The Sinnoh games were naturally the stars of the show as the video presentation for the new games had a lot to share, to say nothing of the other special announcements. Here’s the half-hour long video for the announcements we’ll list below:

Hosted by the Chief Operating Officer for the Pokémon Company, Takato Utsunomiya, the presentation started with a focus on mobile games, namely Pokémon Masters EX, Pokémon Café Remix and Pokémon Unite and even Pokémon GO!

•  A release date for the mobile version of Pokémon Unite set for September 22. Pre-registrations for the game are open now on the App Store and Google Play Store.
• Moreover, players playing on mobile will also be able to play with users on the Switch, speaking of which, those logging in to the game from their Switch accounts before August 31 will get a Zeraora license.
• Mamoswine and Sylveon have been announced to join Unite’s roster.

Pokémon Masters EX will soon celebrate the two-year anniversary, and a load of content is incoming! The game now has dynamaxing, with Sygna suit Leon and Eternatus being introduced as well!

• The legendary event featuring Eternatus is underway, and you can team up with the Galar brothers: Leon and Hop to combat the threat.
• Players will be able to scout 100 sync pairs at no cost, and a daily 10-pair scout is now underway! Three legendary events will also be making their return.
• N in a really neat costume will return on August 29, 2021, at 11:00 p.m. P.D.T.
  N and his Pokémon will be able to target all opponents’ Pokémon. N will not be the only one as there will be other sync pairs to commemorate the two-year anniversary.
• A new story arc will begin on September 15, 2021. The villain event prelude will begin in the Kanto region!

Pokémon GO will be celebrating its fifth anniversary and the game will see the addition of a few Galar Pokémon, namely Wooloo, Falinks and Skwovet.  Zacian and Zamazenta will also be appearing in 5-star raids from August 20, 2021! Zacian will be available from August 20, 2021 to August 26, 2021. Zamazenta will be available after Zacian, from August 26, 2021 to September 1, 2021.

The appearance of Galar Pokémon is speculated to be related to the mythical Pokémon Hoopa, so expect it to be involve its mischief too!

Before heading on to the Switch section, the puzzle game Pokémon Café Mix, where you own the café and hire staff Pokémon that assist in completing puzzles will now have a revamp. It is now Pokémon Café Remix, bringing to the table new Pokémon and dress-up options for them. There will be new elements to the game, and new ways to develop your staff Pokémon! It is available for both the Switch and mobile devices.

Now here comes the big news we’ve all been waiting for. Let’s head to the Sinnoh news:

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl, faithful remakes to the DS classics Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl will be released on November 19, 2021 for the Switch. Preorders are up! Also note that these games will be connected to Pokémon Home as well, but in 2022 and not upon release. So what features have been improved? Here we go:

• The Underground has been revamped!

Digging up fossils, finding nice items and building secret bases apart, players will be able to enter Pokémon Hideaways, differing in environments and the Pokémon found in them. Some Pokémon can only be found in these hideaways.

• Outfits! Players can change the outfits of the protagonist trainer. These can be bought at a new store “Metronome Style” in Veilstone City, which wasn’t available in the original games. The building seems to have replaced the coin shop.
• Union Room will be the go-to for wireless communication related activities like trading and battling. Local Room and Global Room will facilitate local communications and internet communications respectively. There will be no ranked battles in these games.
• As can be seen here, Pokémon will follow their trainer.

  

   You can select one Pokémon to follow you like in Heart Gold and Soul Silver after reaching a certain point of progress. Any Pokémon that appears in these games can walk with you, meaning there is no concern for limitations like those in Amity Square.

• Super Contests: Those wanting to become the best Pokémon Coordinator can participate in contests in Hearthome City, with five contests and different ranks to amp up the competition.

  

  Super Contest Shows are judged based on a Visual Evaluation, a Dance Evaluation, and a Move Evaluation. Evaluation will be done in Hype Points, with the highest scorer being declared the victor. The Dance Evaluation involves a little mini-game, while Visual and Move Evaluations are based on your choices. There are features like Move Chains to increase Hype Points and the Capsule decorations for the visual section of the contest. Trainers can also dress up in various outfits, and not just the default contest outfit given like in the originals.

These are the key features from the remakes, apart from a change in visuals in the overworld and battle scenes. The games retain the main story from what can be seen.

Moving on, Pokémon Legends Arceus! It’s set for release on January 28, 2022. and has a lot of new things going on. This is an action-RPG bringing many new features! Pre-orders are open for Pokémon Legends Arceus now.

Embark on a journey in ancient Sinnoh, the then Hisui region to fill up the region’s first Pokédex. This time it’s a book and not a device, naturally. The game brings a lot to the table. Here’s an official video showing off the game:

Breaking down the reveals, we have a lot of new story and gameplay info!

For the Story part, we learned that:

• The story takes place at a time when humans and Pokémon weren’t as close to each other as they are in the modern times.
• The base of operations will be Jubilife Village, and the protagonists will be working as members of the Galaxy Expedition Team‘s Survey Corps.

  

  The Galaxy Expedition Team is composed of people who’ve come from various regions to study Hisui, and it is composed of the Survey, Medical and Security Corps.
  Key members of the Galaxy Team shown were the Commander, Kamado, the professor Laventon and Survey Corps Captain Cyllene.

• There is confirmation that Kamado is Professor Rowan’s ancestor, and that we will be meeting more character’s ancestors as well!
• Arceus will hold a key position in the story, as it is the namesake for the game, after all.

The Gameplay itself is no short of surprising new additions:

• Trainers will set out from Jubilife Village, survey various areas for their assignments and report back at the Galaxy Team’s Headquarters located there. The starters available are Rowlet, Cyndaquil and Oshawott.
• Wild Pokémon can attack and damage trainers, and there are features to sneak and dodge in the overworld to avoid damage, taking excess of which will black out the trainer.
• Players will have to aim and throw the Poké Balls to catch Pokémon, and to start battles in the wild, will have to throw Poké Balls close to wild Pokémon to start the battle. There will be seamless transitioning from overworld to the battle, without entering a separate screen unlike in the core games.
• The Battle System adds to the already existing battle system by implementing Action order mechanics, similar to the turn system in Radiant Historia and Octopath Traveler. Apart from the regular four moves, Pokémon can attack in two modes. Observer the Action Order in the right side of these images:

  

  

   

  One is the Agile Style, a mode in which Pokémon can sacrifice a bit of the move’s power to increase the number of turns it gets, allowing it to be able to make multiple moves against the foe.
  The other is the Strong Style, the exact opposite, in which at a cost of turns coming in slower, the Pokémon can have a boosted attack.

• A different Pokédex: Unlike in the core series games, trainers will have to complete research tasks associated with Pokémon to fill up the Pokédex.
  The player will have to perform tasks like observing the Pokémon use certain moves, evolve, defeat and catch it a number of times to get a comprehensive result.
• Base Camps seem to have replaced Pokémon Centers, as they provide facilities for healing and crafting. When out of Jubilife during an assignment, the base camps will serve as outposts to return to, allowing Pokémon to heal as well as providing a place to Craft, a new mechanic.

  

  Using materials gathered while exploring, the player can craft items that can help in the journey, like Poké Balls themselves!

• Some Pokémon attack the trainer when they notice them, while some flee. Using some items can change the way these occur, from reducing visibility to improve stealth or maybe even bait some Pokémon. Some Poké Balls work better if Pokémon haven’t noticed you, and it won’t be a stretch to expect more items revolving around how the player interacts with the world.
• Trainers can ride Pokémon. Trainers can be observed using Hisuian Braviary to fly, while using Basculegion to traverse aquatic environments.
• Speaking of which! What’s a Pokémon game without new Pokémon! The Hisui region not only brings in regional variants, but also new evolutions for previously known Pokémon! The ones revealed were the Hisuian Braviary and the Hisuian Growlithe, with the new evolutions being Wyrdeer that evolves from Stantler and Basculegion that evolves from Basculin. Starting off with the new evolutions,
• Wyrdeer is a Normal/Psychic Pokémon that evolves from Stantler that have adapted to the harsh cold environments close to Mount Coronet.

  

  They have been trusted by people and have massive horns and a lot of fur, which is used by locals!

• Basculegion is a Water/Ghost Pokémon that evolves from Basculin that is possessed by the souls of other Basculin in its school that couldn’t survive the upstream journey.

  

  This Pokémon can be relentless if it senses animosity and attacks as if its will were one.

  These amazing Pokémon were showcased along with Hisuian forms:

• Hisuian Braviary is a Psychic/Flying Pokémon evolves from Rufflet in the Hisui region, and is larger than the other variant of Braviary.

  

  It tends to live alone. Its screeches can carry psychic power!

• Hisuian Growlithe is a Fire/Rock Pokémon that has a horn on its head for protection. Their horn breaks easily however, so it uses it only in emergencies.

  

  It lives in pairs and scouts over its region. These Growlithe are unused to humans, having avoided contact for a long time.

Well, thus ends the summary for today’s Pokémon Presents, and what a bunch of reveals this was! What do you think of the announcements and the new Pokémon? Is the new gameplay in Pokémon Legends Arceus to your liking? Let us know in the comments!

Edited by Aldo.