Shikigami - Digital and Quantum

Shikigami- Digital and Quantum is a monster-catching RPG that is the Ninth Generation of Pokemon. It's set in Hashizu, a cyberpunk region based on Italy. It's a complete reboot of Pokemon, to the point of having edgier designs for the Pokémon and not featuring any Pokémon from past games (except in the Post-Game, where you go to Kalos). In Japan it's known as "Pokemon Cyberpunk- Digital and Quantum". The change in title is due to the Pokémon brand usually being associated with kids in the West: the name Shikigami will be used as a synonym to Pokémon for the darker and edgier Hashizu saga. Fitting the darker and edgier tone, this game and the future Shikigami series will come out also on Playstations, not just on Nintendos. 
The main legendaries on the cover are named Kabusaito, Steel-Bug Sovereign of the Digital Sky, and Kuwaganta, Ghost-Bug Sovereign of the Quantum Sea respectively. They're part of the Sovereign Bug Trio alongside with Satsumushi, the Dragon-Bug Sovereign of the Natural Earth. 
== Changes ==
Unlike Pokemon games, Pokemon trainers are not called that in this game, but Onmyoji. Even Pokemon are referred to as Yokai (when wild) or Shikigami (when controlled by Onmyoji) in this game. Shikigami are said to be "digitalized" instead of "caught". The reason for this is due to the people of Hashizu being descendants of the Hashi from the ancient Hashi Empire, and "Onmyoji" being the Hashian word for "Summoner". 
The games are more plot-driven and the protagonist is an actual non-silent character named Elisa Takahashi (whose non-customizable design is reminiscent of Yusei Fudo from Yugioh 5DS), though you can rename and customize him (even adding boobs and female characteristics, though in that case he still identifies as male) because he creates a new identity after his "erasure".
The games have a cyberpunk dystopian theme akin to Yugioh 5DS, with the Onmyoji using Digitalization Devices instead of Poké Balls.
This game has a Nuzlocke built into it: on Hard Mode, which you can choose from the start, deceased Pokémon will be gone for good. 
== Plot ==
The prologue is Elisa Takahashi controlling the cover legendary against his rival Giacomo Seto controlling the opposite legendary in a stadium. They are playing the final match of the Ascent of Heaven, a Pokemon battle tournament. The winner will get to live in the Central District of Saikyo, get a rich prize and drastically increase their Social Credit. The Ascent is played by people with Social Credit X (unemployed people, tax evaders and former criminals): usually those who have an X Social Credit are confined to the slums and the Badlands, and are banned from entering actual cities. Those who have a Social Credit that isn't an X those that do not win are "erased" (killed). The two are threatening each other: this will be a battle to see who wins their freedom. The battle is even-matched, but suddenly Giacomo's Shikigami gets a critical hit and wins. 
Elisa is erased, however his legendary Pokémon cannot be taken off him due to it being installed in a brand in the body itself instead of being kept in his Digitalization Device. As the electrical current used to kill him passes through his body, he screams: "I won't die!". The legendary Pokémon he has with him protects him from the erasure (with a barrier if Kabusaito or by making him invisible if Kuwaganta), at the cost of turning itself into an egg. The Pokémon will need time to recharge, and as such Elisa will lose it. 
== Trivia ==
* The protagonist being named Elisa comes from the fact that it's a gender-neutral name but almost never used for boys in Italy, and it also rhymes with the masculine (also very rare in Italy, and somewhat Japanese-sounding) names Toshihisa, Haruhisa, Tomohisa and Katsuhisa. His last name Takahashi means "bridge of hawks" and was chosen to sound Italian without being an actual Italian name.
* Giacomo Seto, his rival, is named after the Italian form of Jack (as in Jack Atlas) and Seto Kaiba, both rivals of the main character from Yugioh series. Seto was chosen because it's both an Italian and a Japanese last name.
* This is the first Pokémon game where the protagonist is non-silent. This is because a protagonist who is motivated by revenge cannot be silent without hurting the game's plot, as Final Fantasy XVI proved with its customizable protagonist seeking revenge for their brother's apparent death.
Category:Role-Playing Games
Category:Japanese Role-Playing Games
Category:Pokémon (series)
Category:Pokémon Games
Category:Playstation Games
Category:Reboots
Category:Dark Pokémon
Category:Edgier Reboots