Generation VI: The Future

[Morningstar]

I think all the speculation regarding what the next main series games are going to be can be summed up with one question: Why did Game Freak decide to reveal a Generation VII Pokemon two years ago?

You talking about Zygarde or Volcanion?

Those two are Generation VI Pokemon.

Yes, I'm well aware of that, but Zygarde has no importance to X/Y's plot compared to Rayquayza, Kyurem and Giratina and Vocanion hasn't been released yet, and I have no Idea what Scarftail was talking about when he meant Generation 7 pokemon

 

[WallflowerCanyon]

Random crack-theory, but that would be kind of hilarious if the Strange Souvenir Backpacker turns out to be your player character in Super Mystery Dungeon, and the "awesome region" he was referring to is the world that the Mystery Dungeon games take place in. Him speaking to you would be like a weird way of breaking the 4th wall to the audience that's playing X/Y who will eventually start playing SMD.

At the very least though, I think the Strange Souvenir and the Backpacker that gives it to you is Game Freak's way of letting the fans know that the Pokémon franchise isn't quite done just yet. Gen 7 doesn't have to be introduced "right away" because of that little tidbit in the games, as much as it mystifies me I would welcome a year break for now. Because to be honest, with 700+ 'mons thus far and the franchise as a whole being 20 years old has made me wonder if the franchise will start coming to a close pretty soon. I would honestly be very, very surprised if we even make it to Gen 8. That's just my personal assumption, though.

 

[Hidden Mew]

At the very least though, I think the Strange Souvenir and the Backpacker that gives it to you is Game Freak's way of letting the fans know that the Pokémon franchise isn't quite done just yet. Gen 7 doesn't have to be introduced "right away" because of that little tidbit in the games, as much as it mystifies me I would welcome a year break for now. Because to be honest, with 700+ 'mons thus far and the franchise as a whole being 20 years old has made me wonder if the franchise will start coming to a close pretty soon. I would honestly be very, very surprised if we even make it to Gen 8. That's just my personal assumption, though.

As long as the games keep selling well enough, I can see them continuing the franchise for quite a long time. Other video game franchises started earlier than Pokemon and are still going strong thirty years later, so I don't see how going on for this long and having so many Pokemon would signal any ending. Besides that, they could just continue with smaller amounts of new Pokemon for the next few generation like they did with the sixth generation if they didn't want to make the amount of Pokemon significantly higher, which I wouldn't be necessarily against if they produce as many good designs like they did in this generation.

 

[jackatlasred]

So I'm thinking f they dont release much information during the movie the main games might not come out soon

 

[Scarftail]

I would find it very unfortunate if the Strange Souvenir ended up meaning something as simple as confirmation that a new generation is in development, as if that wasn't inevitable. I also severely doubt it's nothing more than tourist dialogue to simply add flavor to the Kalos hotels. I feel that egging us to think there might be new Pokemon and a new region in the near future (in multiple ways) is far too much for mere worldbuilding. Isn't the natural reaction to expect something out of this? I think the million-dollar question is why they went out of their way to even foreshadow the next generation in the first place, especially at the very beginning of the current generation. Clearly, it must be special in some way.

...or all of this doesn't actually equate to a change in formula and Game Freak are massive trolls.

I'm not just going to ignore Zygarde in my speculation. The only way to give it relevance in the future without rendering the frankly explicit foreshadowing superfluous or flat-out false is to either give it DLC events in XY (which would require the player to update their system if the save data is accessed on another 3DS that doesn't have the update downloaded a la Super Smash Bros.) or to release its games in the next generation. Otherwise, the Strange Souvenir's singular purpose will be to hype up a new generation four years in advance or mean nothing simply to barely give Kalos more characterization. Let's just wait and see if either of these actually happens. You bet I'll lose so much respect for Game Freak after that. As a disclaimer, I'm assuming DLC doesn't require anything more than the ability to be read by the ROM, but I'm willing to be proven wrong about that.

Alternatively, this new region could be incorporated into the postgame of XY sequels, but what are the chances of that when the new region includes new Pokemon and its own Pokemon League? I rather wish the Strange Souvenir didn't exist so that I could go with this possibility.

Sorry if this seemed repetitive, but I'd really rather not be blatantly misled by Game Freak, hence why I'm adamant about the subject.

I think all the speculation regarding what the next main series games are going to be can be summed up with one question: Why did Game Freak decide to reveal a Generation VII Pokemon two years ago?

You talking about Zygarde or Volcanion?

As has been indicated by others before I got to answering you, I was referring to the Pokemon depicted in the Strange Souvenir.

 

[Alola]

Okay here's the 3d iteration of my Kanto Comfirmed parody

Rationalization is a dangerous game.

 

[WallflowerCanyon]

I couldn't help but notice that the Strange Souvenir resembles a moai statue, which are found on Easter Island. It could be just a placeholder image until the designs of the Legendary it represents are finalized, BUT... then why reveal its existence so early?

 

[TheCapsFan]

Based off of a fantastic recent blog entry created by @Bolt the Cat;, I think we can safely say that the NX will be the successor to the Wii U. (too lazy to post a link to the blog, it's the latest one he's made) The New 3DS can play exclusive games. If Nintendo really felt like the 3DS needed a successor, they could simply create more games exclusive to the New 3DS, and focus on that system instead. So based on that assumption, I'd say that Generation VII is less likely to be released on the NX, and more likely to be a 3DS title, exclusive to New 3DS if they feel necessary.

And I know this is crazy, but what if a new region was announced, but was still a Gen VI game? That would mean that no new Pokemon would be introduced (save for the new ORAS megas and possibly some new ones), but the entire Mega storyline would finish, and we'd have a whole new region to explore.

 

[Tuoko]

Based off of a fantastic recent blog entry created by @Bolt the Cat;, I think we can safely say that the NX will be the successor to the Wii U. (too lazy to post a link to the blog, it's the latest one he's made) The New 3DS can play exclusive games. If Nintendo really felt like the 3DS needed a successor, they could simply create more games exclusive to the New 3DS, and focus on that system instead. So based on that assumption, I'd say that Generation VII is less likely to be released on the NX, and more likely to be a 3DS title, exclusive to New 3DS if they feel necessary.

And I know this is crazy, but what if a new region was announced, but was still a Gen VI game? That would mean that no new Pokemon would be introduced (save for the new ORAS megas and possibly some new ones), but the entire Mega storyline would finish, and we'd have a whole new region to explore.

I pretty much agree with the 3DS paragraph.

Also it's not really that crazy announcing a new region, anything is possible at this point, but I don't understand what stops them from releasing new Pokemon. Another new region in the Generation doesn't mean no new Pokemon for that region, it's not a rule they said themselves, fans just made it up.

 

[godiego]

@Scarftail; I think you're putting too much stock into it. Just because there's some very vague flavor text in game that hints to region that we'll be seeing soon, doesn't mean Generation VI is immediately done. The text is so vague it could mean virtually anything. PMD? That's a new region. Pokemon movie where Ash goes to an anime-exclusive location? New region. It's not a confirmation that there is a new main-series game in the works and Generation VI is "cancelled." The region could finally be released in Generation XI and GameFreak could be like "we teased it in Generation VI lmao." In addition, if you think that Game Freak hasn't already begun to plan future games, you're kidding yourself.

The Strange Souvenir is not the reveal of a Generation x Pokemon because it's not a complete depiction. It's a teaser (a very small one) more than anything. All we get is a very general likeness of the probable legendary. This is even worse than the silhouette that we usually get.

 

[WallflowerCanyon]

Based off of a fantastic recent blog entry created by @Bolt the Cat;, I think we can safely say that the NX will be the successor to the Wii U. (too lazy to post a link to the blog, it's the latest one he's made) The New 3DS can play exclusive games. If Nintendo really felt like the 3DS needed a successor, they could simply create more games exclusive to the New 3DS, and focus on that system instead. So based on that assumption, I'd say that Generation VII is less likely to be released on the NX, and more likely to be a 3DS title, exclusive to New 3DS if they feel necessary.

And I know this is crazy, but what if a new region was announced, but was still a Gen VI game? That would mean that no new Pokemon would be introduced (save for the new ORAS megas and possibly some new ones), but the entire Mega storyline would finish, and we'd have a whole new region to explore.

I pretty much agree with the 3DS paragraph.

Also it's not really that crazy announcing a new region, anything is possible at this point, but I don't understand what stops them from releasing new Pokemon. Another new region in the Generation doesn't mean no new Pokemon for that region, it's not a rule they said themselves, fans just made it up.

All of this. I think another good example for a new region/same Generation is Orre in Colosseum and XD. This is actually a better example, since the entire gameplay format is very similar to the main series games. The only really major differences is how you obtain Pokémon(snagging them from corrupt trainers instead of catching in the wild), and that the "colosseums" and Mt. Battle are there in place of the 8 Gyms/League format.

Here's an idea that I thought up, but I don't know if it's been suggested or not. What if they make another pair of games that serve as a "part 2" to X/Y? It's not quite a sequel, but also not quite a 3rd version. It's like a little bit of both. Have a new region that also serves as an expansion of Kalos(Southern Kalos as what some have already suggested) and have our original characters from X/Y explore it. "But what about your original team from X/Y when you defeated the Champion?" Do what Ash does in the anime: start over. Start over with 70-something new 'mons that are native to Southern Kalos. And speaking of this hypothetical Southern Kalos, what if its existence has roots with the Kalos War? Like maybe something akin to North and South Korea?

 

[Mitchman]

I think the only way we are going to get gen 6.5 or anything similar is because they have no idea what to do with the series. What I mean is, NX in late 2016/early 2017 would mean that any gen 7 plans for 3DS moght go awry, as I seriously doubt Nintendo is going to want another BW situation, especially when on a company wide scale everything is moving foward. So in that case, if GF has to deal with going for the NX, then it really depends on how easy it would be to get a game engibe running, and that would depend on how much would they rely on gen 6s. Basically, if they can get games going by late 2017, I dont expect anything major, but if we do get a 6.5 situation, maybe then this is gonna be a 5 year gen, so its a wolution till they get things running on the nx.

 

[Silktree]

I think the only way we are going to get gen 6.5 or anything similar is because they have no idea what to do with the series. What I mean is, NX in late 2016/early 2017 would mean that any gen 7 plans for 3DS moght go awry, as I seriously doubt Nintendo is going to want another BW situation, especially when on a company wide scale everything is moving foward.

Game Freak don't have to cater to Nintendo's needs, as we saw with Generation V, which turned out well as far as Game Freak are concerned. This does not mean that they "have no idea what to do with the series". For that matter, Nintendo seem to be fine with the idea of localizing Yokai Watch 3 games as late as 2017, or they would have localized the first game sooner or just dispensed with it in favor of the sequels. They can live with Game Freak taking their usual time to launch games for a new system.

Besides, making Generation VII n3DS-enhanced would probably give a lot of people an incentive to buy the NX early. At least Generation VIII would utilize the NX more properly, which would be far better than what you're suggesting.

 

[Bolt Strike]

Based off of a fantastic recent blog entry created by @Bolt the Cat;, I think we can safely say that the NX will be the successor to the Wii U. (too lazy to post a link to the blog, it's the latest one he's made) The New 3DS can play exclusive games. If Nintendo really felt like the 3DS needed a successor, they could simply create more games exclusive to the New 3DS, and focus on that system instead. So based on that assumption, I'd say that Generation VII is less likely to be released on the NX, and more likely to be a 3DS title, exclusive to New 3DS if they feel necessary.

And I know this is crazy, but what if a new region was announced, but was still a Gen VI game? That would mean that no new Pokemon would be introduced (save for the new ORAS megas and possibly some new ones), but the entire Mega storyline would finish, and we'd have a whole new region to explore.

Just because the NX is replacing the Wii U doesn't mean Nintendo is sticking with New 3DS. Recall that the DSi was only around for 2 years before the 3DS came out. It's entirely possible that the NX could be replacing both in some way. I don't think the 3DS nor the Wii U have much time left on the market, the lineup for both is clearly winding down and Nintendo is running out of IPs to use. The lack of big games also indicates that developers are shifting towards next gen platforms. Next year's game is probably the last 3DS Pokemon game.

 

[Scarftail]

I think you're putting too much stock into it. Just because there's some very vague flavor text in game that hints to region that we'll be seeing soon, doesn't mean Generation VI is immediately done. The text is so vague it could mean virtually anything. PMD? That's a new region. Pokemon movie where Ash goes to an anime-exclusive location? New region. It's not a confirmation that there is a new main-series game in the works and Generation VI is "cancelled." The region could finally be released in Generation XI and GameFreak could be like "we teased it in Generation VI lmao." In addition, if you think that Game Freak hasn't already begun to plan future games, you're kidding yourself.

The Strange Souvenir is not the reveal of a Generation x Pokemon because it's not a complete depiction. It's a teaser (a very small one) more than anything. All we get is a very general likeness of the probable legendary. This is even worse than the silhouette that we usually get.

So, I shall now list off what you're considering "very vague" and me putting too much stock into:

- An NPC tells the player that his home region is not any of the ones we're aware of.
- An NPC lets the player know that there is an unidentifiable legendary Pokemon that lives in his home region.
- An NPC tells the player that they will visit his home region in the future.

How much clearer could you get?

Game Freak wouldn't reference non-canon regions (when a new Pokemon is involved at least) or generations six or more years down the road. Also, don't think I don't know that Game Freak preconceives new generations very shortly after the previous ones' release. What I'm saying is that there's no good reason to get us interested in a future game four years in advance. I don't see how the Strange Souvenir being a depiction means it is not a Generation VII Pokemon. It is unrecognizable and the item description confirms that it is a Pokemon that hails from the Backpacker's region. There's no evidence that Zygarde was planned to be handled via Generation VI main series games. Plain and simple, that goes against everything I've been discussing unless Game Freak is willing to add a new region and new Pokemon to them.

 

[EvilChameleon]

By the way, to the person making that Kanto confirmed graphic, you should include the fact that the entire first season of the Pokemon anime is on Pokemon TV, and has been for two weeks. A season that took place in... Kanto.

 

[godiego]

So, I shall now list off what you're considering "very vague" and me putting too much stock into:

- An NPC tells the player that his home region is not any of the ones we're aware of.
- An NPC lets the player know that there is an unidentifiable legendary Pokemon that lives in his home region.
- An NPC tells the player that they will visit his home region in the future.

How much clearer could you get?

Game Freak wouldn't reference non-canon regions (when a new Pokemon is involved at least) or generations six or more years down the road. Also, don't think I don't know that Game Freak preconceives new generations very shortly after the previous ones' release. What I'm saying is that there's no good reason to get us interested in a future game four years in advance. I don't see how the Strange Souvenir being a depiction means it is not a Generation VII Pokemon. It is unrecognizable and the item description confirms that it is a Pokemon that hails from the Backpacker's region. There's no evidence that Zygarde was planned to be handled via Generation VI main series games. Plain and simple, that goes against everything I've been discussing unless Game Freak is willing to add a new region and new Pokemon to them.

Oh okay:

-What's the name of this region?
-Where is it located? What's its climate?
-What's the name of this Pokemon?
-What does this Pokemon look like?
-What is its typing?
-What does it do?
-What does visit mean?
-When is the future?

It's vague and you're an idiot. For all we know, he's the set-up for Volcanion, who has also yet to be announced and, like Hoopa, also does not fit into the general Kalos "aesthetic." If they're trying to hype us for next generation, where is the tourist in ORAS? Where are the Easter Eggs for this fabulous region in that game? And there was no evidence that Kyurem was going to be handled in Gen V and look where we ended up. If you think GameFreak hasn't sat down and sorted out a general skeleton (ie., what they want to do in the generation) for future generations, you're crazy. The development (marketing, game design, etc.) isn't confined to the lifespan of the generation. I can assure you that GameFreak has already sat down and decided what they want Generation VIII to look like. They may not have all the Pokemon designed, they may have none designed, but the ideas for what Generation VIII (and other future generations) are going to look like.

 

[~ Blazing White Yang]

I don't think the Souvenir tells us anything we didn't already know tbh. Pokemon has more regions out there, and they're in the works.

Based on what we know of their formula, we still [undoubtedly] have a movie coming up for the Volcanion release, and unreleased moves for Zygarde. Then there's just loose threads like Looker's fate, Anistar's Sundial, or Mega Evo. lore that they have yet to fully explain. ORAS went and raised a-lot more questions than answers with the Delta Episode, despite them trying to "tie things together".

 

[WallflowerCanyon]

Regardless of anything, I think it's a safe bet that next year is going to be when we see the next and last installment of Gen 6. Whether it be a 3rd version, sequels, or something else is still up in the air. And we're all hoping that it clears up all the loose ends and confusion that have been dished out to us in X/Y and ORAS, especially Mega-Evolution.

 

[EmpoleonProd]

I still think we'll definitely get the Frontier for ORAS, it would downright terrible for them to hint at everything they have and NOT give it to us eventually, I'm sure it'll cost $5-$10 but who's NOT going to get it? I mean, nobody will miss the Maison, or maybe the Maison will even stay or be relocated, but I'd prefer the Tower to replace it first, then the Frontier to come later, to replicate the evolution of the location from RS to E.

For those who don't keep up with subtle references:

-Scott was mentioned by an NPC, and in the same sentence, so was Pike Queen Lucy, they said something about Scott finishing his scouting for the Frontier Brain of the future Battle Pike.
-Lisia mentions Wallace being friends with someone who "is a star" with is quite obviously Dome Ace Tucker, who was always called a star in Emerald.

Oh, and I also think Kanto game(s) are coming in the near future, everyone else in this thread has stated things like the original season being on TV, all the hints and easter eggs, the fact that ORAS takes place alongside the original Kanto story in the timeline, and that, at this time, the only Kanto we have in the Mega Universe is Origins, which, while obeying the game universe mechanics, still isn't a game, I'd love to play through as Red one more time, I last did it in FireRed like 3 years ago and had a lot of fun, but being able to be Mega Universe Red would be the best. Either Red/Blue or Red/Green re-remakes or a 3DS Yellow remake, which then leaves one more slot for a game, like a Z Version.

So yeah, some form of Kanto remake and Battle Frontier, and we can call it a generation.