'Solgaleo' and 'Lunaala,' Sun and Moon's Legendary Pokemon?

[G-Panthera]

Say whatever you want, to me Solgaleo's type is pure bs! Sun -> Fire, period. This is just another Lugia case: guardian of the "seas", not Water-type.
I would be fine with either Psychic/Fire or even Fire/Steel, as Psychic connects with the cosmic element and it kinda had a metallic look indeed, but not being part-Fire is just usual GF's dumbness...

I'm with you, but at this point, its hard to argue the facts as GF has presented them. The only, perhaps, positive part is that Solgaleo may also be based off the Nemean Lion and its impenetrable hide, which could explain the Steel type. Furthermore, the Nemean Lion represents the Leo Constellation symbol in astrology, which in turn, is asssociated with the Sun, the latter being its ruler. The latter would make sense seeing as Solgaleo is the Emissary of the Sun, rather then its embodiment or avatar as it was commonly speculated.

Being the Emissary of the Sun and all, I expect its going to learn a good deal of Fire-type attacks to make up for the fact its not Fire-type at all.

 

[King Xerneas]

On the bright side, Solagleo's typing is much better defensively than any fire typing it would've gotten.

 

[Mitja]

Being the Emissary of the Sun and all, I expect its going to learn a good deal of Fire-type attacks to make up for the fact its not Fire-type at all.

Yeah, just like Xerneas learns a bunch of Grass moves, or Lugia a bunch of Water moves.

On the bright side, Solagleo's typing is much better defensively than any fire typing it would've gotten.

Yeh, Solgaleo got a nice deal.
Lunala on the other hand... when was the last time we had a mascot with a quad weakness at all, let alone 2? xD

But it's 2 quad weaknesses because Ghost Dark are still so indistinguishable in their offensive side after all those years... here's hoping for more type chart tweaks, they only scratched the surface in gen6 IMO.

 

[G-Panthera]

Yeah, just like Xerneas learns a bunch of Grass moves, or Lugia a bunch of Water moves.

That or Solgaleo's move has the special additional effect to cause burns or do Fire-type damage. Causing burns is more likely, but a fan can dream no?

Yeh, Solgaleo got a nice deal.
Lunala on the other hand... when was the last time we had a mascot with a quad weakness at all, let alone 2? xD

Ho-Oh comes to mind with a 4x Rock type weakness, although that its only one 4x weakness.

That aside....

LOL, on the Pokémon Wiki (not Bulbapedia) someone edited that Sunsteel Strike, the signature move of Solgaleo is Fire-type. http://pokemon.wikia.com/wiki/Sunsteel_Strike. While most likely a error for sure, I really wanna know what GF is drinking or smoking if this were true....

Developer 1: "So Solgaleo is going to be a Psychic/Steel type. Now only remains what for signature move it should have fitting its typing."

Developer 2: "Oh hey, I know. What about a move that has the Pokémon attack the opponent like a fiery meteor! We can call it Sunsteel Strike and its a Fire type move!"

Developer 1: "That's...genius! So brillant! Nice thinking! Makes a lot of sense!"

Me: "WTH are you two smoking or drinking to give a Fire-type signature move to a Psychic/Steel type Legendary?"

 

[Their Goominess]

LOL, on the Pokémon Wiki (not Bulbapedia) someone edited that Sunsteel Strike, the signature move of Solgaleo is Fire-type. http://pokemon.wikia.com/wiki/Sunsteel_Strike. While most likely a error for sure, I really wanna know what GF is drinking or smoking if this were true....

Developer 1: "So Solgaleo is going to be a Psychic/Steel type. Now only remains what for signature move it should have fitting its typing."

Developer 2: "Oh hey, I know. What about a move that has the Pokémon attack the opponent like a fiery meteor! We can call it Sunsteel Strike and its a Fire type move!"

Developer 1: "That's...genius! So brillant! Nice thinking! Makes a lot of sense!"

Me: "WTH are you two smoking or drinking to give a Fire-type signature move to a Psychic/Steel type Legendary?"

It looks really unlikely that it will actually become a Fire type move. a) Every legendary's sig move has matched one of their types (iirc), but the main reason is that during the trailer it was shown using it against Salamence - a Pokemon known to resist Fire, and it didn't come up saying that it was not very effective (which it would've done had it been fire).
Unless by some very strange twist it's a dual type Fire move with the other type being either Rock, Ice, Dragon or Fairy (and out of those, Rock is the only one I can see making sense) then it looks like it's not Fire.
My guess for the type of the move goes to either Steel or Psychic, just for the fact that it's one of Solgaleo's types.

 

[G-Panthera]

It looks really unlikely that it will actually become a Fire type move. a) Every legendary's sig move has matched one of their types (iirc), but the main reason is that during the trailer it was shown using it against Salamence - a Pokemon known to resist Fire, and it didn't come up saying that it was not very effective (which it would've done had it been fire).
Unless by some very strange twist it's a dual type Fire move with the other type being either Rock, Ice, Dragon or Fairy (and out of those, Rock is the only one I can see making sense) then it looks like it's not Fire.
My guess for the type of the move goes to either Steel or Psychic, just for the fact that it's one of Solgaleo's types.

Like I said previously, its mostly a error, seeing the Pokémon Wiki is still just a fan site ultimately. Still, you just might wanna wonder what GF is thinking if this was true. Again, I don't think its true. Its just a What If scenario.

----------------------------------

Aside that, I did some more digging and found some more convincing stuff about Solgaleo being alchemy themed as well supporting my theory of Solgaleo being inspired by the Nemean Lion.

In alchemy:

1. Solgaleo is said to be based on the alchemical symbol of "The Lion That Devours The Sun". Goes about purifying metals, explaining the Steel type thematically.
2. Gold is ruled by the alchemic symbol of the Sun, explaining the metallic golden bits on Solgaleo's mane, which again can explain the Steel type.
3. Digestion is one of the 12 core alchemical processes and is "ruled", or "dominated", by the zodiacal sign of Leo.
4. In alchemy, the sun is depicted in three colors, that being black, white and red, which are all present on Solgaleo's design in addition to the gold elements on its mane.

Representing the Leo Zodiac and Nemean Lion:

The Leo Zodiac Itself:
The Leo Sign represents the Nemean Lion, and is linked to the Fire element. Although Solgaleo isn't a Fire-type naturally, I expect it to learn a good number of Fire-type moves.

Solgaleo's Steel Type:
Is a reference to the Nemean Lion's impenetrable hide that is said to bounce off weaponry. Solgaleo's Ability could tie into this thematically.

Solgaleo's Star Mane:
May refer to the Leo Constellation, which is the Nemean Lion according to Greek myth. Constellations are groups of stars.

Solgaleo's Psychic Type:
Psychic is commonly associated with astrological and cosmic concepts such as the stars and space.

Solgaleo not being a Fire-type:
The Nemean Lion isn't a fire-manipulating creature. Also, appearance wise, Solgaleo barely has anything that points it to Fire-type.

Solgaleo's Golden Body when it uses its signature attack:
The Nemean Lion's body/inpenetrable hide is said to be golden in color.

Solgaleo's Emissary Role:
The Leo Zodiac, a.k.a the Nemean Lion is a servant of the Sun, which is said to be Leo's ruler, explaining Solgaleo's emissary role.

Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemical_symbol
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestion_(alchemy)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suns_in_alchemy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_(astrology)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemean_lion

 

[Turtleatlaw]

I'm not at all upset that Solgaleo didn't end up being a fire type. If anything I'm a bit impressed that GF avoided the cliche route of Fire or Fire/Psychic (seems like they like to slap Psychic on every legend). Should make for an interesting party member in battles!

 

[Bolt the Cat]

I'm not terribly impressed with either legendary. The typings aren't exactly my first choices, Fire would've made more sense than Steel for Solgaleo and Dark would've made more sense for Lunala. Also, their abilities are basically just Clear Body/White Smoke and Multiscale and seem pretty pedestrian for mascot legends. I like Lunala slightly better, but I don't really like either that much.

I'm not at all upset that Solgaleo didn't end up being a fire type. If anything I'm a bit impressed that GF avoided the cliche route of Fire or Fire/Psychic (seems like they like to slap Psychic on every legend). Should make for an interesting party member in battles!

We've had more Psychic/Steel types than Fire/Psychic though (Metagross, Jirachi, Bronzong vs. Victini and Delphox), and they still kept Psychic on Solgaleo, so I don't really see how that's less cliche.

 

[Turtleatlaw]

We've had more Psychic/Steel types than Fire/Psychic though (Metagross, Jirachi, Bronzong vs. Victini and Delphox), and they still kept Psychic on Solgaleo, so I don't really see how that's less cliche.

Fair enough. I guess I was thinking more along the lines of different tiers. All the Psychic-Steels you mentioned would not be in the uber tier, and as the mascot legend, Solgaleo would probably have stats that put it in the uber tier. My gut reaction was that Psychic/Steel would be a fun mix to through among what we already have in that tier.

Agree on the psychic secondary typing being a bit cliche though.

I think I would have most wanted Fire / Steel (or Steel / Fire). Only other Pokemon with that typing is Heatran, and he's absolutely a beast in the competitive scene.

For Lunala I would have preferred Dark / Ghost or even Dark / Fairy. But what we got works for me though.

 

[G-Panthera]

I'm not terribly impressed with either legendary. The typings aren't exactly my first choices, Fire would've made more sense than Steel for Solgaleo and Dark would've made more sense for Lunala. Also, their abilities are basically just Clear Body/White Smoke and Multiscale and seem pretty pedestrian for mascot legends. I like Lunala slightly better, but I don't really like either that much.

We've had more Psychic/Steel types than Fire/Psychic though (Metagross, Jirachi, Bronzong vs. Victini and Delphox), and they still kept Psychic on Solgaleo, so I don't really see how that's less cliche.

Fair enough. I guess I was thinking more along the lines of different tiers. All the Psychic-Steels you mentioned would not be in the uber tier, and as the mascot legend, Solgaleo would probably have stats that put it in the uber tier. My gut reaction was that Psychic/Steel would be a fun mix to through among what we already have in that tier.

Agree on the psychic secondary typing being a bit cliche though.

I think I would have most wanted Fire / Steel (or Steel / Fire). Only other Pokemon with that typing is Heatran, and he's absolutely a beast in the competitive scene.

For Lunala I would have preferred Dark / Ghost or even Dark / Fairy. But what we got works for me though.

Things become a bit more acceptable for Solgaleo, if one were to think of it as the Nemean Lion personified in the Pokémon Universe. The Steel typing greatly supports this, where as the Psychic typing is for the cosmic references. Atleast, that is how I see it, seeing as the Leo Zodiac, if not the Zodiac in general, are also tied with alchemy themes.

Its also to note that the Nemean Lion itself wasn't a fire-breathing creature, and is only linked to the Fire Element As such, I expect Solgaleo to learn a good deal of Fire-type moves to justify this connection. More, seeing as the Sun is the ruler of the Leo Zodiac, which is the Nemean Lion, it makes sense why Solgaleo is called the "Emissary of the Sun".

Basically, combining the alchemic symbol of "The Lion That Devours The Sun" plus the Greek myth inspiration of the Nemean Lion, you pretty much get Solgaleo. I won't be surprised if Solgaleo can even learn Mirror Coat just to emphasize its armored body's power more.

 

[King Xerneas]

Both have the the psychic types as their primary typings because of the emphasis that these legendaries are cosmic creatures, and the psychic typing covers all things related to the cosmos. Dark typing really doesn't make any sense for Lunala unless it's supposed to be "evil" in nature as that's the entire schtick for dark types.

 

[Turtleatlaw]

Both have the the psychic types as their primary typings because of the emphasis that these legendaries are cosmic creatures, and the psychic typing covers all things related to the cosmos. Dark typing really doesn't make any sense for Lunala unless it's supposed to be "evil" in nature as that's the entire schtick for dark types.

Well, not all dark types are necessarily evil, or have that as their "schtick"
Absol comes to mind, but there are other examples too.
Plus, there are certainly ways around it. I think a dark / fairy type for a moon themed legend would have been interesting

 

[King Xerneas]

Well, not all dark types are necessarily evil, or have that as their "schtick"
Absol comes to mind, but there are other examples too.
Plus, there are certainly ways around it. I think a dark / fairy type for a moon themed legend would have been interesting

Absol is the disaster Pokemon known to bring about disasters. It's essentially a bad luck Pokemon. But Lunala could've been a dark type if it wasn't the fact the in Japan there is no "dark" type. The dark type we all know is known as "Evil Type" in which Pokemon of this type have more backhanded ways of fighting, basically fighting unfairly (biting, ganging up, attacking while retreating, etc.). This aspect of the dark typing is even more apparent in dark type moves as, besides Night Daze and Dark Void, there isn't any dark type attacks that involve literal darkness. Even look at the last dark legendary we got, it's literally a giant bird that goes around killing things, so unless Lunala turns out to be some malicious Pokemon (which would be interesting considering lions are always considered just and noble), dark typing is unfit.

Now let's look at its Ghost typing. If you look at several Ghost type moves, Shadow Ball, Shadow Sneak, Shadow Punch, etc, they all revolve around attacking from the shadows or using the shadows as a way to attack, moves that use actual darkness to attack. Since the moon is associated with darkness, Ghost typing is the only typing to actually use the concept of darkness.

And once again I'll reiterate that since both legendaries are cosmic beings first, Psychic typing isn't something just slapped on, it's literally their basis.

 

[G-Panthera]

Absol is the disaster Pokemon known to bring about disasters. It's essentially a bad luck Pokemon. But Lunala could've been a dark type if it wasn't the fact the in Japan there is no "dark" type. The dark type we all know is known as "Evil Type" in which Pokemon of this type have more backhanded ways of fighting, basically fighting unfairly (biting, ganging up, attacking while retreating, etc.). This aspect of the dark typing is even more apparent in dark type moves as, besides Night Daze and Dark Void, there isn't any dark type attacks that involve literal darkness. Even look at the last dark legendary we got, it's literally a giant bird that goes around killing things, so unless Lunala turns out to be some malicious Pokemon (which would be interesting considering lions are always considered just and noble), dark typing is unfit.

Its also to note that the Dark Type isn't just backhanded fighting alone, but mainly embodies/ involves negative/dark associations and behavior of a Pokémon, such as being destructive, deadly, mean looking, sinister, etc, all things that could be associated with evil, or what people percieve as "evil" themselves. Backhanded fighting is just one aspect of it, but not the whole thing.

 

[King Xerneas]

Its also to note that the Dark Type isn't just backhanded fighting alone, but mainly embodies/ involves negative/dark associations and behavior of a Pokémon, such as being destructive, deadly, mean looking, sinister, etc, all things that could be associated with evil, or what people percieve as "evil" themselves. Backhanded fighting is just one aspect of it, but not the whole thing.

Exactly but backhanded was of the only way I could sum it up since it's sort of a seen as the opposite to the fighting types "just" way of fighting. Even Dark Pulse states how it's a move used by releasing an aura imbued with dark thoughts. The villainous aspect to the typing is so central to it, it's almost always found and incorporated to the Pokemon given the typing. Even Umbreon has Pokedex descriptions that say they have poisonous sweat and use their rings to intimidate others, so it's flavor goes outside its moon relation. Also side note, umbra comes from the Latin word for ghost and shadow, but is a dark type, so it's an anomaly in multiple ways.

But legendaries typings always play a large role in the Pokemon itself, and dark typing would have to imply Lunala as a more deadly, sinister Pokemon.

 

[Turtleatlaw]

Absol is the disaster Pokemon known to bring about disasters. It's essentially a bad luck Pokemon.

Have to push back a little on this.
Absol pokedex description: "It senses coming disasters and appears before people only to warn them of impending danger."

It's actually trying to warn people of danger, and is thus benevolent. It is the fact that people misunderstanding the meaning of its appearance that its known as the "Disaster Pokemon"

It doesn't bring about disaster -- it senses disaster, and tries to warn other of it.

 

[King Xerneas]

Have to push back a little on this.
Absol pokedex description: "It senses coming disasters and appears before people only to warn them of impending danger."

It's actually trying to warn people of danger, and is thus benevolent. It is the fact that people misunderstanding the meaning of its appearance that its known as the "Disaster Pokemon"

It doesn't bring about disaster -- it senses disaster, and tries to warn other of it.

Which is also why people speculated it to get a dark/fairy typing. But like I said it's still symbol of bad luck, its appearance is an omen to a forthcoming disaster. G-Panthera explained the dark type thing a bit better than I did, so you can see it falls under the common tropes a dark type. It also has sole inspiration drawn from black cats, along with some wise Chinese mountain creature, so lore-speaking seeing an Absol is bad news.

That aside, Absol is a great example of the dark type not relating to actual darkness, which is what the fanbase is pushing with Lunala, and why it wouldn't make sense if Lunala was a dark type.

 

[Zygarde]

Almost every Dark type move (with the notable exception of Dark Pulse) deals with dirty tatics, rather than summoning the dark forces. Absol is a Dark type to enforce the prejudice people have against it.

Lunala doesn't seem to me like a creature that plays dirty, or use sneaky moves. Rather, it looks very much ethereal. So IMO the Ghost typing is much more fitting than Dark.

I could be mad about Solgaleo's typing but I wasn't at Lugia's so...

And why are people saying Multiscale is a common or trivial Ability? Have you guys ever battled a MS Dragonite or tried to break through Roost MS Lugia? Lunala will most likely get either Roost or Moonlight (maybe both) so that is kind of formidable defensive Ability on such a frail looking mon.

I complained a lot when Turboblaze and Teravolt were discovered to be just Mold Breaker, but honestly, I'd rather have them than simply "Ability that boosts moves of x type" such as the Auras and all the "ite" Abilities introduced on gen VI. They may be good but I don't like them for some reason.

 

[King Xerneas]

Almost every Dark type move (with the notable exception of Dark Pulse) deals with dirty tatics, rather than summoning the dark forces. Absol is a Dark type to enforce the prejudice people have against it.

Lunala doesn't seem to me like a creature that plays dirty, or use sneaky moves. Rather, it looks very much ethereal. So IMO the Ghost typing is much more fitting than Dark.

I could be mad about Solgaleo's typing but I wasn't at Lugia's so...

And why are people saying Multiscale is a common or trivial Ability? Have you guys ever battled a MS Dragonite or tried to break through Roost MS Lugia? Lunala will most likely get either Roost or Moonlight (maybe both) so that is kind of formidable defensive Ability on such a frail looking mon.

I complained a lot when Turboblaze and Teravolt were discovered to be just Mold Breaker, but honestly, I'd rather have them than simply "Ability that boosts moves of x type" such as the Auras and all the "ite" Abilities introduced on gen VI. They may be good but I don't like them for some reason.

Rumor has it that Solgaleo's and Lunala's abilities could possibly be boosted versions of the abilities they take after. For example in the description for Shadow Shield it doesn't specify that the ability works for your Pokemon alone, so people are starting to speculate that the ability might grant the Multiscale effect to all Pokemon your side of the field.

 

[G-Panthera]

Rumor has it that Solgaleo's and Lunala's abilities could possibly be boosted versions of the abilities they take after. For example in the description for Shadow Shield it doesn't specify that the ability works for your Pokemon alone, so people are starting to speculate that the ability might grant the Multiscale effect to all Pokemon your side of the field.

Would make a lot of sense, seeing as GF and the official Pokémon VGC revolve around Double Battles no?