This year’s Pokémon Presents took place on February 27, 2024, more commonly referred to by Pokémon fans as Pokémon Day. The president and CEO of The Pokémon Company, Tsunekazu Ishihara, hosted a Pokémon Presents video that revealed new and exciting news for Pokémon. This event was crucial this year for the brand as it followed frustrations with the performance of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and the reception of Palworld, a smash hit of a competitor so far.
It started with a short statement from Ishihara that reflected on the evolution of Pokémon from its origins to its integration into various aspects of daily life, as well as committing to ongoing innovation and inviting others to continue their Pokémon adventures.
“Our adventures with Pokémon, which started with the simple fun of collecting, trading, and battling in the Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green games, have expanded to fit into so many facets of daily life, including walking and sleeping. We’ll keep challenging ourselves to create new ways to enjoy Pokémon, and we hope you’ll continue your adventures with us,” said Ishihara.
Small announcements like the Pokémon trading card game getting a mobile app as well as previous mobile apps getting updates were made. However, the most anticipated news was the announcement of a new game, which many people had previously suspected as a new Legends game, similar to Pokémon: Legends Arceus.
This turned out to be correct with the mysterious reveal of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The trailer for the game started with a folder labeled confidential and a mysterious symbol most likely related to this game’s ‘evil’ team. Filled to the brim with a lot of blueprints, both on paper and holographic there’s not much that can be gathered from the trailer. However, it will be a sequel to the sixth generation of the franchise, Pokémon X and Y, and is set to release in 2025.
There was some disappointment and shock from fans. Many had believed the new game would be a sequel for the fifth generation, Pokémon Black And White as well as Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. Regardless, fans are still excited for the reintroduction of a beloved generation as well as mega-evolution, a game mechanic that remains a favorite for many.
“I can’t wait for the game. I’ve been waiting for them to reintroduce mega-evolution since X and Y first came out. Z-moves and Dynmaxing are cool but don’t compare. I don’t know how it’s going to work, but being able to travel Kalos again is going to be amazing,” said sophomore Alex Gonzalez-Lopez
Many speculate that there are three reasons GameFreak reintroduced this beloved generation and game mechanics.
For one, recent games have been poorly received. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Since its release, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have been littered with bugs that to this day have not been completely patched. This was made worse by the questionable graphics. As for Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, many criticized the game for sup-par changes, design choices, and the removal of certain aspects from Pokémon Platinum.
The overall poor reception has reduced the hype for more Pokémon games, and with the removal of Ash Ketchum from the anime the hype for Pokémon products in general has dropped. Moreover, the rise of Palworld, what many have called a Pokémon with guns has been found more enjoyable than Pokémon itself. It has even overtaken Pokemon on Twitch for its viewer count and amount of streamers daily.
However, this remains speculation as The Pokémon Company has not addressed any of these claims. Yet, even with the speculations fans eagerly wait for the future of the franchise, and hope that Pokemon Legends: Z-A can bring a positive change to the franchise.
