UPDATE
Are you up for a return to Unova? Or would you rather go someplace else? Let us know in the comments below!
ORIGINAL STORY
The state of the Pokemon franchise is very interesting. On the one hand, the series is still riding off the 2022 that they had, which saw record sales in many respects. However, their beloved mobile title seems to be trickling off with its profits, the main anime has ended and been replaced, and The Pokemon Company isn’t on the best terms with fans. If you’re not sure why that is, you clearly haven’t played Gen 9 and seen all the bugs that have yet to be fixed. However, despite that, Pokemon Black and White has been pegged as the “key to the future” for the mainline titles.
Confused? You wouldn’t be alone on that front. This all started when a famous Poke-leaker dropped clues about what might be coming next. If you recall, they said the upcoming DLC would “tease the future” via its next mainline title. Fast forward a bit and one person said they “cracked the code” of the leaker, and the leaker quoted their tweet and basically confirmed that we’re heading back to Unova.
Obviously, this isn’t confirmed by any stretch of the imagination, but it is something that many fans are taking seriously for one reason or another. But what does it mean that we’re “returning to Unova”? The easy answer is that we’d get a remaster/remake for Pokemon Black and White, but the leaker said it wasn’t that simple.
They hinted that this would be a new title, and that has people thinking that it could be a game in the style of Pokemon Legends Arceus. While a bold move at the time, the game set the tone for Gen 9 and changed the gameplay mechanics of the series in a way that many people enjoyed and want to return to.
In that vein, that would mean that a legendary Pokemon from Unova would have to be the focus. We’re not sure which one they’d pin the game on, but there are a few options.
The irony here is that Gen V isn’t the most beloved entry in the franchise. They were one of two entries that got true sequel titles, but both weren’t as well received as past and future entries. Many even saw it as the “last stop” before a significant jump was made. Sure enough, Gen 6 saw the arrival of 3D graphics for the mainline titles.
Again, this is all speculation and rumor, but given the state of things, it could happen.