I Have The Perfect Idea For The Next Pokémon Legends Game, But It Would Have To Come Soon

Legends: Arceus completely turned the typical Pokémon game formula on its head when it was released in 2022, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A is expected to push that envelope even more later this year. Instead of being a young Pokémon trainer trying to get all the badges and defeat the game’s version of the Elite 4, players were sent back in time to uncover a world before humans and Pokémon learned to coexist. And, instead of going to a new location, the game returned to the world of the fourth generation of games, Diamond and Pearl.

The next Pokémon Legends game, Z-A, has already been announced for later this year. Like its predecessor, it, too, returns to an existing region, this time revisiting Kalos from Pokémon X and Y. If the Pokémon Legends games continue the trend of returning to existing generations, there’s only one logical place where it can go next. And it’ll have to do so by February of next year, when the franchise is geared to celebrate a very special day.

Pokémon Legends Should Go To The Kanto Region Next

It’s Time To Revisit The Generation That Started It All

There hasn’t been any explanation of why Pokémon Legends occur within the specific generations where they take place. But if the thing that sets Pokémon Legends games apart from mainline Pokémon games is the return to past generations, then I believe that the next Legends game should return to the Kanto region of the original Pokémon Red and Blue (and Green, in Japan).

Pokémon CEO’s Candid Thoughts On The Franchise Suddenly Explains The Long Wait For Gen 10 Games

While Pokémon is still successful as it nears its 30th anniversary, recent comments by the CEO hint that Gen 10’s delay is for a good reason.

The Pokémon games have followed a very predictable formula for most of the franchise. Every couple of years, a new game is announced that takes players to a brand-new place, with new Pokémon to discover, a story revolving around an evil organization, and gym badges to collect. The series has been following this formula since February 27, 1996, with the launch of the original games.

Ever since then, the company has celebrated Pokémon Day on February 27, with this year marking the 29th anniversary of the games. I can’t think of a better bit of history to revisit on next year’s 30th anniversary than the region of the games that started it all. A full 30 years later, it’s time to make a triumphant return to Professor Oak, Pallet Town, and the rest of the region inspired by real-world Japan.

I remember the joy of discovering Pokémon for the very first time on a friend’s Game Boy when I was a kid. I recall not understanding why my friend kept going over the same patch of grass over and over again, telling her, “You already checked there!” I remember the delight at discovering the legends of MissingNo. and the renewed delight upon discovering that the legend was true.

All these moments make up my love for the franchise, even if I haven’t played every game. I’m sure the Kanto region holds many fond memories for many other Pokémon fans, too, many of whom have grown up with the series as I did. As an adult, I would love nothing more than to revisit this place that holds so many wonderful memories for me.

2026 Is The Perfect Year To Return To Kanto

Next Year’s Pokémon Day Will Be Its 30th Anniversary

The likelihood of getting another Pokémon Legends game next year is very low since Game Freak and The Pokémon Company are currently busy working on Z-A and the upcoming mainline Generation 10 title. Still, the 30th anniversary is just too good of an opportunity to pass up to return to the games’ origin. It would be too much to hope for a third main Pokémon game alongside those two. However, I’m holding out hope that on February 27, 2026, we might be treated to an announcement about the next Pokémon Legends game.

The Pokémon franchise is currently leaning hard into nostalgia. In 2024, the company released Pokémon TCG Pocket, which digitized the trading card game that so many fans have been playing for decades. The February 2025 Pokémon Presents announced the revival of another classic title, Pokémon Stadium. The new game will be called Pokémon Champions and while we don’t know much about it yet, the trailer makes it very clear that it’s feeding off ’90s and early 2000s nostalgia.

In 2026, Pokémon will be celebrating its 30-year anniversary, making it the optimal time to head back to the ’90s. The small idea for having Pocket Monsters you could capture and battle was born in the ’90s and has since grown into this massive empire, a franchise that’s so ubiquitous that even my elderly Hispanic mother-in-law knows what a Pikachu is. If Pokémon Legends games are all about returning to previous regions and re-exploring them from a different perspective, then next year I hope to see a Legends game announced for the Kanto region.

What A Pokémon Legends Kanto Game Could Look Like

I Want To See A Region That Has Grown With Its Fans

The Kanto region holds a very special place in many fans’ hearts. I’m reminded of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which took years of fans begging for a recreation before Square Enix finally released one because the company wanted to make sure it got the game just right. The Pokémon Red and Blue games would need to be handled carefully as well, due to how important they were to the franchise and fans.

Pyroar and Pikachu in front of the pikachu for Pokemon Legends Z A

Every Pokémon Confirmed For Pokémon Legends Z-A (So Far)

Pokémon Legends: Z-A will be set in the Kalos region & is sure to have many of the familiar friends from the X & Y games. Here’s all confirmed so far.

The Pokémon Legends games are the perfect setup for returning to the series’ origin. The Legends games tend to play with time a lot, with Arceus taking place in the distant past and Z-A going to the future. For a game set in the Kanto region, I think the most logical time to travel to is our present.

The Pokémon Company may deem Kanto too precious, something that the company doesn’t want to touch because it wants to keep that nostalgia intact. But I still hope that next year, on the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, we’ll get a return.

The original game took place in 1996. Now it’s 30 years later and so much has changed, technology has evolved, and the world is a different place. Just imagine seeing the world of Kanto as it would be today, 30 years after the events of the original games. Where are all the characters from that game now? What does the technology look like? At the time, Bill’s PC was this insane new innovation; what does it look like now? I have no idea, but I’d love to find out.

I don’t know for sure if Pokémon ever plans to return to the Kanto region. The Pokémon Company may deem it too precious, something that the company doesn’t want to touch because it wants to keep that nostalgia intact. But I still hope that next year, on the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, we’ll get a return to Kanto after Pokémon Legends: Z-A. I can’t wait to see what new adventures are in store for Pokémon fans in the coming future.