During today’s Pokémon Presents, GameFreak officially revealed the Winds and Waves versions, set for release sometime in 2027.

Trailer:

They cooked. And boy, did they.

Say goodbye to the grainy cliffs and landscapes of Paldea (unless you still want to play it, which is your choice). Because these new games look gorgeous.

And not just the landscapes, it seems the oceanfloor itself is explorable. Which was a thing in the Hoenn games, but those ones were a bit more limited.

The trailer revealed the new protagonists. But here’s the official art:

Definitely an adventury look. The appearances differ by version. I like the designs in the Waves version more, even if they remind me of Walmart.

There are new starters, as well, named (left to right) Browt, Pombon, and Gecqua:

Based on the above pic, I’d say that my choice might be irrelevant, as I’d probably just box it right after catching something else. They’re just so unappealing.

But here’s the official art for them:

Much, much better. That’s why your anime-style game should have outlines. For one thing, so it looks like an anime. But also so it doesn’t look uncanny. I’d probably go with the bird.

People are already factioning up by version and starter. But being a fanatic, I’ll probably get both versions, and somehow obtain each starter.

But here’s why I’m not getting too hyped: The games release in 2027. That’s a ways off. It’s great to know that they’re willing to put the time into this one to make sure it turns out great.

So, there might be a bit of a dry spell as far as Pokémon releases go, aside from Champions and re-releases like FRLG and XD. But after that, there’s going to be a lot of water.