It seems like ages since I’ve written aboutPokemon. After conducting roughly one thousand interviews at the Apex Legends Global Series and getting unbelievably into the new Apex season, I’ve been living in a battle royale world for the past month. But, with Pokemon news incoming and a friend persuading me to get back into competitive battles, I’d say monster catching is back on the menu, boys!
A special edition Pokemon Presents on Pokemon Day is sure to bring big news. As my colleague Eric Switzer already wrote,these livestreams usually bring huge announcements. We fully expect Monday’s announcements to reveal the year’s slate of Pokemon games, but what will they be?
Related:Nintendo Has Finally Realised The Switch Isn’t Just A Home Console
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet DLC
This seems like the most obvious reveal to come out of Monday’s livestream. Since Pokemon doesn’t do those third games any more – the Crystals, Emeralds, or… Lilacs? – DLC forScarlet & Violetis the more likely option. What could it entail?
More Pokemon is a given, but I could see an island territory like the Isle of Armor being added, and the area to the north of Paldea seems to be connected to another landmass. Paldea was home to some of Pokemon’s most moving stories in years, so I’m most looking forward to meeting new characters and creating new memories.
Pokemon Home Functionality
The DLC may bring more Pokemon to Paldea, so it seems like a good time to open Home for transfers, too. This isn’t a particularly exciting prediction, but I’m starting sensible.
Spin-Off Games
I think Pokemon Sleep won’t ever wake up at this point. However, I think the Pokken sequel will be announced on Monday, albeit potentially with a 2024 release date and soft launch through Japanese arcades like the original. Yes, I’m agreeing completely with TheGamer’sEditor-in-Chief Stacey Henley’s predictionthere, and I’m going to do it again right now: I think another Mystery Dungeon game seems likely, especially since Spike Chunsoft has been mentioned on Pokemon websites – check Eric’s feature linked in the second paragraph for more on that.
Both my fellow Features Editor Eric Switzer and Editor-in-Chief Stacey Henley are keeping their fingers tightly crossed for another New Pokemon Snap (or just an update, they’re not picky), I can’t see it happening. I loved the game as much as the next Pokemon fan, but it feels a bit niche compared to the other spin-off series like Mystery Dungeon and Legends (more on that later).
There will obviously be updates for Unite and the Pokemon mobile games too, but you don’t care about that, do you?
Pokemon Red & Blue On Switch
The announcement for Monday’s reveal trailer was accompanied by Kanto music, so speculation has been rife. We’re not getting another Kanto remake (please, no), but adding the OG Pokemon games to the Switch’s new Game Boy emulator seems like a no-brainer. We already half-expected this due to a specific removal of text from the Pokemon Stadium emulations, which may mean you’re able to also transfer Pokemon between the games upon release.
I’d love Gens 2 and 3 to be added too, but I’m not hopeful. A shadow drop of Red, Blue, and maybe even Yellow seems inevitable, however.
The Next Pokemon Remake
While some undoubtedly believe that the north of Paldea will connect to Kalos and therefore a Gen 6 remake is on the way, that’s not how The Pokemon Company works. The Unova remake is next on the list, but I don’t see that happening until 2024.
However, aLegends: Celebior similar follow-up to Arceus (which I see as an alternative Sinnoh remake in itself), could be on the cards. As much as I’d love another time-travelling, Poke Ball-yeeting Pokemon gameset in future-Johto, I do think Mystery Dungeon is more likely, and don’t see both happening. ALegendsannouncement likely won’t be accompanied by a release date, as I expect it to launch early next year, like Pokken, if at all.
Many fans are wishlisting a Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness remake, but I can confidently say that won’t happen. Gale of Darkness came about because Pokemon didn’t have a home console game. The majority of Pokemon games are now made for Nintendo’s home console, despite the fact thatthe developer is starting to realise the Switch is portable. There’s an outside chance the original could eventually come to the Switch via emulation, but I don’t think we’ll ever have a remake.
I’m hoping for something spicier from the event, but I think Pokemon will play it relatively safe. We’re not getting a Pokemon dating sim or Let’s Go Johto, as much as we’d play the h*ck out of both of those games. DLC, ports, and a new Legends announcement seems like a relatively meagre offering, though, so maybe we will get that Conquest sequel after all…
