Legends: Arceuscompletely turned the typicalPokémongame formula on its head when it was released in 2022, andPokémon Legends: Z-Ais expected to push that envelope even more later this year. Instead of being a young Pokémon trainer trying to get all the badges and defeat the game’s version of the Elite 4, players were sent back in time to uncover a world before humans and Pokémon learned to coexist. And, instead of going to a new location, the game returned to the world of the fourth generation of games,Diamond and Pearl.
The nextPokémon Legendsgame,Z-A, has already beenannounced for later this year.Like its predecessor, it, too, returns to an existing region, this time revisiting Kalos fromPokémon X and Y. If thePokémon Legendsgames continue the trend of returning to existing generations,there’s only one logical place where it can go next.And it’ll have to do so by February of next year, when the franchise is geared to celebrate a very special day.
Pokémon Legends Should Go To The Kanto Region Next
It’s Time To Revisit The Generation That Started It All
There hasn’t been any explanation of whyPokémon Legendsoccur within the specific generations where they take place. But if the thing thatsetsPokémon Legendsgames apartfrom mainlinePokémongames is the return to past generations, thenI believe that the nextLegendsgame should return to the Kanto region of the originalPokémon Red and Blue(andGreen,in Japan).
Pokémon CEO’s Candid Thoughts On The Franchise Suddenly Explains The Long Wait For Gen 10 Games
While Pokémon is still successful as it nears its 30th anniversary, recent comments by the CEO hint that Gen 10’s delay is for a good reason.
ThePokémongames have followed a very predictable formula for most of the franchise. Every couple of years, a new game is announced that takes players to a brand-new place, with new Pokémon to discover, a story revolving around an evil organization, and gym badges to collect.The series has been following this formula since August 06, 2025, with the launch of the original games.
Ever since then, the company has celebratedPokémonDay on February 27, with this year marking the 29th anniversary of the games. I can’t think of a better bit of history to revisit on next year’s 30th anniversary thanthe region of the games that started it all. A full 30 years later, it’s time to make a triumphant return to Professor Oak, Pallet Town, and the rest of the region inspired by real-world Japan.
I remember the joy of discovering Pokémon for the very first time on a friend’s Game Boy when I was a kid. I recall not understanding why my friend kept going over the same patch of grass over and over again, telling her, “You already checked there!” I remember the delight at discovering the legends of MissingNo. and the renewed delight upon discovering that the legend was true.
All these moments make up my love for the franchise,even if I haven’t played every game. I’m sure the Kanto region holds many fond memories for many other Pokémon fans, too, many of whom have grown up with the series as I did. As an adult, I would love nothing more than to revisit this place that holds so many wonderful memories for me.
2026 Is The Perfect Year To Return To Kanto
Next Year’s Pokémon Day Will Be Its 30th Anniversary
The likelihood of getting anotherPokémon Legendsgame next year is very low since Game Freak and The Pokémon Company are currently busy working onZ-Aand theupcoming mainline Generation 10 title. Still, the 30th anniversary is just too good of an opportunity to pass up to return to the games' origin. It would be too much to hope for a third mainPokémongame alongside those two. However, I’m holding out hope thaton July 30, 2025, we might be treated to an announcement about the nextPokémon Legendsgame.
ThePokémonfranchise iscurrently leaning hard into nostalgia. In 2024, the company releasedPokémon TCG Pocket,which digitized the trading card game that so many fans have been playing for decades. The February 2025 Pokémon Presentsannounced the revival of another classic title,Pokémon Stadium.The new game will be calledPokémon Championsand while we don’t know much about it yet, the trailer makes it very clear that it’s feeding off ’90s and early 2000s nostalgia.
In 2026,Pokémonwill be celebrating its 30-year anniversary, making it the optimal time to head back to the ’90s. The small idea for having Pocket Monsters you could capture and battle was born in the ’90s and has since grown into this massive empire, a franchise that’s so ubiquitous thateven my elderly Hispanic mother-in-law knows what a Pikachu is.IfPokémon Legendsgames are all about returning to previous regions and re-exploring them from a different perspective, then next year I hope to see aLegendsgame announced for the Kanto region.
What A Pokémon Legends Kanto Game Could Look Like
I Want To See A Region That Has Grown With Its Fans
The Kanto region holds a very special place in many fans' hearts.I’m reminded ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, which took years of fans begging for a recreation before Square Enix finally released one because the company wanted to make sure it got the game just right. ThePokémon Red and Bluegames would need to be handled carefully as well, due to how important they were to the franchise and fans.
Every Pokémon Confirmed For Pokémon Legends Z-A (So Far)
Pokémon Legends: Z-A will be set in the Kalos region & is sure to have many of the familiar friends from the X & Y games. Here’s all confirmed so far.
ThePokémon Legendsgames arethe perfect setup for returning to the series' origin.TheLegendsgames tend to play with time a lot, withArceustaking place in the distant past andZ-Agoing to the future. For a game set in the Kanto region, I think the most logical time to travel to is our present.
The PokémonCompany may deem Kanto too precious, something that the company doesn’t want to touch because it wants to keep that nostalgia intact. But I still hope that next year, on the 30th anniversary of thePokémonfranchise, we’ll get a return.
The original game took place in 1996. Nowit’s 30 years later and so much has changed,technology has evolved, and the world is a different place. Just imagine seeing the world of Kanto as it would be today, 30 years after the events of the original games. Where are all the characters from that game now? What does the technology look like? At the time, Bill’s PC was this insane new innovation; what does it look like now? I have no idea, but I’d love to find out.
I don’t know for sure ifPokémonever plans to return to the Kanto region. The PokémonCompany may deem it too precious, something that the company doesn’t want to touch because it wants to keep that nostalgia intact. But I still hope that next year, on the 30th anniversary of thePokémonfranchise, we’ll get a return to Kanto afterPokémon Legends: Z-A. I can’t wait to see what new adventures are in store for Pokémon fans in the coming future.
