Totem... Stickers!?

[Esserise]

Certainly the most dismissable element in today’s reveal, but I suppose it deserves a thread.

So, we can collect Totem Stickers from around the region, in a manner similar to SM’s Zygarde Cell collection (it may even be a replacement for that). Once we have enough, we can talk to Samson Oak in order to receive a Totem-sized Pokémon. So far, we know that we can obtain a Totem-sized Gumshoos, Lurantis (in Ultra Sun), and Salazzle (in Ultra Moon).

I’ve got to say, this was very out-of-the-blue for me. I think I like the idea, as a fun little sidequest, and I’m a form collector to the bone so it appeals to me in that regard as well. But personally, I have a lot of questions. Will these Totem Pokémon have any special properties, or is it purely cosmetic? Will they be able to be stored in the Pokémon Bank and transferred up to Gen 8 when that time comes? And what other Totem-sized Pokémon can we obtain? I don’t think Wishiwashi actually used a larger model for the Totem battle in SM. But that still leaves Totem Raticate, Totem Mimikyu, Totem Vikavolt, and Totem Kommo-o from SM. (If they wanted to, they could even include Totem Hakamo-o from the SM demo.)

Furthermore, Salazzle’s appearance among these Pokémon is strange, since it has been replaced with a Totem Alolan Marowak in USUM. Does that suggest that Totem-sized Marowak won’t be available?

What are everyone else’s thoughts?

 

[Karamazov]

Aww, I was hoping that we'd be able to make our own Pokemon Totem-sized, so I could have, like, an army of Totem Mimikyu. :v Lame. And the fact that we can't just have any Pokemon be big hurts the appeal for me. But from a role-playing standpoint, the stickers still make for a lot of fun.

I think they'll be mostly cosmetic forms, which is a bummer because Lurantis and Vikavolt were cursed with such middling speed. I hope to be wrong, though.

As for Totem Salazzle: I think they would have stated by now if Salazzle would be a version-exclusive for one game, and Marowak would be the version-exclusive for another. So I'm cautiously ruling out Salazzle as a Totem, but supporting the idea that this means that they'll reuse past Totems through stickers. So I think we'll get Totem Stickers for all the Toten Pokemon in each game. (Minus Wishiwashi, for the reasons you stated.)

I'm thinking the Raticate/Gumshoos stickers will also be version-exclusive because the Totems themselves were exclusives. Maybe Kommo-o/Ribombee stickers will be version too, just because.

EDIT: Or maybe former Totems will be the ersion-exclusives?

 

[Zeb]

I hope I can get a Totem-sized Faticate. Giant Faticate actually looked really good with how chubby it is - it's like a Snorlax-sized Raticate, if not even bigger.

 

[Mitchman]

Well that was one hell of a surprise. Personally, a collectathon to collect XL variations of normal Pokemon is more preferable imo then collecting 100 parts of a Legendary, mostly because I never really use em in battle, where as stuff like Salazzle and Kommo-o already belong in my team. And yeah, it seems like Faticate should be in, as the Melemele sticker looks to be both Gumshoos and A-Raticate related in design.

 

[Pyrax]

I hope there's more of an incentive to use Totems other than aesthetics, like higher stats than their normal counterparts.

Furthermore, Salazzle’s appearance among these Pokémon is strange, since it has been replaced with a Totem Alolan Marowak in USUM. Does that suggest that Totem-sized Marowak won’t be available?

Seems like all Totems from both SM and USUM will be getting this treatment. Salazzle was probably shown because it's the "current" fire Totem.

 

[Kallyle]

Will these Totem Pokémon have any special properties, or is it purely cosmetic?

I hope there's more of an incentive to use Totems other than aesthetics, like higher stats than their normal counterparts.

Watch Game Freak give the Totem-sized Pokémon exclusive Z-Crystals, either for their own new signature Z-Moves or for each Crystal allowing them to to choose between more than one type-exclusive Z-Move. Basically, the latter would involve "Totem Crystals" that allow each Totem-sized Pokémon the option to pick a Z-Move from any of the moves it currently has as opposed to just one type/move. I'd actually prefer my "Totem Crystals" scenario since it could make competitive less stale.

 

[Alola]

I really would like a Totem sized Lurantis. I already love its design, and the size I saw one in initially (since that's likely to be the first time you encounter one in-game) seemed very fitting to me. Totem Mimikyu would be pretty neat too.

Hopefully, Totem sized Pokemon will have better stats their non Totem counterparts. Maybe higher base stat totals? Like +100, akin to Mega Evolutions?

 

[dvor]

Totem mimikyu here i come

 

[Alolan Ninetales]

Honestly, I think the only thing Totem Pokemon are gonna do is just be for aesthetic purposes. There's a chance they could get a stat increase, but since it's not being used in a trial, I doubt it. Since Totem Lurantis is gonna be available in Ultra Sun, and Salazzle in Ultra Moon, I wonder if there's other version exclusives in regards to totem sticker Pokemon?

 

[Muur]

The models exist so I suppose it's fair to let us use them.

They're probably exactly the same stat wise though. Maybe they'll come with 3 max IVs or something.

 

[Tuoko]

So far we have 9 Totems (10 counting Hakamo-o)

1-2. Gumshoos / A-Raticate
3-4. Lurantis / Salazzle
5. A- Marowak
6. Wishiwashi
7. Vikavolt
8. Mimikyu
9. Kommo-o

Wishiwashi will likely be excluded from this since there's nothing different about it. Today's trailers seem to suggest Ribombee and Togedemaru as well, so that bumps it up to 11 or 12.

I'd imagine they'll have a different BST, though I'm not sure on the increase. Maybe ~100 like Megas? I do have to wonder if they can be Banked, I really hope they can since I'm a sucker for collecting forms. It's also worth noting they had placeholder entries in the Pokedex back in SM, so maybe they'll have their own entries?

 

[Alola]

I'll gladly trade someone my eventual Totem Salazzle for their Totem Lurantis.

 

[William-Jdubz]

It also looks like the totem forms we collect arnt bathed in the totem aura like in story mode, so perhaps they get some sort of base stat increase like mega evolution to make up for it ? They must have something to make them worthy enough to collect.

 

[The Outrage]

Everyone remember Keldeo's Resolute Form? How Secret Sword was actually teachable to Keldeo in the original BW games, but they form locked it for B2W2?

The point I'm getting at is Game Freak has put in way more effort for a simple cosmetic upgrade so I wouldn't expect Totem Pokemon to get anything else other than "its bigger!"

 

[Kallyle]

It also looks like the totem forms we collect arnt bathed in the totem aura like in story mode, so perhaps they get some sort of base stat increase like mega evolution to make up for it ? They must have something to make them worthy enough to collect.

Stat-wise, I doubt it. I could see them getting something like in-game benefits though. Maybe we get more money if a Totem-sized Pokémon shows up in battle.

If we're talking competitive, I guess Game Freak could give them something special when it comes to using Z-Moves. Perhaps they get that Totem-aura after using a Z-Move, or maybe they get their own Totem-sized exclusive Z-Crystal that lets them pick a Z-Move of any type of attack they currently have.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, I think it would be neat if Totem-sized Pokémon can actually call for SOS allies in-game. Maybe we get the option of capturing those allies as well. While I doubt they'll have online benefits or boosted base stats, I see ton of potential as far as in-game benefits go.

 

[Sulfurian]

Kinda pissed they made salazzle an exclusive but whatever.

 

[Esserise]

(10 counting Hakamo-o)

Realistically they probably won’t, but I’m a pretty hardcore completionist who is still tapping one foot patiently in wait for Floette-E and Magearna-O, so I wish they would include Hakamo-o.

I remember a while back I asked, for data and record-keeping purposes, if anybody had the height and weight stats for the Totem Pokémon (including Hakamo-o). Nobody ever responded, and I couldn’t find any sourced information about it online, so I kind of just resigned myself to not knowing. But then out of nowhere, Game Freak hits me with this. So even just on that level alone, this was a pleasant surprise for me. Now I’ll at least get to know most of their stats.

They must have something to make them worthy enough to collect.

Well, novelties can be worth collecting without offering any major reward. It just depends on if you’re into it or not - me, I welcome new forms of pretty mcuh any kind, so I’m happy to see these. But either way, the official site doesn’t say anything about increased stats and basically suggests that the appeal is in being able to use huge Pokémon in battle to surprise your opponents. So I am now thinking that it probably is just aesthetic.

 

[Silktree]

They're barely being promoted. I see little reason to expect non-cosmetic changes.

I find it messed up that the player might ruin the island challenge for other kids. But then "totem-like" wording implies otherwise, which brings up the question why only certain species can grow larger.

 

[Kallyle]

Well, novelties can be worth collecting without offering any major reward. It just depends on if you’re into it or not - me, I welcome new forms of pretty mcuh any kind, so I’m happy to see these. But either way, the official site doesn’t say anything about increased stats and basically suggests that the appeal is in being able to use huge Pokémon in battle to surprise your opponents. So I am now thinking that it probably is just aesthetic.

Actually, I think the surprising your opponents bit could be hinting at some in-game benefits. For example, maybe in-game trainers would be so impressed that you have that Pokémon that you get double the amount of money that you normally get. Or perhaps Totem-sized Pokémon make it easier to initiate SOS Battles like the those Adrenaline Orbs or certain abilities do. It could mean anything, really. I wouldn't necessarily get my hopes up, but I wouldn't rule out any potential benefits of Totem-sized Pokémon either.

 

[TheMonster6893]

Hmmmm just had a thought. Idk if anyone else has brought this up, but has anyone considered whether it's JUST the Totem Pokemon that can be attained via the Totem stickers? The website only claims that collecting the stickers will allow you to obtain a "Totem-like Pokemon". I may be reaching here, but it never says that you'd only be able to obtain the known Totems from the trials. Although it does specifically talk about Pokemon that are Totems for sure. The wording also makes me think there are quite a few of the stickers tho. Without knowing how they benchmark the sticker to Totem Pokemon return It almost makes it sound like there are a pretty decent amount of "Totem-like Pokemon" in the game. Maybe there will be other Pokemon species we can get that are "Totem-like"? Just a thought tho. lol