In response to the latest news from the Pokémon franchise, we have learned of a core series game that will be introduced in 2022: Pokémon Legends: Arceus. For new fans, this may come across as perplexing, and considering the latest remakes are based in the same region within this universe, what does this all mean? What could this game be about as one situated in a distant past, what are some interesting connections, and how does this closely relate to Japanese culture, aesthetics, and folklore? The researcher best known for rambling and struggling to form coherent sentences breaks down their initial thoughts upon seeing the released footage, their observations, and what this could mean for the franchise itself in this content-heavy episode discussing Pokémon.

Timestamps:

00:23 - Preliminary Info

04:53 - Reveal + Explanation

> 06:45 - Reveal

> 14:39 - Explanation

> 20:53 - Observations

34:55 - Theory

> 35:13 - Starters 

> 43:09 - Geography Comparisons

> 56:00 - What about the Legendary Pokémon?

> 59:02 - Team Galactic Connections?

Resources/Links:

- Pokémon Direct Video 

(NOTE: At roughly 12:36, the Pokémon Legends: Arceus reveal happens. Everything preceding this discusses Pokémon Snap and the upcoming remakes titled Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.)

- Sinnoh Region 

- Team Galactic 

- Pokémon Sword & Shield: Isle of Armour 

Pokémon Examples:

- Sinnoh Pokedex 

- Rowlet, Cyndaquil, Oshawott

- Sinnoh Legendary Pokémon 

Sekien, Toriyama. 2017. Japandemonium Illustrated: The Yōkai Encyclopedias of Toriyama Sekien, translated by Yoda, Hiroko and Matt Alt. Dover Publications.

(Creator's Note: Please refer to Episode 2 discussing Pokémon if further background is needed. I apologize for any random background noise; I must mention that this isn't exactly a spoiler-free episode in regards to earlier games, nor is this a definitive theory as the game has yet to be released. Some content in this episode deals with myths and folklore in the real world; all research discussing such information is explained and described solely from a scholarly perspective. I do not claim ownership over the products, sources, and images that come from this game; images have been taken from the "Pokémon Direct Video (26.2.21)"  and are solely being used for entertainment purposes.)