Pokémon Day has come and gone once again, which means only one thing: we got another Pokémon Presents, baby! In what has become an annual tradition, Pokémon held another event that provided the latest updates on all things Pokémon. Theories on what would be featured were running rampant as always, but this year, I took a different approach. Instead of hoping to see a sneak peek at Gen 10 or Black and White remakes, I went into the presentation this year with next to no expectations. The only thing I hoped to see was more from Pokémon Legends: Z-A (which was a given seeing as it’s been a year since it was announced). But was this approach successful in keeping my hype levels in check? Let’s break down all the news and find out.
Like previous Pokémon Presents, this one started with a speedrun of updates for various Pokémon projects. The most exciting for me was the announcement of new episodes of Pokémon Concierge coming out later this year. I adored Pokémon Concierge when it first dropped on Netflix and, once that fourth episode ended, I was left wanting more. And to add even more excitement, they revealed that ma boi Shinx is gonna be apart of these new episodes (I fucking love Shinx). The original four episodes of the series have also been made available to watch on YouTube for a limited time, so you can check out why this series is so charming for free!
The Presents followed this up with the usual flurry of mobile game announcements. All of the usual suspects were present, which shocked almost no one. Pokémon GO is getting a new Gen 5 event with Black and White Kyurem and the chance to obtain some Mythical Pokémon as well. Pokémon Café Remix is adding new Pokémon and cosmetics to the game, such as new outfits for the Gen 9 starters, Pikachu and Eevee. Pokémon UNITE will be getting new playable Pokémon later this year, such as Suicune and Alolan Raichu. Pokémon Masters EX is having their 5.5 year anniversary with new variants of Brendan, May, and Steven available. And finally, a new set is coming to Pokémon TCG Pocket, centring around Arceus. TCG Pocket has low-key taken over my life for the past few months, so more cards to collect is always welcome.
One of the big new announcements to come out of this Presents was the unveiling of Pokémon Champions, a new game revolving around Pokémon battles. Think of it as an evolution of Pokémon Stadium or Battle Revolution where the entire game is just battles. The big difference this time is that this game will also be available on phones, not just Nintendo hardware. This means that as long as you have your phone with you, you can have Pokémon battles at any time. The game will let you choose from a pool of Pokémon to battle with and be compatible with Pokémon Home, which means you can transfer your Pokémon from the other games (including Pokémon GO) and use them to battle. We don’t know much more beyond this, not even a release date, but I would guess it’ll be released at the start of next year at the earliest and the end of next year at the latest.
Now, the main event, the reason I stayed up until 1 am, new information on Pokémon Legends: Z-A. We finally have our first proper look at this game, and I’m very much excited and intrigued by what was shown. One of the first things they showed were the starter Pokémon for this game, and this time we can choose from Chikorita, Tepig, and Totodile. I didn’t guess any of these Pokémon would be part of the starter line-up, but contributor Ben did get two out of three (I’m man enough to admit when I was wrong, so fair play Ben). I was a little shocked they went with two Gen 2 starters instead of having them come from different regions, but it doesn’t matter too much to me because I’m 100% picking Tepig. We also got a first look at the player characters, rivals, notable NPCs, and what Lumiose City will look like. It definitely appears to be the best-looking Pokémon game visually to date, but time will tell if it’ll run smoothly or have performance issues like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
Gameplay was also shown, and it’s a massive departure from previous entries. Pokémon battles are no longer turn-based but are instead closer to an action RPG like Final Fantasy VII Remake/Rebirth. Each move will have a cooldown and be assigned to a different button, which is a far cry from previous games. You’ll also be able to dodge opponents’ attacks and counter them with proper timing. Think of it as more like the battles in the anime, where things are a lot more reactive. I’m very much down with this new system and can only imagine how crazy the late-game battles are going to get.
They also showcased the open-world gameplay, which looks to be both similar and different to the Legends: Arceus. The catching mechanics are back, but the areas you find Pokémon have changed. Instead of selecting an area to explore from a world map, you’re able to walk directly to each zone inside Lumiose City. Once you pass through certain gates, you’ll be in areas filled with Pokémon to battle and catch. This answered my biggest question about this game (where can you catch Pokémon in a city), which has made me even more excited to get this game in my hands. It’s been announced to be released in late 2025, which could mean it drops on the Switch 2 as well, but we’ll just have to wait.
The 2025 Pokémon Day Pokémon Presents was mostly what I thought it would be. The usual mobile game updates were nothing too surprising, but I was pleasantly surprised by the announcements of more Pokémon Concierge and Pokémon Champions. But Pokémon Legends: Z-A undoubtedly stole the show, and while there is still a lot we don’t know, I’m very much excited.
Did you watch the Pokémon Presents? What did you think? What announcements are you excited for? Let us know in the comments where we can talk about which starter Pokémon you’ll choose in Legends: Z-A.
