalos region loves a fairy type! Diancie is unusual in that it is a mythical that can Mega evolve, the only mythical that is currently able to do so. It has a really pretty design and it will be interesting to see how GO implements this mythical because of its ability to Mega evolve. Typically Mega energy is gained through raiding, so this could be released similarly to Darkrai, via raids rather than a special research line when its Mega is eventually introduced.

Yveltal

Yveltal is a dual Flying and Dark type and is likely to be considered an absolutely top tier Legendary when it is released thanks to its incredible stats. With an attack of 275, defense of 203, and stamina of 270, and maxing out at 4514 CP, Yveltal is a beast! It is known as the Destruction Pokémon for good reason, and will be popular amongst raiders in hunt of good IVs. From a design standpoint, Yveltal looks bad ass, suiting that dark typing and looking demonic, a very cool addition to the Pokédex.


Conclusion

Kalos may have a shorter Pokédex, but it brings with it some incredible new additions! With a large focus on fairy types and dragons, we are hyped to see what movesets these Pokémon get and therefore how useful they will be.

Which Gen VI Pokémon are you most looking forward to?