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Speculation Gen 9 Predictions (Development predictions, New Regions, Version names)

Dutch Pikachu has been around for a long time, way before the Legends Treehouse video, IIRC it was part of a set of 5 collectibles - Japanese, Chinese, American, British and Dutch.

I really doubt it was intended as a mystery clue to Gen 9. :unsure:
You're right. It's from a 2016 plush set called Pikachu Around the World.

 
I feel it's more likely to be Italy because of that one picture in BDSP

However, GameRant says it could be India: https://gamerant.com/pokemon-legends-arceus-generation-9-region-india-teasers-evidence/
It's a really weak connection for India. Laventon's clothes are distinctly European and Indian elephants were introduced to England hundreds of years before Legends takes place.

And I am very doubtful of that painting being a hint either. Game Freak didn't develop BDSP, and I doubt they would've instructed ILCA to drop an Italy hint in there.
 
What do you think the most likely region is?
I'd say Australia. The opportunity for New Zealand DLC would be cool as well.
I really couldn't say that anywhere is more likely than anywhere else at this point... just not enough evidence in favor of any particular place.

This theory is almost compelling- Is the next Pokemon game set in California? Gen 9 location rumor goes viral
But at the same time, it seems that Masuda knew what they were getting at and could have just as likely thrown a red herring answer.

Soooo... yeah, I don't think we're anywhere close to narrowing it down. Australia would be cool, though. A lot of popular animals there and 80% of Australia's wildlife are unique to Australia. If they're ambitious, they could sorta attempt Gen 5 again with the region mostly only having new pokemon, except now they can throw in some regional variants too.
 
Unrelated to region speculation but I'm optimistic about this series if trends are to be followed. Since the DS era the first main-series game on a new system isn't as good as the second game - to me at least BW was better than DPPT and USUM was better than XY. Pokemon Legends: Arceus seems to be considered a fantastic game to many currently which I hope is a good sign of things to come with the next generation. Though I do hope they take some time to polish it instead of crunching their developers.
 
Considering the Battle Zone is the south Sakhalin....
I would love a Siberian influence!!

Though frankly I don't want to try Russia quite yet. Personally either central europe, or the balkans. Greece, anyone?

My personal pet theories are, however, either former Czechoslovakia or former Yugoslavia, basically one pokemon league spread across multiple small regions.
 
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Not only from the pikachu plush (which was dressed like a Dutch peasant) in the treehouse video that announced legends: arceus,
Have we ever actually had any plushie hint to a new region? I feel like it's a common fan idea, but I've never seen it come to fruition.
 
Have we ever actually had any plushie hint to a new region? I feel like it's a common fan idea, but I've never seen it come to fruition.
This was the only time that I can think of-



But it was an obvious tease from the official twitter account after the games had already been announced.
 
They could do some interesting stuff with former USSR control, although they would have to make the team "not politicial".
Belarus could be cool.

My idea was punks vs goths or metalheads vs rappers, with the real antagonists just being a bunch of regular trainers motivated by nostalgia gone wrong (which is fairly universal). Also, corrupt pokemon league (which could be done anywhere).

Also, Baltic sea or Finland. Romania too.
 
No. The reasons for this are rather complex. But rest assured they would have a better payoff.

First, the game's art style is a direct throwback to GENs III-V. The human characters, Pokemon, and just general art are deliberate throwbacks. There are throwbacks to GEN I, but those are less obvious.

Second is the story and the themes: a metafictional acknowledgement of pokemon's ability to impact a person's childhood, the games have themes of identity, death, and to a limited degree existentialism. In a more literal sense, it actually takes place in the original timeline from RBY-B2W2 and the climax of the game sees that timeline destroyed. the postgame takes place in the XY-current timeline.

Thirdly, genwunners are actually the most infamous manifestation of a phenomenon that actually affects every pokemon generation to some degree, and are in a lot of ways a stereotype in contemporary times. Most fanhaters these days use III-V as (incorrect) measuring sticks.

Fourthly, basing it around early 2000's/early 2010's nostalgia helps distance it from communism, which was still very much in living memory when RBY released. Also, the 90's are not looked on with much nostalgia in that part of the world for obvious reasons.

Fifthly, this time period is largely where pokemon as it is known today developed. Helps with the whole subversion thing.

Sixthly, these trainers are basically pokemon's equivalent of monolith from s.t.a.l.k.e.r, the only exception is instead of being brainwashed they instead are attempting to stave off the consequences of faustian wishes they made to the monolith (which in this case is an imprisoned form of the boxart legendary) by effectively using the XY timeline as a timeline equivalent of a sin-eater; their leader's wish is the very reason the original timeline still exists. Their leader is the "nice" (as in chooses the starter weak to yours) rival, though he/she (it's selectable) reveals his/her true colors in due time.
 
You're right. It's from a 2016 plush set called Pikachu Around the World.



Yeah, but that raises the question though

Why put in that Dutch one. Doesn't a German, Spanish or Italian one make more sense, cuz the Netherlands borders the UK by sea. Germany, Italy and Spain all have more inhabitants than the Netherlands.

I don't think a Dutch region isn't as farfetch'd as it sounds though, since we also need to take into account the history between the Dutch and the Japanese (Just like there is history between GB and Japan). I think a Netherlands region is more likely than any other European region at this point. Not only because of that plushie (Again, why the Netherlands, why not Spain or Italy, which would be much more interesting countries to get a plushie). But then again, the history thing comes into play.

Like, you can make Florges regional Variants based on Tulip colours. Deep Blue doesn't exist. Purple does. There are also Black Tulips. One of them was created by cross-breeding 2 Purple ones.

So the Purple Flower Florges can replace the Blue Flower Florges. Then they can make a rare Florges Variant, the Black Flower Florges, which you can only obtain by levelling up 2 Purple Flower Flabebe's in your party and both of them then combine into one Black Flower Flabebe.
 
Yeah, but that raises the question though

Why put in that Dutch one. Doesn't a German, Spanish or Italian one make more sense, cuz the Netherlands borders the UK by sea. Germany, Italy and Spain all have more inhabitants than the Netherlands.

I don't think a Dutch region isn't as farfetch'd as it sounds though, since we also need to take into account the history between the Dutch and the Japanese (Just like there is history between GB and Japan). I think a Netherlands region is more likely than any other European region at this point. Not only because of that plushie (Again, why the Netherlands, why not Spain or Italy, which would be much more interesting countries to get a plushie). But then again, the history thing comes into play.

Like, you can make Florges regional Variants based on Tulip colours. Deep Blue doesn't exist. Purple does. There are also Black Tulips. One of them was created by cross-breeding 2 Purple ones.

So the Purple Flower Florges can replace the Blue Flower Florges. Then they can make a rare Florges Variant, the Black Flower Florges, which you can only obtain by levelling up 2 Purple Flower Flabebe's in your party and both of them then combine into one Black Flower Flabebe.

I think people are focusing too much on that Dutch Pikachu and blatantly ignoring the fact that there's a Chinese one right there in the set as well. If they were supposed to be hints at upcoming regions, where's French and Hawaiian Pikachu?

Who knows what the significance of those countries really is, but it's kind of rude to imply that Netherlands isn't interesting enough to deserve a plushie, especially in favor of two overdone places such as Italy and Spain.
 
I think people are focusing too much on that Dutch Pikachu and blatantly ignoring the fact that there's a Chinese one right there in the set as well. If they were supposed to be hints at upcoming regions, where's French and Hawaiian Pikachu?

Who knows what the significance of those countries really is, but it's kind of rude to imply that Netherlands isn't interesting enough to deserve a plushie, especially in favor of two overdone places such as Italy and Spain.

The picture Masuda tweeted has had a Dutch one alongside Unova, GB, Japan and Kalos. But the Chinese one was missing there.

However, i am not saying Gen 9 is gonna be the Netherlands (Seriously doubt that, although Gamefreak could have visited the Netherlands after GB considering they are neighbours) but i do think Netherlands is the next European region. I think China or Australia are next (Preferably Australia, due to it being a continent we haven't visited yet).
 
The picture Masuda tweeted has had a Dutch one alongside Unova, GB, Japan and Kalos. But the Chinese one was missing there.

However, i am not saying Gen 9 is gonna be the Netherlands (Seriously doubt that, although Gamefreak could have visited the Netherlands after GB considering they are neighbours) but i do think Netherlands is the next European region. I think China or Australia are next (Preferably Australia, due to it being a continent we haven't visited yet).

Might want to look again. The China one is right there.

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Sooo, new topic related to Gen 9. What from Legends Arceus do you think will carry over to Gen 9 (to clarify, I mean the debut games of Gen 9 like what SwSh are to Gen 8, not a second Legends game in Gen 9)? LA's gameplay changes are revolutionary and well accepted so I think some of these features may end up being permanent changes to the formula, but they'll probably want to keep some of them exclusive so they can keep Legends going as a running subseries.

So here's what I think might stay for Gen 9:

-The EL system. It's so much more simplistic and accessible than EVs and IVs that I can't see them wanting to go back. There is an issue with having to convert old EVs and IVs to ELs, but they're no stranger to doing this in transfers (see: VC games to Gen 7)
-Strong Style/Agile Style. Everyone's been waiting for a shakeup to the battling like this for a while. Additionally, some of the new Hisuian evolutions use the Strong/Agile style system for their evolution methods, so they'll need to include this or else come up with something else in any future game those Pokemon appear in. It does sort of take the uniqueness out of battling away from LA, but I think future Legends games can go real time battling to compensate.
-Allowing you to switch movesets in the Pokemon menu without needing a Move Reminder. Major QoL improvement here.
-Seamless overworld battles. Just makes the games feel much more realistic by having them take place in the overworld instead of some random field that feels like it's in another dimension. I don't think anything else about the overworld battles such as being able to throw Poke Balls from the overworld to battle or Pokemon attacking the trainer will carryover, these mechanics make the game feel more like an ARPG and that could cannibalize future Legends games, but seamless overworld battles should stay.
 
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