Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have officially released their most recent Pokemon Presents, a video segment dedicated entirely to upcoming Pokemon-related media in the foreseeable future. And while much of the presentation is interesting and exciting in its own right, we have a few bits that are very relevant to the Pokemon Go community. So while we definitely recommend that you watch the presentation for yourself to get the full effect, here are the highlights that Pokemon Go players can currently look forward to and enjoy:
The Pokemon Go Plus+
The long-lost new peripheral for Pokemon Go is coming, and the old Pokemon Go Plus and Pokeball Plus are finally getting a new baby brother! The awkwardly named Pokemon Go+ Plus is finally on its way, and it is stated to sport a few new features:
- Auto-Spin Pokestops and Gyms
- Auto-catch Pokemon using normal Pokeballs
- Utilize Great or Ultra Balls for button-press throws
And while not officially announced, the official video seems to show a USB-C port at the bottom, meaning the Pokemon Go+ Plus will likely be rechargeable.
It's taken a while, but it seems that Niantic and the Pokemon Company are finally releasing a peripheral device that can compete with the 3rd party options that have been on the market since shortly after the original Go Plus was released. The one issue may be the size, as currently available press releases show this device to be fairly large when compared to the Go Plus, so it may be a bit awkward to carry around realistically.
We don't yet have a price-point for the Pokemon Go+ Plus, but it's currently stated for a July 14 release date. The device is slated to work with Pokemon Go and Pokemon Sleep, which will release around the same time. And speaking of Pokemon Sleep....
Pokemon Sleep
It's been a long time since the much-mocked Pokemon Sleep was officially announced as a companion-app to Pokemon Go. So long, in fact, that many of us have likely forgotten all about it by now!. Well, it seems that the Pokemon Company didn't forget, as it's finally on the horizon once again.
No longer developed by Niantic, 2023's Killer App in the making is designed to encourage healthy sleeping habits by monitoring motion and activity while the player is off in dream land. In theory, this new game can make it so that we never have to stop playing Pokemon in one form or another! Gameplay will revolve around a Snorlax that sleeps while the player does and draws in other Pokemon to nap with it. Depending on the player's sleeping habits, players will be able to interact with Pokemon sleeping in various ways and add them to their collection. To add to this, the originally planned connectivity with Pokemon Go is still moving forward, with plans to utilize the Pokemon Go+ Plus to transfer data between the two games to gain additional bonuses of some sort in Pokemon Go. And we just happen to have the first glimpse into what players can garner from this connection:
As the image above shows, players will be able to attain a Special Research line that will allow them to obtain a nightcap Snorlax. A bit sparce, but a nice first bonus for players who take the plunge and pick up a Pokemon Go+ Plus to use with Go or Sleep.
Scarlet & Violet Connectivity
It's finally time for Pokemon Go and Scarlet/Violet to become friends!
Players active during Go Tour: Hoenn may have found themselves encountering a rather out-of-place set of Field Research tasks with the title "Spooky Cipher"
These may have seemed rather out-of-place at the time, but we can now speculate that these unique Research tasks were likely connected to a certain Ghost Type Pokemon that's on its way.
The first real connectivity between Pokemon Go and Scarlet/Violet is coming, and it's got a few new features. While we can't yet transfer Pokemon from Go to Scarlet and Violet and won't be able to do so until Pokemon Home support opens up in "early 2023", it is possible to begin interfacing. Players will be able to send postcards from Pokemon Go to Scarlet/Violet, and that will cause changes in the console games. Namely, it will cause Vivilon encountered in the wild to change forme.
But we're not done yet! Players who transfer postcards over from Go will also have the opportunity to capture Gimmeghoul: Roaming Forme in Pokemon Go for the first time!
First discovered as a teaser during Dratini's Community Day Classic back in November, Gimmeghoul has eluded players for quite some time, but now it's finally ready to make its debut. And to add to the excitement, players who collect 999 Gimmeghoul coins will be able to evolve their Gimmeghoul into its final form, Gholdengo!
Gholdengo is a Ghost/Steel Type Pokemon that packs a fair punch given its currently datamined moveset, but it's currently unlikely to have any real niche where it stand out super-well. But time will tell!
Closing
So what do you all think of the newest announced updates? Planning on picking up a Pokemon Go+ Plus and/or play Pokemon Sleep? What's the highlight of the presentation in your estimation, even beyond these three key bits that we've highlighted here? We'd genuinely like to hear your thoughts, so please let us know in the comments, and we'll keep you all updated as more information drops!
