Feb 28

Feb 28 Pokémon Day Presents 2022 and Gen IX

Yesterday on Pokémon Day (aka 27 February), the Pokémon Company announced a lot of exciting new content for the various games based on the hit RPG series. Fans of Pokémon Go, Pokémon Café Remix, Pokémon Unite, and Pokémon Masters EX all have new content coming, as well as special events connected to Pokémon Day.

Pokémon Go is getting the Alolan Pokémon and variants starting tomorrow, 1 March
Pokémon Café Remix is getting new Pokémon, a new delivery system, and a puzzle mode later this year
Pokémon Unite has a new battle mode and will soon add Duraludon as one of the playable characters
Pokémon Masters EX is adding a ton of new trainers in the coming months, with May, Skyla, and Raihan joining the game starting today, 28 February

The more mainline Pokémon games have a lot of exciting news, too.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl is introducing Professor Oak to the game via a Mystery Gift available now. You use that gift to encounter the mythical grass-type Pokémon Shaymin.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus has a brand new update announced and released yesterday that seems more like a DLC. Called Daybreak, the update introduces Pokémon battles at the Training Ground, where you previously went for story scenes and to teach your Pokémon new moves. There are also new Mass Outbreaks happening that appear to be filled with nothing but Alpha Pokémon. If you use the code “ARCEUSADVENTURE,” you receive 30 Ultra Balls, 30 Gigaton Balls, and 30 Jet Balls for free.

For fans of the anime, the Hisui region is going to get its own online animated series later this year. I love the lore in Arceus so I’m down for more stories from that world.

The biggest news of all was the official announcement of the ninth Generation of Pokemon. Pokémon Scarlet & Violet will come out near the end of 2022. The video showed off the new region, which might be inspired by Spain. This is supposed to be a fully open-world 3D game with no loading screens between the different areas of the world. It has the same art style as Arceus, which I really enjoy. Not every game needs photorealistic graphics and I’d be terrified of what that would look like for Pokemon. Magikarp is scary enough, thank you.

The announcement also teased the three new starter Pokémon. Sprigatito is a grass-type cat. Fuecoco is a fire-type crocodile. Quaxly is a water-type duckling. Every generation I say I’m not going to start with the water-type and then every generation they release a water type that is either so cute or so bizarre that I have to go with it. I think I did originally go with Rowlet for Sun & Moon and then felt guilty and restarted my playthrough with Oshawott.

I digress.

We don’t have a lot of other details to go off of yet. The trailer did not show off the new legendary Pokémon. I only spotted one species I did not recognize at all and apparently it’s a Pokémon from Sword & Shield I just never saw (or mentally blocked out) before. Better Pokémon researchers than me are already using building designs and the brief glimpse of a map on the wall to pinpoint the exact location of the game.

I’m very excited for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Arceus’ open-world design is so much fun to play with. My only hesitation is I am notorious for getting lost in Pokémon games. In the long long ago, when Gameboy graphics were limited to green on green, I had an excuse for getting turned around in these games. I really don’t with how clear the maps and graphics are now, but I find a way. If they keep the map flagging/navigation system from Arceus, I should be okay. Maybe. It’s still hit or miss.

You can watch the full Pokémon Day Presents broadcast here.