As with previous installments, both games follow the journey of a young Pokémon trainer (and the trainer's friends ) as they train Pokémon. This time, the games take place in the Kalos region —based on France —with the objective being to thwart the schemes of the nefarious criminal organization Team Flare, all while attempting to challenge the Pokémon League Champion. X and Y introduced 72 new Pokémon species, and includes new features such as the new Fairy type, character customization, updated battle and training mechanics, and completely rendered polygonal 3D graphics (as opposed to the sprites used in previous generations). A new form of Pokémon evolution, known as " Mega Evolution," allows players to further evolve many species of fully evolved Pokémon, with 30 of these evolutions currently available. Both titles are independent of each other, but feature largely the same plot, and while either can be played separately, trading Pokémon between the two games is, as with past titles, necessary in order for a player to obtain every Pokémon species.
Upon release, X and Y received positive reviews from critics who praised the advancements in the gameplay and innovations that the developers brought to the franchise. The games ' visuals and transition to 3D models were well-received by critics; however, the story was regarded as poor for an RPG title. The highly anticipated games were a commercial success, selling four million copies worldwide in the first weekend, beating Black and White 's record and making them the fastest - selling games on the 3DS. As of March 31, 2018, a combined 16.29 million copies have been sold, making X and Y the second best- selling games on the system.
