Should Pokemon GO’s Next Generation Of Pokemon Come From Sun And Moon?

For those not familiar with Pokemon, you might be surprised to know that there are currently 721 Pokemon spanning six generations. It is no secret that Pokemon GO in still destroying all records when it comes to iOS and Android devices. At the moment, there are just a mere 150 available from the first generation. This has many wondering if Pokemon GO’s next generation of Pokemon should come from the upcoming release of the seventh generation game, Pokemon Sun and Moon?

It’s safe to imagine at this point that hardcore Pokemon fans will probably be up in arms over the fact that the topic should even be debated. However, Famitsu recently interviewed the producer of Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon, Junichi Masuda, and the director, Shigeru Ohmori. It is not a stretch to think that there could very well be some interaction in the future with Pokemon GO and the core titles, Sun and Moon.

Nintendo Everything obtained a translation from the original interview. In it, Masuda and Ohmori have discussed incorporating Sun and Moon into Pokemon GO. They say that the key will be creating a balance between the two that will not make either or both of the games boring. The fact they are discussing this could lead some to wonder if we might see the recently announced Pokemon that will be part of Generation VII in GO before we see Pokemon from Generations 2-6.

It should be stated that neither Niantic nor The Pokemon Company has even confirmed that there will be anymore Pokemon made available in GO after the legendary characters and a few other special Pokemon are released. However, just yesterday, USA Today reported that Pokemon GO had surpassed $200 million in revenue in just a month.

By comparison, some of the most popular apps of all time didn’t even come close to reaching this mark. Clash Royale managed $125 million, and Candy Crush Soda Saga opened the first month at $25 million. With this in mind, Niantic and The Pokemon Company would be crazy not to add more Pokemon.

So, why would it make sense to add the latest generation of Pokemon to GO before some of the other generations?

As explained in the Nintendo Voice Chat podcast, Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon will be the first core Pokemon titles to be released at the same time worldwide. In the past, The Pokemon Company has not been very forthcoming with information about new creatures. Despite the fact Japan may already have the title available, other territories had moratoriums on any announcements that concerned which Pokemon were in the game.

This is not the case with Sun and Moon. While there are still three months until launch, there has been a steady stream of new Pokemon announced for the title, as well as accompanying drawings and descriptions. In all likelihood, fans will know more about starters Rowlet, Litten, and Popplio than they do about Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile (Generation II starters).

Another telling sign that a stronger emphasis could be put on Sun and Moon as it compares to the current 150 Pokemon available in GO can be found in the recent re-release of the original Pokemon game for the 3DS. As it stands now, only Pokemon captured in Red, Blue, Yellow, or Green (in Japan) can be transferred into Sun and Moon. All other Pokemon that players capture in previous installments cannot. This includes Alpha Ruby/Omega Sapphire and X/Y which both appeared on the 3DS.

Would Pokemon GO’s next generation of Pokemon coming from Sun and Moon be popular? Most likely, casual fans will not know the difference. They will see a new creature and catch it without knowing which generation it originates from, but most hardcore fans would probably give this question a resounding “No!”

[Image via The Pokemon Company]