frvendMedusa

The battle mechanic gimmick for Summer/Winter is called Adaptifying. You get a glove towards the beginning of the game that you can fit an Adaptify Sphere into; it's a jewel-like marble that contains crystallized Pokémon power.

In battle, you can Adaptify any move right before you use it, turning it into a move of the type of sphere you have. At the start of each battle, your sphere has three charges, so you can only Adaptify three moves per battle.

You get your pick of Adaptify Spheres the first time you visit any jewelry kiosk in a town. It's free, but it's one per person, so you have to choose wisely. Over the course of the game, you'll gather multiple different types of Spheres, picking up whichever ones you're missing at the climax of the game.

Choosing a Pokémon

When you start the game, you'll go to meet Professor Willow in her lab. She offers you a personality quiz to find which starter would work best with you; you can take it if you like, and if you don't like the result, you can decide to pick a different Pokémon. Alternatively, you can forego the quiz entirely and just get right to the starter choice.

Your Starters

Marimouse Moss Home Pokémon Grass

Summer

It makes its home in a fluffy ball of moss. This Pokémon stays near water to keep its moss fresh and cozy. If it doesn't have access to water, it gets fussy.

Winter

This Pokémon was first discovered by accident when its moss ball was sold as a decoration. The moss it lives in is only found in the Miana Region.

Appearance: A tiny cream-colored mouse hiding in a marimo

Sootoat Sooty Paw Pokémon Fire

Summer

Sootoat cleans itself with ash instead of water. Wherever it walks, it leaves black pawprints behind.

Winter

Sootoat's glossy black coat is the result of careful preening. The embers in its fur attract bug Pokémon, which it feasts on at night.

Appearance: A black weasel with a red underbelly and paws, and little glowing embers in its fur

Rainine Splash Pup Pokémon Water

Summer

Rainine loves jumping around in the rain. Any water that falls on its back rolls right off, thanks to its waterproof coat.

Winter

The fur in front of Rainine's eyes keeps it from seeing things. Instead, Rainine shakes its fur, making puddles and listening for splashes.

Appearance: A pale blue dog with curly fur that hides its eyes, and a coat that ends in a cloud pattern with raindrop markings on the edge

Technical Machines

TMs are bought at TM shops, which look like record stores. There's one per town, and each one sells a different Pokémon type of TM, with TMs of types that don't have dedicated stores being found at random in the clearance bin for half price. The store types you have access to are version exclusive.

TMs need to be used at a PC to work on a Pokémon. Eventually, however, once you've visited every TM shop in Miana, you'll get a Portable TM Player that lets you use them on the go.

When you load a TM, you can do optional minigames to teach your Pokémon how to do the move in question. If you choose not to do these minigames, the TM works as it has in previous games: "1…2…3…done! Your Pokémon now knows this move!" However, if you DO do the minigames, your Pokémon gains EXP and friendship.

Your PC

The PC you have has multiple functions beyond box storage, in line with the original Pokémon storage and item storage features from past games.

Storage PC

Store your caught Pokémon to analyze their stats

Send your Pokémon on jobs to earn EVs, EXP, and money

Run simulations of vacations in your boxes to increase friendship

PokéMerry

Load one Pokéball in at a time to interact with them in the PC system, operates similarly to a Tamagotchi

Check your Pokémon's mood and tell them you love them (and get told you're loved back!)

Customize the interior of their Pokéball. Decorations that match their type and personality make it easier to level them up or increase friendship

Earn affection by interacting with your Pokémon

Decorations for PokéMerry Pokéball interior design can be bought with League Points

Item Bank

Put non-single-use items in to be lent out to NPCs

If someone uses your item, you get 1% of the item's value when you get it back, as thanks

Single-use items can be put in a swap box for a random other single-use item, randomized hourly

Pokédex Cloud

Load your Pokédex information to get rewards at certain checkpoints

Once a day, you can get a Pokédex entry that you don't have yet. Sometimes it's a shiny form, sometimes it's a Pokémon from the opposing game version, sometimes it's a form you haven't seen yet. Legendaries and Mythicals can only be uploaded by the player

ATPC

Exchange League Points for Pokédollar vouchers

Get directly deposited money from the Item Bank and Pokémon jobs

Optional setting to have battle winnings sent here instead of your bag

Turning in 10 vouchers gives you 5 luxury balls, once daily

Culinary Minigame

If you're lucky enough to spot a hole in the ground, or you have a Pokémon with Dig and a patch of soft earth, you can make a burrow to camp in as shelter from the weather outside. Be careful of random holes, sometimes you have to battle whatever's inside before you can camp!

Get ingredients at the various stores around Miana, and use them to fill your thermos. You can make soup, cocoa, lemonade, flavored water, etc. Once you've made your drink, you and your Pokémon share a cup and taste test it to find out what it does, similar to sandwiches in Scarlet and Violet.

After filling your thermos, you have three servings to take with you on your adventures. You can drink them whenever you like to get their effects, but you only have three servings. Also, a quality-of-life change, you can see what's active and for how long in the corner of your screen while benefiting from the effects.

Outdoor stands can also fill your thermos with pre-made drinks, in case you have a specific effect you're looking for or you're short on time. It never hurts to have some with you!

Nature Reserve

There's a section of Miana that humans aren't allowed in, sectioned off for conservation purposes, that's patrolled by rangers. This replaces the daycare/nursery from previous games. You can leave up to five Pokémon with a ranger and tell them to let the Pokémon go exploring for awhile, with the option to leave an item for them to play with.

If you leave nothing, Pokémon you leave at the reserve will find all kinds of items they want to give you. Sometimes it's berries, sometimes it's drink ingredients, sometimes it's Pokémon eggs. They gain EXP while out foraging

If you leave an oval stone with the group, provided you have at least two of the same egg group in there, they'll exclusively bring back eggs

Very rarely, a Pokémon can bring back an egg that isn't theirs; you won't know it until you hatch it. There are a handful of Pokémon that can only be found this way

If you leave a berry, your Pokémon will find berries for you, with things like Pecha being common finds, and Starf being EXTREMELY rare

If you leave a thermos cup, the Pokémon can bring back various foraged drink ingredients

All items are recovered by talking to the ranger at the gate, similarly to how you would find an egg at a nursery. "Your Pokémon really wanted to show you this, and I promised it I'd give it to you. Here."

If you don't leave a full group of 5, one of your Pokémon can come back with a wild Pokémon they made friends with. You'll then have the opportunity to catch it without battling

The Region

Depending on your version, you'll either be dealing with Miana in the middle of a heat wave in Summer or a cold snap in Winter, both game version wise and in-game season wise.

In Summer, bodies of water are smaller, pools and shade umbrellas are plentiful, and both NPC and player outfits are summer-specific—beachwear, shorts, tank tops, etc. Stands in town sell lemonade and iced tea, regional variants and version exclusives are either fire-types or resistant to fire-types, and ice-types are rare.

In Winter, snow is everywhere, bodies of water can be partially crossed by ice, and both NPC and player outfits are winter-specific—sweaters, parkas, scarves, etc. Stands in town sell hot cocoa and soup, regional variants and version exclusives are either ice-types or resistant to ice-types, and fire-types are rare.

In both versions, the temperature is making Pokémon agitated, so between them and the weather, the roads are dangerous—towns often won't let you through certain gates until you have the appropriate number of gym badges, and have gotten the HM necessary to make it to where you need to go.

Ace trainers are often hired on to escort non-trainers from town to town or to drive back aggressive Pokémon from town borders (similar in style to Star Barrage from Scarlet/Violet), and if you've beaten that town's gym, YOU can sign up to help for some quick money or other rewards. Towns have job listings you can pick up (similar to Mystery Dungeon's Wonder Mail), but you need the Gym Leader's approval before you can set out to do it.

While all this is going on, the champion is doing his best to keep the region safe, from distributing water, stopping wildfires, and having Pokémon use Rain Dance in Summer, to giving out space heaters, leasing out fire-types, and salting roads in Winter.

Starter Evolution Lines

Starter evolutions in Miana are unique in that each starter has a different possible final form, depending on which version you got.

Marimouse Evolutions

Jerflora Moss Cape Pokémon Grass

Summer

Jerflora's cape is entirely made of soft, cool moss. It uses this cape to keep itself from getting tired in battle.

Winter

When it tenses its muscles, Jerflora's ears become hard enough to crack cement. Anyone who tries to pick its flowers finds this out the hard way.

Appearance: A gray-tan jerboa with dark-tipped ears, wearing a flowering, mossy cape

Rabbracken (Summer Coat) Fern Shade Pokémon Grass/Rock

Summer

Rabbracken's cloak shields it from the scorching Miana sun, allowing it to ignore the hot weather entirely. It waits patiently for its opponent to collapse from exhaustion, then strikes.

Winter

Rabbracken spends all its free time carving its rocky ears into polished points. In olden days, these ears would be chiseled with secret messages.

Appearance: A brown rabbit with rock-tipped ears, wearing a hooded cape made of ferns that it uses as shade. Has a zig-zag white pattern around its waist, with dots in the triangles

Rabbracken (Winter Coat) Fern Blade Pokémon Grass/Steel

Summer

Rabbracken can often be seen sharpening the blades of its ears in preparation for battle. Its cloak is never tarnished, due to the diligent care this Pokémon gives it.

Winter

Rabbracken's thick fur shields it from the freezing Miana winds, which chill its bladed cloak. Anyone who gets near it without permission learns a painful lesson.

Appearance: A gray rabbit with steel-tipped ears, wearing a cape made of bladed ferns, which it holds close to make the ferns stick out. Has thick fur around the neck, and a cloud pattern around its waist with dots in the semi-circles

Sootoat Evolutions

Sablaze Fire Foot Pokémon Fire

Summer

When Sablaze is excited or angry, its tail spews a thick cloud of smoke, giving it the perfect cover to hunt its prey. The smoke smells like its most recent snack.

Winter

Sablaze's fangs are red-hot, and can bite through solid steel. It enjoys dunking its fangs in water, boiling it instantly.

Appearance: A black weasel with red markings, hot iron fangs, and a tail that's smoldering. The markings on its back light up with fire mid-attack

Flarret (Summer Coat) Fast-Burning Pokémon Fire/Dragon

Summer

The blazing heat of the Miana Region has fueled Flarret's evolution, causing it to generate fire constantly. To those it trusts, the fire is only as warm as a hot water bottle.

Winter

When two Flarret compete for territory, they engage in a complex battle that looks like a silly dance. It's adorable, when it doesn't catch the battlefield on fire.

Appearance: A flaming ferret with purple-pink flames on its back and black fur everywhere else, along with purple-pink glowing fangs.

Flarret (Winter Coat) Slow-Burning Pokémon Fire/Rock

Summer

Flarret's coal chunk keeps it warm, even in the coldest parts of the world. Having a Flarret out in the open is enough to heat up a whole room.

Winter

It evolved to conserve heat in the freezing cold of the Miana Region. While it prefers to laze about, it won't hesitate to defend its coal chunk with obsidian fangs.

Appearance: A red and dark gray ferret with a magma pattern on its back and white smoke drifting from its tail. Its fangs are dark black, and it's curled around a large rock of coal, dozing

Rainine Evolutions

Aquifur Water Dog Pokémon Water

Summer

When it's excited, Aquifur wags its tail as hard as it can, pelting anyone nearby with a splash of water. A sure sign of its favorite trainer is a poncho on a sunny day.

Winter

It's still not quite used to eyesight, so it investigates things by barreling into them. It's often found face-first in a snow pile.

Appearance: A pale blue dog with dark blue ears, curly fur that hides one eye, a coat that ends in a cloud pattern with raindrop markings, and a big, fluffy tail

Retriver (Summer Coat) Muddy Friend Pokémon Water/Ground

Summer

Miana's sweltering heat caused this Pokémon to roll in mud to cool off, influencing its evolution. It seeks out people it likes to mark them with muddy pawprints.

Winter

People once used Retriver to hunt water-types. It's never forgotten its purpose, so it brings anything it can find to its trainer, looking for praise.

Appearance: A retriever with blue and brown fur, its paws, muzzle, a splotch over one eye, and tail all dipped in mud

Retriver (Winter Coat) Chilly Friend Pokémon Water/Ice

Summer

Long ago, Retriver was used to hunt in snowy regions, effortlessly bounding through tundra to chase its quarry. Nowadays, that energy is spent on crashing into its trainer.

Winter

When Miana's frigid temperatures dipped lower than usual, Retriver evolved to meet them. The frozen drops along its back scatter like marbles whenever it runs to greet a new friend.

Appearance: A retriever with a jagged, icy tail, glass-like ears, and gem-like water drops clinging to its fur

Box Legendaries

Quillios Blazing Plume Pokémon Fire/Fairy

Summer

An old Mianan legend says that summer refuses to come if this Pokémon is not there to call upon it. It's rumored to live at the peak of the world.

Winter

Its fiery feathers glow like the first rays of dawn, even in complete darkness. It's said that to have one, you must be a person that spreads warmth wherever they go.

Appearance: A red/orange/yellow/pink peacock, with a fan tail that looks like the rising sun at dawn and a golden halo around its head

Auroara Roaring Chill Pokémon Ice/Dark

Summer

Its fur shines like the northern lights, giving off a calming glow. It's said that to wear it, you must be a person that appreciates beauty, even in darkness.

Winter

An old Mianan legend says that winter never appears unless this Pokémon mourns its absence. It's rumored to live at the peak of the world.

Appearance: A black wolf with a white underbelly and muzzle, its coat covered in stars and auroras along its back, with a silver halo around its head

Quillios/Auroara are found at the summit of the tallest mountain in Miana, surrounded by a meteor field. The meteor field is where you can collect any Adaptify Spheres you may be missing, and the summit of the mountain is where the climax of the plot takes place.

Main Plot

Your main plot, as per usual, is to beat the Gym Circuit to collect all 8 badges and challenge the Elite Four/Champion. However, the Champion's more than a little preoccupied with the heat wave/cold snap sending things awry, and Emilia is determined to get to the bottom of it, dragging you and Yves along with her.

The three of you look into it and find the workings of Team Solstice, an organization responsible for multiple crimes in the region. Over the course of the game, you and your two friends discover that the reason the weather's so awry is because Solstice's leader has control of the box legendary and is forcing it to raise/lower the temperature. Their plan is to hold the region ransom, increasing/decreasing the temperature until they get all the luxury they want.

If you got Summer, Solstice's leader is a woman named Calida, who dresses like a diva and always carries a folding fan on her.

If you got Winter, Solstice's leader is a man named Isfrid, who wears a thick coat and snow goggles, and looks like a snowboarder.

Either way, Emilia runs to get her dad when she finds out, telling you and Yves not to let Solstice get away. When you corner Solstice's leader, the Champion makes contact and tries to give in to their demands, because lives are at stake. However, the leader decides to ignore the deal, setting their sights on the whole world instead.

At this point, they're beyond reason, so you try to break Quillios/Auroara free. Because they've been at max power and forced to work beyond their scope for so long, however, they break into a maddened rampage, which starts the legendary battle.

You're meant to catch this one. It doesn't let you faint it, holding on with 1 HP no matter what. If you somehow run out of Pokéballs and don't have the Master Ball on you, the battle ends, and Yves catches it instead.

As soon as the legendary is caught, the world goes into a strange state. The sky is pure black, with no sun or stars. The opposite temperature starts happening—people in Summer start complaining about the chill, people in Winter about the sudden heat.

Yves, when talked to, urges you to take the legendary to the champion. You don't have to immediately, you can explore and see how the NPCs react, but with the sky gone and the heat going opposite, there are no wild Pokémon, anywhere, at all.

Once you make your way to the Champion through an empty Victory Road, you hand the ball over, and he releases it. There's a dramatic cutscene where you can see the sky returning, and the legendary nudges you in thanks, then departs for its mountain.

You can now challenge the Elite Four. The Champion looks forward to it.

If you visit the legendary up at its home later, it doesn't battle you. It's affectionate with you and lets you pet it, and gives you a piece from its nest—a summer plume in Quillios' case, a winter tuft in Auroara's—that you can take to a jewelry kiosk to turn it into an accessory. Wearing it gets you new NPC reactions and gives you access to exclusive locations.

In the postgame, you can find a research lab owned by Team Solstice, where they've synthesized an egg of the box legendary. Carrying it takes forever to hatch, but once it does, you can bring it to the summit to try to introduce it to its parent. A cutscene plays where the two interact affectionately, then the newly-hatched legend turns back to you and taps its head against its Pokéball, wanting to travel with you since you raised it.

Optional Side Content: Pokémon Presentation

Similar to Pokémon Contests and Pokéathlon. Pokémon Presentation is a performance show where you display how well you and your Pokémon are in sync, via a series of minigames that involve sharing tasks, running alongside them, having them do moves on command, and so on.

In the burrows where you can fill your thermos, you have the option to practice the minigames. The more in-practice, the more in-sync your Pokémon is (as a stat you can check), and the better you perform together if you hit the cues on time.

Pokémon Presentation training drastically increases affection. Working to be more in-sync with your Pokémon therefore has that bonus effect in battle where sometimes your Pokémon will dodge in time with your shout, or hang on a little longer, etc.

There's a Performance Stage every two towns you go to, and each one has different minigames. When you win the competition, you get a medal, and getting them all unlocks the Grand Performance. The Grand Performance takes place in the first town you went to, making a temporary festival event you can take part in, with unique thermos drinks and games for prizes.

In the Grand Performance, you compete against other Performers and need near-perfect coordination to win. It's the Presentation version of the Elite Four.

If you win, your prize is an upgraded Adaptify Glove; you can now make any move have dual typing, rather than just one. This means you can benefit from Same-Type Attack Bonus while also being supereffective against something you're usually not, or you can make a normal-type move hit a ghost-type by attaching it to a secondary fire-type, and so on.