Last year was big for thePokemonfranchise because it was the 25th anniversary ofPokemon RedandGreenreleasing in Japan. There were no plans for an entire series to span eight different generations of mainline titles and plenty of side games back then, yet this year marked a big turning point for the series thanks to the release ofPokemon Legends: Arceus. The testedPokemonformulaalways had a character travel through a given region to discover its Pokemon, list them in the Pokedex, and form bonds with these strange creatures by battling other trainers and trying to pursue the title of Champion.
AfterPokemon Legends: Arceus' success and the expectations placed on Generation 9Pokemongames, this year could be another big one - especially with a rumored DLC forPokemon Legends: Arceus. This also marks three years since the release of the last mainline title withPokemon SwordandShield, and many players believe that Generation 9 could very well come this holiday season, or at least see some teasers for next year. Amid that hype, a recentPokemonleak suggested something big is scheduled for April, leaving just what that might be up for speculation.
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The supposed insider, who goes by Riddler Khu, shared two images as clues for what the April announcement could be. One portrays Looker, and the other portrays Palmer. Looker is a detective for the International Police who comes to lose his memory as a result of being a “faller;” someone who travels through space and time, much likePokemon Legends: Arceus' Ingo, who is a character fromPokemon BlackandWhite. On the other hand, Palmer is the boss of the Battle Tower in Generation 4, and also the main rival Barry’s father.
A riddle that goes with the images states these pictures are meant to look like something, but only if players are not looking directly at them. This led to a number of theories, with some stating that it could be a hint at Generation 9 through the sum of the buttons on Looker and Palmer’s coats, and others stating that Palmer’s coat has the Japanese kanji for “king” on its back, possibly alluding to “Pokemon King and Queen” for Gen 9. Other theories regardingGeneration 9Pokemongamessee the titles as “Pokemon Sight and Touch” because Looker’s prime sense is sight, whereas Palmer could stand for the palm of the hand.
More theories stray from mainline releases, with Looker possibly being a hint for the return ofDetective Pikachu 2on Switch, and Palmer as anewPokemon Stadiumgameto allow thePokemoncompetitive scene to go on beyondSwordandShield. It’s also been heavily rumored that this year will be the last forSwordandShield’s dominance as the only competitive hub around, so a newPokemon Stadiumgame could change that. Another possibility is that Looker represents a clue for a newPokemon Mystery Dungeongame or the remake on Switch, whereas Palmer stands for a competitive feature coming toPokemon Legends: Arceusinstead.
The latter doesn’t seem feasible precisely because of the game’s mechanics, which are not fully built for a competitive title and becausePokemon Legends: Arceuslacks a breadth of monster options. It’s not impossible thatPokemonfans will return to the Orre region fromPokemon ColosseumandPokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, however. There are many possibilities the franchise could explore, and most of them make sense to a degree, but fans will have to wait and see what comes.
