Pokémon Presents 2022: Don't look back
To celebrate their 26th birthday, The Pokémon (do you know I have to hit Alt+130 to get the é every time?) Company showcased their yearly slate of updates and announcements.
This year didn't disappoint. Entirely. Sorry Coliseum fans.
In the days leading up to the event, fans speculated everything from Sword and Shield DLC/National Dex, Gen 9, a new Coliseum, and Pok(Alt+130)mon — see what I did there — Legends Arceus DLC.
What we got was Gen 9. Scarlet and Violet. Now forever known as ViScar, not to be confused with ScarJo. The game looks to be set in Spain or a South American-inspired country. Check out the reveal trailer here.
Featuring the open lan
dscapes from Sword and Shield and Legends Arceus, there appear to be quite a few Sinnoh Pokémon making yet
another return.
Side note: who else hates Paras and Drifloon after PLA?
The starters were also revealed: Sprigatito (a grass cat), Fuecoco (a… fire alligator?), and Quaxly (a water duck without the charm of Ducklett). I'm holding out hope for a Poison/Ghost Houndour regional variant based on the Chupacabra.
The games will release “late 2022” which probably means November.
The OTHER Pokemon Presents news:
What we got
- Pokémon Masters EX adds new sync pairs and Victory Road, a new boss-rush mode. Not sure why they didn't announce The Victory Road but maybe we'll get a spot next year.
- Pokémon Café updates. How's that for a double Alt+130 word combo? Pelipper now offers delivery to distant Pokémon, allowing players to collect new outfits and unlock hidden abilities.
- Pokémon Unite: new mayhem mode and the intro of Hoopa to the game. Duraldon is also coming, date TBD.
- Pokémon Brilliant Diamon and Shining Pearl (remember these?) are finally getting Shaymin in-game. If you didn't glitch over to its island release week, that is.
- Pokémon Legends Arceus, the anime adaptation. These online series have been 🔥🔥🔥. The teaser image is giving me serious Demon Slayer Episode 1 vibes.
- Pokémon Legends Arceus free "Daybreak" update (launches Feb. 27). Not the DLC many hoped for, this adds new outbreak quests and more NPC player battles against wardens and legendaries. Use code “ARCEUSADVENTURE” to get 30 Ultra Balls, 30 Gigaton Balls, and 30 Jet Balls, too. Eat your heart out, Ball Boy.
What we didn't get
- “Real” Legends Arceus DLC. I wondered about this, because there was nowhere to stick another area except on an island.
- Pokémon Home capability for BDSP or PLA. It's cool, we'll just wait for ViScar (is the name catching on yet?).
- Pokémon Sleep. This announcement is 3 years old now. Did they put this project to bed? Teehee.
- Pokémon Coliseum. Since the release of Snap, many fans expected this. All of them have been disappointed. (Sorry again Coliseum fans).
Million Dollar Pika (almost)
Sit down, Charizard. Pikachu proved once again why the electric mouse is the face of the franchise when an uber-rare Holographic Illustrator Pikachu card sold for $900,000 USD last week.
That's not a typo. Somebody paid just under a million for a Pokémon card.
Originally, the only way to get the card was by winning a Pokémon card illustration contest in 1997. Only 39 were ever awarded.
Illustrator Pikachu was never reprinted. According to Bulbapedia, two more cards emerged in 2019 that were never awarded to bring the total to 41. According to auction house Goldin Auctions, only 23 copies still exist.
This sale smashed the old record of $375,000 for the same card. Pretty sure that kind of money could finally buy me enough Game Corner Coins to get a Dratini.
Until next time,
Derek “I can barely afford a Booster Pack” Siddoway signing off.
