Speculation Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Trials? "Get your Z on!"

[Alola]

Given the trailer today, what do you all think Mina's Trial will be? The fact that she challenges the player to a Pokemon battle is interesting given how the previous games didn't have Trial Captains battle Trial goers during a Trial.

EDIT: I'm going to remake this thread into a speculation thread about the Trials in general. Feel free to discuss anything regarding that, if you like (in addition to Mina speculation)-what you would like to see, what we have seen in trailers in such, etc. Something that has been on my mind lately is if Totem Battles became double battles, like how they are portrayed in the anime. I think that would make the fights a lot cooler and more memorable, but put them at risk for being easier possibly. Unless Totems had even more ally Pokemon to assist them?

 

[JFrombaugh]

Before this trailer came out, one of my ideas was that it could be another quiz-type trial, but involving colors and seeing patterns rather than sounds or memorizing dances. Basically Mina would show you a series of paintings she's painted, then ask you a question about them. For example:

"In which painting was the Hiker wearing a blue hat?"
"What number was hidden in the grass in the third painting?"

I think the Totem Pokémon will probably be Comfey, since when you talk to her in Vast Poni Canyon she mentions "picking flowers" as being one of her ideas; Comfey is the Posy Picker Pokémon. I think it would fit really well as a Totem too with Triage & Floral Healing, and depending on what old Pokémon get introduced into the Alola Pokedex we could see some interesting partners (Florges line, anyone?)

My guess is that the battle screen shown in the trailer is just a cut to an optional battle with her after the Trial (like other Captains).

 

[PurplePopplio]

I think that we'll have to draw pictures nearly matching her art. Pokémon Art Academy anyone?

 

[IncineROAR]

It's probably a battle.

 

[JFrombaugh]

Whatever her Trial ends up being, I wonder if we'll get any more (kid-friendly) hints that Mina is probably a stoner.

(after she gives you the Fairium-Z)
Mina: "Hehehe...giggle giggle giggle..."
Player Character: "What's so funny?" / "Uhhh..."
Mina: "Oh, nothing. Just been telling myself some jokes. Anywho, if you'll excuse me, I'm so thirsty I could drink a whole 2-liter soda!"

Even funnier would be if the art quiz Trial actually happens and the hidden number in one of her paintings she asks you to find is "420".

 

[Kallyle]

Given that Mina's an artist, I could see her trial involving something similar to the Alolan Phto Club after a battle with her. Depending on your battle preferences, Mina might ask you to make certain poses, styles, and other stuff with your Pokémon. Once you meet her expectations, you'd face the Totem.

As for the Totem, this is highly unlikely, but maybe Game Freak can troll us by making it the Eternal Flower Floette after being infused with Ultra Wormhole Energy. AZ would come in afterwards and tell us how he was on vacation and confirm our suspicions of Totem Pokémon being connected to the Ultra Wormholes. If you think about it, having AZ's Floette become a Totem would make sense in a meta sense due to the Fairy-type being introduced in XY.

Heck, it doesn't even have to be AZ's Floette: we could use a normal Florges in order to accomplish the same meta commentary. Overall, I just think a Kalos-native Fairy-type fits best as Mina's Totem due to that being our first exposure to that type as a whole.

 

[Rosalia R]

It may or may not have any bearing on her trial, but did anyone else notice that Mina appeared to replace the Seafolk chief and his Pelipper in the trailer? Specifically the scene where he stood on the Wailord boat.

Spoiler

I don't know Japanese so I can't compare the dialogue and be sure, but she also seems to replace him when walking away from the Wailord boat to meet Lillie and the protagonist. Also worth noting Lillie's "oh my goodness" scene in reaction to the Seafolk chief has returned in the trailer, though she could very well be reacting to Mina instead.

I can think of three possible implications. First is that the Seafolk chief still does his thing taking you to Exeggutor Island and Mina happens to do the same pose when you return to Seafolk at a later date, which could suggest that you have to meet her there after the events at the Altar of the Sunne/Moone to do your trial.

Second, Mina could replace him as the person that takes you there but have no further role in the plot, and require you to come back later for your trial. I don't see any good reason for this to be the case, since that would amount to getting rid of the mildly interesting Seafolk lore for basically no reason, unless they wanted to really give Mina a lot of screentime to make up for her total irrelevance in SM.

Third, Mina could be meeting you there because her trial is set on Exeggutor Island, and it will tie into obtaining the flutes much like the Kommo-o trial tied into traversing the path to the altar in SM. The only glaring issue this seems to have is the lack of Fairy-types appearing on Exeggutor Island despite all the Totems we know of (or their evolutionary families) appearing in the wild at or very close to their trial site; however if USM is changing up the content of the Pokedex then it wouldn't be much of a stretch to change the distribution of Pokemon already in Alola and put Ribombee or Comfey on Exeggutor Island. Or they could just break that pattern, though I'd prefer the former option.

It's also worth noting that Mina seems to teach you the Twinkle Tackle pose in her room in Seafolk Village, so that might support you going somewhere outside of the village and reporting back after beating the Totem.

 

[godiego]

@Rosalia R: i feel like the obvious answer is that Mina would play a comparable (pending changes to accommodate her having a trial) if not an identical role to the Seafolk Chief. now that you won't run into her in the Vast Canyon-- that was likely replaced by running into Kahili--, Mina has more wiggle room.

 

[Niyuura]

I think the battle shown on the trailer doesn't have to mean it's part of her trial or that it IS her trial..I mean, we also battled Ilima before challenging the first trial, this could be something like that too.

As for Mina's trial, I can only say, it may be hinted what it will be in SM with Mina's dialogue...
If it involves painting in any way, I'm down for that for sure, but I do hope it's not gonna be something lame.
I also think her role in USUM will replace the stock npc because it was needless to use an irrelevant char for that role in SM


"I'm the captain and all, so I've gotta come up with a trial. Maybe it could involve painting pictures and picking flowers... Maybe a trial like that could be cool?"

 

[JFrombaugh]

I think the battle shown on the trailer doesn't have to mean it's part of her trial or that it IS her trial..I mean, we also battled Ilima before challenging the first trial, this could be something like that too.

That's what I was thinking. I think it's either going to be like that or it's just GameFreak's way of confirming that she will be battleable like all other Captains.

 

[Team Gaara]

I can't imagine it won't have to do with painting or flowers given her dialogue in SuMo~ Honestly, I like most of the ideas mentioned so far X3

 

[Alola]

Given what we've seen from the trailers, it may take place in her room. It would be pretty funny if the Trial was simply using the lower DS screen to draw images or such.

 

[dig]

I hope it'll be something like Mina asks the player to draw a Pokemon, so you draw it, present it and she's like "Nope, this is how it looks" and then you battle it. Then asks you to draw another picture, this time of the totem Pokemon. Comfey and Smeargle.

 

[Mitchman]

I hope it'll be something like Mina asks the player to draw a Pokemon, so you draw it, present it and she's like "Nope, this is how it looks" and then you battle it. Then asks you to draw another picture, this time of the totem Pokemon. Comfey and Smeargle.

Totem Comfey with a support smeargle would be the thing of nightmares, and that's me saying that with a team half weak to Totem Mimikyu and its scary ass trial.

 

[Lufenium]

maybe Game Freak can troll us by making it the Eternal Flower Floette after being infused with Ultra Wormhole Energy. AZ would come in afterwards and tell us how he was on vacation and confirm our suspicions of Totem Pokémon being connected to the Ultra Wormholes. If you think about it, having AZ's Floette become a Totem would make sense in a meta sense due to the Fairy-type being introduced in XY.

Heck, it doesn't even have to be AZ's Floette: we could use a normal Florges in order to accomplish the same meta commentary. Overall, I just think a Kalos-native Fairy-type fits best as Mina's Totem due to that being our first exposure to that type as a whole.

How does a dead flower reincarnated and made immortal by a superweapon that is fueled by the energy of sacrificed Pokemon as a Totem Pokemon make sense??

Florges? Perhaps. But AZ's freaky undead pokewaifu? No.

 

[Kallyle]

How does a dead flower reincarnated and made immortal by a superweapon that is fueled by the energy of sacrificed Pokemon as a Totem Pokemon make sense??

The same way Lusamine's Pokémon got those Totem auras. It's implied that the Totem Pokémon got exposed to Ultra Wormhole energy, and the fact that Lusamine's Pokémon were able to undergo something similar makes it possible for the Eternal Flower Floette to be exposed to that energy as well. That was my logic for it.

 

[Alola]

I'm really hoping for a Totem Togedemaru battle. Hopefully it'll be eons better over whatever the hell Vikavolt was supposed to be.

Also, if we can now own Totem sized Pokemon, do you think they'll have higher stats to reflect that?

 

[Ambrose7]

Well looks like no totem Comfey. Ribombee seems to be the fairy totem.

 

[Mitchman]

Completely forgot to post this, but with yesterday's trailer, we have 8 full trials confirmed in the game.
Verdant Cavern
Brooklet Hill
Wela Volcano Park
Lush Jungle
Hokulani Observatory
Abandonded Thriftymart
Seafolk Village House
Poni Canyon

I wonder if there might be more as well. Like, I can see a Lunatone/Solrock Trial in Haina Desert, a new ice Trial before the league, and a Toucannon Flying Trial in Ten Carat Hill. All optional obviously.

 

[godiego]

i mean, optional trials are inconsistent with how they've set them up so i doubt there'll be any more trials (or totems) other than the eight.