Sandbox / Poke Man 47

Poke Man 4

Gym Leaders

• Byron: Gives the Steel-typed Flash Cannon
• Candice: Gives Avalanche Wave
• Fantina: Gives Shadow Claw
• Gardenia: Gives Grass Knot, which can strike diagonally
• Maylene: Gives Drain Punch
• Rorak: Gives Stealth Rock
• Volkner: Gives Charge Beam
• "Crasher" Wake: Gives Briney Blast

Original Version

• Amplifier Artifact: Most weapons have a collectable item, usually in a different stage, which increases its power slightly.
• Charged Attack: Volkner's aptly-named Charge Beam and Candice's Avalanche Wave are of the "Hold" variety.^note Uncharged, the Avalanche Wave fires a short-range burst; charged, it sends a wave of snow along the ground.
• Collection Sidequest: To get to the True Final Boss, Arceus, you have to collect the 16 plates and bring them all to the Spear Pillar where you fought Cyrus.
• Death Mountain: Mt. Coronet, per the original source.
• Endgame+: One of the plates is in League Headquarters and three more are in post-game levels, so you can't collect them all in your first run through. The bosses for these nine levels include the Stat Trainers, Officer Looker, and 2 Legendaries.
• Grimy Water: This is what Crasher Wake's Briney Blast shoots out; the brackish water inflicts double damage against any enemy "Weak" against it.
• Levels Take Flight: League Stage 1 is the strait between Sunnyshore City and Cynthia's Fortress.
• Life Drain: Maylene's Drain Punch. Unlike Giga Drain, which works by the victim dropping Life Energy, Drain Punch is an actual "transfusion" at a rate of 1 restored for 2 damage (rounded down). Given its short range, this is appreciated.
• Percent Damage Attack: Much like Flannery's Overheat, Draco Meteor has its strength tied into the weapons meter.
• Plot Coupon That Does Something: Fortunately, several of the plates mentioned in Collection Sidequest have the same powers as the previously referenced Amplifier Artifacts. Then again, if you collect the plate before the non-plate artifact, the non-plate artifact can't be collected at all. But don't feel too bad about it.
• Reverse Shrapnel: This is what Rorak's Stealth Rock translated into.
• Slippy-Slidey Ice World: Northern Sinnoh where Candice hangs out, natch. It's also the only area to be revisted during the Galactic half of the game.
• Stepping Stones in the Sky: League Stage 3, the waterfall right below League HQ.

The Frontier Battles

• Development Gag: Noland's damage table was based on promotional materials; he would've been yet another Barrier Change Boss otherwise.
• Divergent Character Evolution: Noland. Since his gimmick in the source material is the same as Thornton's, he was changed to have a set configuration based on certain merchandise.
• Dual Barrier Change Bosses: Thornton and Argenta, the bosses of the first Battle Tower stage.
• Graceful in Their Element: Downplayed with Misty: She can move normally on land, but her special ability is control-pad maneuverability in the water.
• Limited Move Arsenal: Being allowed to use the weapons of the past 2 gens (including remakes from other gens) does not mean that the Player Character can use them all at once.
• Not Quite Flight: Winnoa can glide while holding the A Button.
• Old Save Bonus: A clear save from Poke Man 4 allows you to select Winnoa and Gardenia. One from Poke Man 2, Copper Copy allows both Misty and Bugsy.
• Production Throwback: Because Bugsy's weapon in Copper Copy was a Slide Attack, he not only keeps that but also regains Fury Cutter as his "basic" attack.
• Promoted to Playable: One Gym Leader from each of the mainline games to date; see Old Save Bonus above for details.
• Shared Life-Meter: Averted. Thornton and Argenta have their own life meters. And each of Anabel's and Brandon's forms have their own life meters.
• Utility Weapon: The below are exclusive to the playable Gym Leaders in question:
  • Bugsy's normal weapon, the Fury Cutter, loses its stacked-damage ability, but keeps its ability to break Cuttable barriers.
  • Gardenia's Grass Knot can latch onto rings and hooks.
• Villain: Exit, Stage Left: Palmer fills in for Buster Rod G. here and escapes when his HP reaches 0 in his stage. You fight him again in sequence with the Final Boss.

5th Generation

Gym Leaders

In Both 5 & 5-2:

• Burgh: His Bug Struggler is a Bee-Bee Gun that eats into not only grassy objects and concentration, but also the Work Up Armor, as it neutralizes its power-up abilities.
• Clay: His weapon is the Bulldozer Stomp.
• Drayden and Iris: They give you Dragon Tail, a Spin Attack that you have to Charge to use; and it's also only useful against one other boss per game anyway.
• Elesa: Her primary attack is the Volt Switch.
• Skyla: An Air Aided Acrobat whose primary method of attack is Ground Pounding, though she also makes use of Winnoa's Aerial Ace.

In Poke Man 5 only:

• Brycen: Gives Frost Breath.
• Chili: Gives Fire Pledge
• Cilan: Gives Grass Pledge
• Cress: Gives Water Pledge
• Lenora: Gives the Work-Up Gauntlets and the Protect Shield. Her stage is optional, but she'll still have her "re"match in League Stage 2. In the second game, her gear belongs to...

In Poke Man 5-2 only:

• Cheren: Also has the Work Up Gauntlets, though they work differently in this game, see Charged Attack.
• Marlon: Gives Scald Spray
• Roxie: Gives Venom Shock

Poke Man 5

• All the Worlds Are a Stage: League Fortress 1, which has portions based on the latter 5 Gym Leaders' stages, including the Leaders themselves.
• Amusement Park: Elesa's level in this game. And this stage will have a Rival Encounter at the Ferris Wheel unless they've all already taken place.
• Amplifier Artifact: The Work-Up Gauntlets in this game increase attack power across the board.
• Awesome, but Impractical: The Fusion Bolt you get from Zekrom is an actual energy attack as opposed to the Slide Attack that is Volt Switch. Likewise, Reshiram's Fusion Flare is twice as strong as Chili's Fire Pledge. However, both weapons consume 4 units of weapon energy vs Volt Switch's 1 unit and Fire Pledge's 2.
• Boss Bonanza: As per the original source material, wherein the Elite are in a Teleporter Room prior to the Champion rather than spread throughout the earlier fortress stages.
• Boss Rush: Split between League Fortresses 1, which deals with the latter 5 bosses linearly, much like in Poke Man 1, and the Dual Boss below. A more classic one is the Boss Game mission.
• Combination Attack: In their rematch, the Stration Triplets can use their Pledges to create field effects: Cilan & Chili combine for a shot that adds burn damage, Cilan & Cress combine to create a muddy patch on the floor, and Chili & Cress combine to create a flash on the screen. Furthermore, your shots can combine with theirs for the same effect (against you), so you'll have to use the other weapons to take them down.
• Dragon with an Agenda: As per the original source, Ghetsis is using N's crusade to try to set himself as a dictator.
• Dual Boss: The Stration Triplets fight against you as a group at the end of League Fortress 2. They're Friendly Fireproof to boot, so you can't Set a Mook to Kill a Mook. Indeed, if you even try, you end up with a Combination Attack as referenced above! This battle returns as part of the Boss Game mission which adds Drayden and Iris teaming up.
• Fighting Your Friend: A Not Brainwashed example also falling under More Hero than Thou: Cheren honestly thinks that he is the better battler so he sets himself as the boss of League Fortress 1; winner goes on to try to stop the bad guys.
• Level in the Clouds: Skyla's level, Mistralton Airport, which has you leaping from planes to clouds and back again. The battle against Skyla takes place on top of a long aircraft fuselage.
• Mirror Boss: In the League Fortress fight, Cheren has 8 of the 9 weapons (The exception is Drayden's/Iris' Dragon Tail) plus the optional Work Up Armor from Lenora.
• The Mole: One of the reasons why Pokemon Black and White and Mega Man 7 fit so well together. Of course, N has his Heel Face Turn at the end of his game (and this one); Bass merely became a Wild Card after 7.
• Protagonist-Centered Morality: In 3, The League reviving a Legendary to stop two others was deemed a bad idea. In this game, you reviving a Legendary to stop one is considered a reasonable solution.
• Purely Aesthetic Gender: In addition to the Player Characters' normal usage, both of the Dragon-type Gym Leaders have the exact same defense tables.
• Route Boss: Whether you fight Drayden, Reshraim, and N-krom, or Iris, Zekrom, and N-raim, depends on the order you fight your rivals over the course of the gameplay.
• Secret Level: Lenora's Museum is unlocked by obtaining all 3 of the Trio keys. Several Post-Game Levels are accessible by picking up the 6 Major Keys, including one in Lenora's level.
• Shout-Out: League Fortress Stage 1 serves as one to Pokemon Stadium 2 which has the respective elements in the portions of the stage representing the respective Gym Leader. Burgh gets his own sub-level as well.
• Underground Level: The Driftveil Mines, where Clay Hangs out.

Poke Man 5- 2

• Bag of Spilling: Cheren. Being employed as a Basic Gym Leader required him to give up the weapons from the last game as well as his weakness profile, swapping the latter out for a straight-up "Normal" one. The only thing he has left from his previous adventure is the Work Up Armor... which became his "weapon".
• Boss Bonanza: Cheren comes back for the mid-game "World Tournament" stage. And joining him are Hugh, Bianca, the former Plasma sage Rood, and this Dr. Colress fellow...
• Boss Rush: All 8 Gym Leaders are in the teleporter room this time while the Elite are scattered throughout the approach.
• Charged Attack: In addition to Drayden's Dragon Tail, this is how Roxie's Venom Shock works.^note Due to the fact that there's not really a way to inflict Poison Status in this game. Sadly, you cannot unlock this ability until after you beat Cheren. When you do, though, you'll also be able to charge up the Mega Buster... in lieu of the Amplifier Artifact.
• Dash Attack: How Elesa uses Volt Switch in this game. She often uses it as an air dash before she Turns Red. It's still a Slide Attack for you, though.
• Minecart Madness: Clay has expanded the Driftveil mines in this game to incorperate this. And where the carts don't run, you usually have Conveyer Belts instead. Watch for falling rocks.
• Recurring Location: About half of the areas have both the same bosses and the same themes as the previous game, though some stages have been Remixed. This includes the Great Chasm, which was a Brutal Bonus Level in the prior installment but is plot-important this time.
• Same Character, But Different: Played straight with Cheren per Bag of Spilling above. Downplayed with Elesa as, while she looks different, she still has the same attacks, just different patterns.
• Shed Armor, Gain Speed/Turns Red: Elesa's new trick is a cape which blocks shots to her rear and allows her to glide across the screen as needed. When she gets down to half health, she sheds it and just leaps across the screen.
• Utility Weapon: Ice cubes in this game can be melted away by Marlon's Scald Spray. While it may seem unintiutive on the surface, when one realizes the spray consists of boiling water...
• Villain Forgot to Level Grind: Downplayed with Elesa as, while her damage tables are the same as last time, she did convert her Volt Switch into an Air-Dash Attack (see above). Played straight with the other returning leaders, though. Also Downplayed by Ghetsis as, even if you had Sacred Sword at this time, his weakness to it is reduced such that it's only as strong as Aerial Ace or Scald Spray... which he got suceptable enough to that they're as good as charged shots now. Iris also downplays this as she's not as weak to Glaciate as she was to Frost Breath, nor to Dragon Tail for that matter, but they each also hit as much as a charged shot. She did get slightly weaker to Sacred Sword, though...

Poke Man: World Legends

Unlike the equivalent game, instead of having 4 Gym Leaders from Sinnoh and 4 from Unova, there's 2 each from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, with 1 of each per group:

Gym Leaders in the First Set

• Misty: Gives Water Pulse
• Jasmine: Gives Iron Tail.
• Norman: Gives Strength Blast: a fully-charged Buster Shot that can break down some walls.
• Volkner: Gives Charge Beam

Gym Leaders in the Second Set

• Sabrina^note and Mewtwo: Gives Psystrike
• Falkner^note and Lugia: Gives Aero Blast, ending Falkner's streak of not getting a weapon of his element.
• Winnoa^note and Rayquaza: Gives Draco Meteor
• Fantina^note and Giratina: Gives Shadow Force

Canon Foreigners

• En and Madoka, the informants of Lance's task force. The former doesn't give up any weapons, but the latter gives up Sand Storm.

Other Tropes

• Boss Bonanza: Morty, Whitney, and Erika are all in Lance's Fortress. And, no, you don't get their weapons.
• Boss Rush: Between Erika and Lance, you have to fight the first set of Gym Leaders again.
• Dishing Out Dirt: Madoka's Sand Storm, a Weather attack that hits the entire screen.
• Excuse Plot: Fleshed out a bit better: Lance is taking over Unova with Legendary Pokemon!
• Powers via Possession: Averted. Sometime between Poke Man 2 and now, the League was somehow able to overcome this problem; hence how Lance thinks he can take over Unova.
• Same Character, But Different: As opposed to the advance force, the primary attack force has different weapons and weaknesses than their original forms, because their template each includes a legendary. You receive the (then-)signature attack of the legendary in question.
• Tele-Frag: Shadow Force is this when used by Fantina. When you use it, it's just another Slide Attack.

Poke Man 6

Gym Leaders and Scientists

• Clemont: Gives Thunder Bolt to Calem/Serena. In the POV Flip, he's the Shopkeeper.
• Grant: Gives Rock Tomb to Calem/Serena. In the POV Flip, gives the Aerodactylite.
• Korinna: Gives Power-Up Punch to Calem/Serena and Triple Kick to Tierno. In the POV Flip, she's the Player Character, leaving her grandfather Gurkinn to bestow the Lucarionite.
• Olympia: Gives the Mind Armor to Calem/Serena.^note In this game, enhances/protects against Ice Beam, Thunder Bolt, Grass Knot, and Dazzling Gleam; it also enhances Infestation Cloud but does not protect against it.
• Ramos: Gives Grass Knot to Calem/Serena and Petal Dance to Tierno.
• Valerie: Gives Dazzling Gleam to Calem/Serena and Tierno. In the POV Flip, gives the Mawilite.
• Viola: Gives the Infestation Cloud to Calem/Serena and the Quiver Suit^note Equivalent to Mind Armor to Tierno.
• Wulfric: Gives the Ice Beam to Calem/Serena. In the POV Flip, gives the Abomasnowite.

• Aliana: Gives Flame Charge to Calem/Serena and the Dragon Suit^note Equivalent to Bulk Armor and Melded with Protect Shield to match the Quiver Suit to Tierno.
• Byrony: Gives Bulldoze Stomp to Calem/Serena and Tierno.
• Celosia: Gives Poison Jab to Calem/Serena and Tierno. In the POV Flip, gives the Manectricite.
• Mable: Gives the Bulk Armor^note In this game, enhances/protects against Rock Tomb, Flame Charge, Bulldoze Stomp, Poison Jab, and Power-Up Punch, to Calem/Serena and Fiery Dance to Tierno. In the POV Flip, gives the Houndoomite.

The Main Game

• All Your Base Are Belong to Us: When you enter Clemont's stage, you don't teleport in, but rather walk in from Sycamore Labs, stage left.
• Amplifier Artifact: The Bulk and Mind Armors are back. Tierno gets his own versions of each.
• Apocalypse How: Yveltal's goal is Regional Human Extinction at a minimum.
• Assimilation Plot: This is Xerneas' goal.
• Barrier Change Boss: Clemont's sister, Bonnie, controls a mini-boss at the entrance to Prism Tower. You have to hit it at least once with each of the weapons you've gained at the time. If all you have is the standard buster, you'll catch her and Clemont in the middle of constructing it; since it's not yet operational, they abandon it. If you have Armor but no weapons, the duo are running tests on the machine, with Bonnie in the cockpit, but it blows up, taking it, and her, out of action.
• Big Bad Ensemble: Happens in a way similar to Poke Man 3, see Cutting Off the Branches. AZ seems like a Villian, but actually isn't.
• Bait-and-Switch Boss: League Stage 5 is set up as though you'll face off with Diantha here. It comes complete with Boss Rush. But at the end, Diantha pulls this Trope. Then again, savvy Tropers would probably think that this Trope would be in play considering what happened in the previous stage.
• Brainwashed and Crazy: A good number of the people fighting you in the Fortress Stages qualify.
• Brutal Bonus Level: Terminus Cave where Zygarde is.
• Cutting Off the Branches:
  • Team Flare always has Yveltal. However, Xerneas follows the Dianthia fight in League Stage 6.
  • In Tierno's story, although they split rival duties during the regular stages, Calem helps Tierno at Lysandre Labs, making Serena the boss of League Stage 5,^note Trevor & Shauna are moved up to League Stage 4.
• Dance Battler: Tierno. In the main scenario, it starts as an Informed Ability. In the Dual Boss in League Stage 5, though, he does display certain dancing lead-ins to attacks. He utilizes them when you play as him.
• Darker and Edgier: Installments 3-5 had some world-breaking consequences for failure, but they didn't quite reach this Trope due to those plots bordering on Cartoonish Supervillainy. Team Flare still has that aspect. However, The League's assimilation plot drops the game here, especially when they successfully brainwash your friends
• Dark Is Evil: Team Flare and Yveltal
• Deconstruction Fic/Internal Deconstruction: Of the Excuse Plot common to Both Source series. Specifically, what it takes to engineer a Mega Man-style fight against most of the important trainers in a Pokemon game.
• Double Reverse Quadruple Agent:
  • Emma ends up being one due to the fact that her battle suit was a Hypno Trinket made by Xerosic and Malva. Normally this would make her a standard, if Brainwashed, Double Agent, but...
  • Malva herself was brainwashed into delivering reports on Flare's actions to Dianthia. This was after she was bought out by Flare.
• Dual Boss: The Boss of League Stage 5 in Calem and Serena's route, League Stage 4 in Tierno's.
• Grappling-Hook Pistol: Clemont's Aipom Arm, just in case you were thinking about hitting him with his weakness.
• Heroes "R" Us: This time, you're part of a group of heroes gathered under Dr. Sycamore... and he needs it because in addtion to Flare, the League has actually gone rogue this time!
• It's All Upstairs From Here: Prism Tower, Clemont's fortress in the middle of Lumiose City.
• It's Up to You:
  • In the main game, you'll have to take down both teams. Sina and Dexio help you out against Flare and rescue Emma, but your friends fail to take down the League and are themselves Brainwashed.
  • Downplayed in Tierno's route: He only has to face 4 of the Gym Leaders^note Clemont, Grant, Olympia, and Wulfric are handled by your allies, though he does face them in League Stage 5 along with the other 4, but still faces all of the Team Flare Scientists. As for the Fortress Stages, see the spoilers in the second sub-entry in Cutting Off The Branches.
• Let's Split Up, Gang!: When Lyandre and Diantha are about to attack after you clear the 12 main stages,^note 8 in Tierno's playthrough, see above, Dr. Sycamore sends you off with Dexio and Sina against Lyandre and the others against Diantha. It doesn't end well for the latter group.
• Light Is Not Good: The League and Xerneas.
• Mythology Gag: Clemont's machine at the Prism Tower entrance blowing up when you come with just Armor is one to the tendency of the inventions his anime incarntion makes to blow up.
• One-Winged Angel: Korrina, Lysandre, Diantha... and Serena/Calem when under Diantha's control.
• Roaming Enemy: All of the regular stage mini-bosses, except Alexa, Gurkinn, and Bonnie who are set in specific stages, are of the Schrodinger variant. Calem and Serena don't encounter a mini-boss on the first non-set stage while Tierno is spared Essentia's third encounter.
• Static Role, Exchangeable Character: Once again, Calem and Serena play exactly the same with the other being fought in friendly battles throughout the game. Plus one not-so-friendly. Downplayed when playing as Tierno, as the two aforementioned alternate Rival roles, though Calem is locked as the boss in the intro and Serena in League Stage 5.
• Superboss: Mewtwo, who is found in Wulfric's stage after you defeat AZ, though only in Calem & Serena's path. Unfortunately his Psychic Blast is not as useful as it normally is...
• The Evils of Free Will: This is what Xerneas is fighting, as opposed to Yveltal fighting against life in general.
• Those Two Guys: Sina and Dexio don't do much other than provide you with supplies... at least onscreen...
• Variant Power Copying: Tierno gains dance-themed versions of the Gym and Scientist powers in his storyline.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Had a third game been made with the upgrades to Zygarde eventually put into Pokémon Sun and Moon, Dr. Sycamore, along with Dexio and Sina, would've been set in Terminus Cave attempting to awaken Zygarde in case you had failed. They would have succeeded and so you have to stop them. This was refitted into Korinna's playthrough below.
  • A scenario where you played as Essentia was considered but rejected.

The Successor's Story

• Another Side, Another Story: This time, you play the role of Korinna, the Marquess le Rumble.
• Cipher Scything: Averted, you fight both Calem and Serena. See Mythology Gag below for details.
• Double Jump: Korinna can do this with certain Mega Evolutions that use Hi-Jump Kick.^note Specifically Aerodactyl and Charizardite Y.
• Just Following Orders: Going from this story, it seems that the Gym Leaders were basically this in the main story. This POV leaves Diantha's situation intentionally vague.
• Kick Chick: Korinna's Up-B set of attacks are kicks, and the leg usually sweeps very high...
• Level in Reverse: Trevor holds down the fort at Sycamore Labs, so the first part of his stage is the first part of Clemont's backwards, including walking in from the Prism Tower entrance.
• Locomotive Level: Serena's stage, The Kiloude Express. The boss battle takes place on solid ground, however.
• Mook Promotion: Because Korinna is the Player Character for this run, her grandfather, Gurkinn, is the one she has to challenge at the Tower of Mastery.
• Mythology Gag:
  • The 4 Mega Stones stored at Sycamore's lab, plus the one the rival had, are distributed per the Pokémon adaptations:
    • Charizard X and Absol were given to Calem and Serena respectively, echoing Pokémon Adventures.
    • Venusaur, Charizard Y, and Blastoise were given to Shauna, Trevor, and Tierno respectively, echoing Pokémon the Series: XY.^note Even though Trevor was the only one with a Key Stone in the Anime...
  • After you buy enough at the shop, Bonnie drops in to try to hook you up with Clemont.^note Granted, Bonnie never did this to Korinna in the Anime itself; this is more of a general acknowledgement of Bonnie's Anime character. Clemont doesn't say anything; instead just uses his Aipom Arm to take Bonnie back to the back room before returning to business. Said Aipom Arm is then available for purchase.
• Rollerblade Good: Korinna's Down-B is used to activate (or retract) her inline skates. Rolling at speed causes her to inflict Collision Damage based on her current stone much like Nitro Man. Though, if it doesn't one-shot the enemy, she takes damage too.
• The Unfought: As they didn't have any mega-able Pokemon in their initial lineups, Viola, Ramos, Clemont, and Olympia are not in the main game but do contribute to cutscenes and, in Clemont's case, the item shop.^note Technically, neither did Grant, but his use of fossils was referenced by giving him Aerodactyl. They are part of the boss rush in Xenreas' Brutal Bonus Level, though. The same with Wikstrom, Drasna, and Siebold, even though they have mega-able Pokemon and Malva didn't.
• The Very Definitely Final Dungeon: Terminus Cave, which was a Brutal Bonus Level in the original game.

The Alola Duology

Tropes present in both versions

• Adaptational Explanation: In the source, the Tota are Pokemon infused with Z-Power, though how they got their powers is unexplained. In these games, the Tota were an experiment of the Aether Foundation; hence why Lusamine has duplicates of them in her chamber.
• Another Side, Another Story: Gladion gets his own version of the story in both games, with few bosses overlapping in the first act. The stories merge at Skull Chateau, however.
• Boss Bonanza: Each game and path has at least 1 set of bosses in a teleporter stage that they did not fight in their playthrough. The Tota in PMG for Gladion, the Captains in all other cases.
• Going Down with the Ship: When Lusamine opens the Wormhole, Dr. Faba orders an evacuation of Aether Paradise. He insists on staying behind, though in PM7 you later find out that he was compiling the data the Foundation collected for his true boss.
• Guys Smash, Girls Shoot/Short Range Guy, Long Range Guy: Gladion's basic weapon is the sword while Sun's and Moon's is a chargable blaster. In Poke Man & Gladion, the blaster is less powerful than the Null Sword, but can use all of the elements. In Poke Man 7, the uncharged blaster is almost as powerful as the sword but can't utilize as many elements.
• Heroes Prefer Swords: Half right. In this case, it's an Antihero that wields a blade. And, in 7, an Anti-Villain.
• Mini-Mecha: There are various receiving platforms throughout the stages much like in Mega Man X3 where the player can call Pokemon to help. Of course, you have to earn/find the Pokemon first...
• Not That Kind of Doctor: Dr. Faba is neither a medical doctor nor a chief Pokemon Professor, though he does research Pokemon. Though not necessarily for Aether...
• Shout-Out: The Adaptation Name Change from Shady House to Skull Chateau. Seriously, between the name of the Team occupying it and the other half of the fusion, how could they not?
• Sky Surfing: The main player flies on Charizard during aerial stages. Gladion gets a Crobat.
• Unexpected Shmup Level: Returns after a 3 game absence in Poke Man & Gladion's Aether Paradise 1. This level is retained in Poke Man 7.

Bosses Encountered

Because there are so many bosses between the 4 modes, this list will list the bosses by (primary) element:

• Warm-Up Boss: Chieftain Gumshoos, Ilima (PM7)
• Non-Elemental: Pulverizing Snorlax, Ilima (PMG)
• Making a Splash: Lana, Split Wishiwashi, Shield Araquanid, Siren Primarina, Tapu Fini
• Playing with Fire: Kiawe, Agile Salazzle, Firebrand Marowak
• Green Thumb: Mallow, Ravenous Lurantis, Tapu Bulu
• Shock and Awe: Sophocles, Echoing Vikavolt, Rolling Togdemaru, Psysurfer Raichu, Lightning Xurkitree, Tapu Koko
• Soul Power: Acerola, Sniper Decidueye
• The Fair Folk: Mina, Charade Mimikyu, Fluttering Ribombee, Tapu Lele
• Our Dragons Are Different: Cacophonous Kodom-o
• Casting a Shadow: Stealth Raticate, Nanu, Malicious Incineroar, Gluttonous Guzzlord
• Supernatural Martial Arts: Hala
• Gemstone Assault: Twilight Lyancroc, Olivia

Pokeman & Gladion

• Asteroids Monster: When Split Wishiwashi's health is down to 7, he splits into 7 regular Wishiwashi,^note If the hit puts Split below 7 HP, the number of Wishiwashi equal the number of HP; each with 1 HP. And Collision Damage.^note Though only about a third as strong as the combined form...
• Cipher Scything: Like in Poke Man 5 and unlike 6, Gladion's story arc removes the Player Character, setting Ilima, Molayne, and Dr. Kukui himself to sub in for his fights.
• Dark Is Not Evil: Nanu is a Kahuna and seeks to help the Player Character. His opposition to Dr. Kukui's League is out of fear that this would offend the Tapu... which it does.
• Green Hill Zone: Verdant Cavern for Sun/Moon.
• Level in Reverse: Gladion's intro stage is just Aether Paradise 2 reversed; and with fewer enemies and Spikes.
• Plot Tunnel: Gladion gets saddled with one, as he doesn't have access to a shop from when he takes down the last Kahuna/Captain to after Aether Paradise. Sun/Moon can't access stages between Skull Chateau and Aether Paradise, but at least they can shop at Dr. Burnet's lab inbetween.
• Remixed Level: Verdant Cavern gets a whole lot harder when Beautiful Pheromosa comes to town. Also, Slashing Kartana occupies Skull Chateau Stage 1 after the wormholes open up.
• Shout-Out: Lusamine's rantings and ravings before her battle in Ultra Space 2 parallel similar ravings by Lumine in Megaman X8 before his battle on the Moon.
• Unwitting Pawn: Gladion turns out to be one as Team Skull (who hired him) turns out to be on Lusamine's take.

Poke Man 7

• Bait-and-Switch Boss: Playing as Sun/Moon: You'd expect a battle against Lusamine at the end of Aether Paradise 3. She does appear brandishing a sword like the one Gladion has,because it is his sword, but Guzma suddenly rushes you for an encore allowing her to create and pass through a wormhole to Ultra Space.
• Brought Down to Normal: Downplayed with Gladion, when Lusamine takes his Null Sword. She leaves him hers, however, with the Fairy, Electric, Grass, and Water Powers.^note She took down the Tapu when she was younger... He gets the Fire and Ghost powers back from Bursting Blacephalon, the Rock powers back from Assembling Stakataka, and the other powers back when he beats Lusamine at the Altar of Twilight, though he could also get the Ground powers back sooner via Zygarde.
• Heads I Win, Tails You Lose: Unlike the Bait and Switch above, at the end of Aether Paradise 3, Gladion does fight against Lusamine. If he wins, Guzma fires a stun shot In the Back so that Lusamine can take Gladion's Full Sword and then opens up the wormhole. If Gladion loses, he loses a life, but if he loses all of his lives, Lusamine takes his sword and tells Guzma to take Gladion somewhere safe; if you select Continue, the story continues from there.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: The reason why Dr. Kukui fortified Mt. Lanakila in the first place was because he was tipped off to Dr. Faba's alliegence to outside forces. Sure enough, after you take down that fortification, Giovanni Hijacks the plot.
• Possession Implies Mastery: Deconstructed offscreen: Lusamine beleives that, just because a (nearly) Full Sword has the elements required to defeat Necrozma, it'll be cinch for her to do so. She should be lucky that she's just Brainwashed into trying to destroy her own world....
• 13 Is Unlucky: There are 13 Tota in this game with only 2 faced by both Sun/Moon and Gladion until Aether Fortress 3...
• Unwitting Pawn: Gladion for Lusamine again: She wanted him to collect as many powers into his sword as possible^note including the Dark and Bug powers before taking it back to battle Necrozma.
• Villain: Exit, Stage Left: At Aether Paradise 2 on Gladion's route, Faba leaves when his health is at 1/4. This is so that Gladion can't get the Psychic power from him. By the time he defeats Faba for real, he already has that power from Mewtwo.