It seems reasonable that Game Freak would have considered a sequel prior to Arceus’ release, but with the successful launch and current hype around ongoing speculation and rumors about Pokemon Legends: Arceus’ DLC, it seems like a sure thing now. Taking this formula to any of the other regions is likely to get fans’ attention, especially as there are many ripe for exploring its past.
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However, with as many regions as there are and Pokemon Legends: Arceus starting in the fourth gen, it’s essentially impossible to reliably speculate where it could go next. But, there is something to be gleaned from the game itself: how it references other regions. While it’s not like it’s a surefire thing, it would make sense to explore one of the other regions directly referenced in Pokemon Legends: Arceus than it does to pull one at random.
Pokemon Legends: Mew/Kanto
For some, this would likely be the logical step to go back to Kanto. There are plenty of OG Kanto Pokemon included in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, as well as references to Kanto by NPCs and Charm. There are quite a few references compared to some of the more downplayed regions. Overall, there’s enough in Pokemon Legends: Arceus pulled from Kanto that it seems, by this gauge, it’s the strongest contender.
Pokemon Legends: Celebi/Johto
While Johto has a strong presence on the Pokemon Legends: Arceus Pokedex, contributing many of the “baby Pokemon,” Johto doesn’t get brought up as much in conversation as others, and oftentimes it is more generically. There are not as many references, and while Celebi itself would be a good way to bring time travel into the new Pokemon Legends game, Johto itself feels unlikely. That said, it would be interesting to see if Game Freak combined Johto and Kanto together for one game, given their proximity. That seems more possible than a solo Johto game, at the very least.
Pokemon Legends: Rayquaza/Hoenn
Hoenn finds itself in a worse boat than Johto: a weak Pokedex representation and a few references that are mostly downplayed. It’s a shame too, as the Groudon-Kyogre-Rayquaza trio could make for a really strong game. Of course, this doesn’t mean that it’s not going to happen, maybe eventually, but compared to Kanto and Johto thus far, Hoenn feels like it’s on the bottom of the totem pole.
One could play devil’s advocate and say the weak representation is a good sign, but at the same time, that feels counterproductive to producing Pokemon Legends as a series.
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Pokemon Legends: Victini/Unova
If Kanto is the most likely thus far, and Johto and Hoenn trail behind it, Unova feels more likely than Hoenn but less likely than others. Unova has fewer references and has one signifcant reference, that being Ingo’s appearance in the game. Meanwhile, its Pokedex representation is at weak, if not weaker, than Hoenn. Overall, it doesn’t seem like one to expect soon.
Pokemon Legends: Zygarde/Kalos
Kalos has some of the weakest Pokemon representation, if not the absolutely weakest, and has virtually no memorable references. Anyone betting on Pokemon Legends’ future settings really has no reason whatsoever to bet on Kalos.
Pokemon Legends: Cosmog/Alola
Alola is an interesting position. Its Pokedex representation is on par with Hoenn, but its references are much more significant. There is a request to find Alolan Vulpixes, as well as someone who yells Alola quite a bit. There’s also a reference to how people in Alola ride Pokemon, suggesting it may be a bit more ahead than Hisui/Sinnoh in terms of Pokemon and human interaction progress. So, while its weak representation is a point against it, the significant references feel like they make it a strong contender.
Not to mention, while Alola may not be many people’s first pick, a Pokemon Legends game could improve the region’s reception. That’s not to say Pokemon Sun and Moon are bad or anything like that, but as it departed from the series, it may find itself fitting well into Pokemon Legends: Arceus’ formula, with a tropical twist.
Pokemon Legends: Eternatus /Galar
In terms of Pokedex representation, Galar finds itself in the bottom rung, but it does have more significant references than a couple of regions. There is a Galarian Weezing design on HQ, as well as the unique Ponyta reference in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. It would be hard to see how such a game handles Dynamax and Gigantamax, but it’s certainly not impossible and going through the events of the first Darkest Day would be an interesting set-up. It’s not the lowest on the rung, but it’s not the highest either.
The Next Pokemon Legends Game: A Breakdown
Using Pokedex representation and references as a possible, though not scientific gauge, it would seem the likelihood could be viewed like this:
Kanto (Pokemon Red and Blue)
Alola (Pokemon Sun and Moon)
Johto (Pokemon Gold and Silver)*
If Game Freak does Kanto, it makes the most sense to do both, and so this seemingly bolsters its possibility. Discounting Kanto and Johto, Unova and Alola seem the most likely.
Unova (Pokemon Black and White)
Galar (Pokemon Sword and Shield)
Hoenn (Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire)
Kalos (Pokemon X and Y)
Pokemon Legends: Arceus is available now for Nintendo Switch.
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