-First off, the big one. I DO think we'll end up getting a reveal for Generation 10. We'll find out what the version names are. We might even get to see the box legendaries in a CG commercial that's probably made by the TCG commercial guys. BUT...I think it's going to be revealed to come out in 2027, not this year. Why? Because they DID claim they were going to try and slow down, in order to give these games more polish. And while it IS pretty easy to not believe them, I do think that'll lead to us getting a "delay" to next year.
Plus, I'll remind everyone that Gamefreak's "Beast of Reincarnation" game is also supposed to come out later this year. Do you think Gamefreak wants it's brand new IP to have to compete with the juggernaut that is Pokemon? Sure, it's a completely different genre of game on a completely different console. But, do you think Gamefreak wants to take the risk of one of their own games eating into their own sales? Gamefreak has been trying for YEARS to come up with a IP that isn't Pokemon. I think they wouldn't want to risk ANYTHING that could make Beast of Reincarnation fail. Gamefreak in general seems a bit burnt out on Pokemon, and wants to make ANYTHING else. Maybe they'd want ALL the sales in one year. But, if I was running Gamefreak, I'd probably delay Pokemon for another year, just to give the new IP some room to breathe. Spread out those sales so they have income this year AND next year.
So, I think the smartest thing Gamefreak can do is wait another year. I know this year is the 30th Anniversary. But...I don't think that means to the corporation, what it means to the fans. I don't think they especially CARE, outside of marketing. Now, this WOULD be bad news for Nintendo, since the Switch 2 NEEDS more games. But, Gamefreak isn't completely owned by Nintendo. I feel like the Gamefreak side of the equation will want to wait until the Switch 2 has a bigger install base before putting out a game that they NEED to sell in order to keep the company solvent. And putting out another buggy Pokemon game doesn't benefit anyone as far as PR is concerned. The next mainline Pokemon game NEEDS to be less buggy, just so the backlash and ill will doesn't get worse. So, I'm predicting they DO officially reveal the game, but it's not coming out this year. Taking some more time to polish things up.
-Instead, I think we're going to get something more for Legends Z-A. Would they do another $30 DLC? I'm not so sure. But, I think we will get at least a more "Pecharunt"-sized event. Because, right now...Legends Z-A feels oddly incomplete to me in some ways.
We can get 3 different Vivillion forms in this game...but not the other dozen. Darkrai is in the game...but not his "partner" Cresselia. There is another new Z-Mega Stone event they haven't dropped yet...and it'd be kind of weird if the last Mega Stone they added to the game was that one, I won't spoil which one it is. And, I know I keep going on about this, but they still haven't added Deoxys to the game...even though almost every other Pokemon important to the Mega Stone lore is already here and then some. We also still don't have a "Source Pokemon" for Mega Evolution yet (which COULD connect back to adding a "Mega Deoxys" to the game), like we do for every other gimmick in the franchise. If they're going to expand on the Mega Evolution lore and finally explain which Pokemon is behind it, I don't know when else Gamefreak would get a chance to reveal it. Plus, it just seems to be such a MASSIVE missed opportunity to never have done anything with Taunie/Urbain's mom in DLC, even though we KNOW dead people can show up in the Hyperspace Dream World.
So, I think Gamefreak is going to announce some level of DLC we don't know about yet. Maybe not another full $30 set, but something. I think we'll at least get Deoxys added to the game via a in-game event like the Pecharunt event at the end of Scarlet and Violet. Along with a new Mega Deoxys. Maybe a few other new Megas. If only because this is probably going to be the last chance to do new Megas for a decade or more.
Maybe they can also do something to give us more Hyper Berries in the main game, just to help people finish the game and make it less grindy? "Hyper Berry Zones" where you can just farm berries to your heart's content? A NPC who will trade you Hyper Berries for extra Pokemon you don't want, like how you could release Pokemon for Grit items in Legends Arceus? Maybe just doubling the number of Hyper Berries that drop from Balls? Some sort of "Hyper Leveling System", where if you go into a X-Star wormhole so many times, you eventually build up the ability to not even need a Donut to go in there, you just automatically get x-number of levels to let you do stuff? Something! We just got a update that let us carry 9999 Mega Shards, and I want something similar for the Hyper Berries.
-They'll also reveal what Shiny Mythical we'll get for completing the entire Legends Z-A Pokedex in Home. And I'm predicting it will be...Shiny Hoopa. It's never been catchable before, it's a nice gold color, and it plays a big part in the DLC.
-For Scarlet and Violet, they'll announce a new Shiny Zygarde Tera-Raid Event. In order to line up with the Horizons anime. A little late, but not bad news.
-I think they're finally going to surprise drop Colosseum and XD Gale of Darkness on NSO, RIGHT on Pokemon Day. Reveal the release right on the same day as the Direct. And I think they'll also reveal they'll be compatible with Pokemon Home...in 4 months. Let's not get TOO crazy, here.
-They'll give us a release date for Pokemon Champions. And, they'll also reveal a incentive for more casual players to try out the game. Every "season" they'll offer a Shiny Pokemon as a free gift if you play 5 or more matches. Like what they've been doing in Legends Z-A with some of the Mega Stones. Something to get the casual fans to care about this battle sim.
-They'll talk more about Pokopia. And we'll get a few more hints about what apocalypse happened in this world. I have a feeling they'll reveal a few more "unique" Pokemon that have been changed by this disaster. Maybe we'll see a weird, mutant Eevee to go along with our dimmed Pikachu? Or some unique ghost Pokemon with suspicious amnesia.
-There's been enough rumors about some sort of a "Classic Collection" of older games, that I think we could get something like that. If we don't get a main game this year, that would be a good way to celebrate the 30th Anniversary another way. I think if we did, it would only be the Gameboy and GBA games. That way, they can save the DS games for a second collection. I think this collection would be pretty bare bones, and I doubt we'd even get too much concept art or rejected Pokemon designs or anything. But, maybe there'd be a art gallery of old Sugimori art, just for the nostalgia. As a bit of a moneky's paw drawback, because it's always SOMETHING with Gamefreak, it WILL be a limited-timed release, like the Super Mario 3D All Stars collection, only available physically for one year.
-During a list of all the other random franchise stuff, I think we could get a reveal that a American version of the PokePark theme park is coming to Universal Theme Parks at some point. It'll be years away, since even the Japanese version doesn't open until a few days from now. But, I think they will reveal plans to the addition to Super Nintendo World.
-A good chunk of the Presentation will likely also be talking about the new Pokemon Lego sets. Maybe focusing on a few of the smaller, more affordable ones we haven't seen yet.
-Let's end on another big swing prediction. I think they could announce a new animated movie for later this year. End the anniversary year with a little bit of a bang. One where Ash and Liko meet each other. It's been YEARS since we've gotten a movie. And, personally, I think Detective Pikachu 2 is a little unlikely to happen at this point, since it's been so long. Despite having all of Detective Pikachu Returns to adapt. But, I could see us getting another animated movie. And I could see them doing a crossover between the old and new protagonists. Especially if they "reset" things with a new protagonist again when Gen 10 comes out. This could be a "farewell" to the Horizon's cast. And I think getting to cross over with Ash would be a fun way to say goodbye. To go along with the movie, we'll be getting a special "Captain Hat Pikachu" distribution in...one of the games. Maybe Scarlet and Violet, maybe Legends Z-A, or maybe just in Pokemon Home itself.
