Featured Image Credit: Game Freak
Topics: Pokemon, Nintendo, Game Freak
It has been three years since the beginning of Generation 9 in Pokémon, heralded by the arrival of the very divisive Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, both of which failed to get the new era started on the right note.
Since then, Generation 9 has allowed us to enjoy a fun new world of creatures, without really feeling like a defining period for the enormous franchise and those who love it so much.
As such, the conversation has now started to turn towards the arrival of Generation 10, which many fans think could have the chops to really elevate the games once again and bring a raft of fun 'mon to catch at the same time.
Though The Pokémon Company and Game Freak have remained very tight lipped on details, it seems like it could be on the way pretty soon, and the fan base think they've identified exactly when it might be.
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As first reported by IGN, the franchise opened up the new year by sharing a post on social media featuring the original design for Pikachu, which is considerably fatter and more adorable than the version we have now.
"Pokémon 30th Anniversary, Here We Go! 30 years since the release of Pokémon Red and Green. On February 27, 2026 (Friday), Pokémon turns 30. We have a feeling this year is going to be the best one yet! Look forward to it!" the post reads.
Fans over on Reddit were fairly certain that the big date would be used as the perfect setting for the announcement of the next generation of games and monsters, with rumours swirling about what it might look like.
The names Wind and Wave have been circulating for some time, and it does feel like those fit into the general nomenclature that Game Freak and other Pokémon companies tend to lean towards.
Indeed, one fan thought they'd cracked it when the url ending windwave redirected to the Pokémon website homepage, but this is likely a coincidence given that the website does the same thing if you type anything starting with "win" after the URL.
Whatever does emerge, the Pokémon games have been through an uncharacteristically rough period in recent years, with mixed feedback from both critics and fans for most of the recent games. Here's hoping this next generation affords them the opportunity to get everything back on track.