Discussing the first entries in the storied franchise, he said that Red and Blue’s Kanto region’s similarity to real-world Japan was based on the idea of making an adventure close to a player’s own life. “I’ve always believed connecting the world of Pokémon with the real world brings even more exciting possibilities,” he said. “And for many players, the game experience connects to real-life experiences, such as catching insects, fishing, raising animals, or growing plants.”

Speaking about new technologies, Ishihara discussed the possibility of a world where Pikachu “could jump onto the table right in front of you.” Discussing augmented reality (AR) tech, he acknowledged that, while novel, the concept might become boring after a while. “I feel that people would find it more fun to walk around the real world, work up a sweat, or take a walk with a Pokémon that has a mind of its own.”

As for what the future might hold for Pokémon, he acknowledged that his answer of wanting to “keep making fun games” might be broad. However, he noted that the success of the series comes down to people enjoying the games.

“I believe what we must continue to do is keep making fun games,” he said. “It might sound broad, but it all comes down to whether people play our games and find them enjoyable; that’s not something we can dictate. Sustaining that is what’s important, and it’s OK if everything else changes.”

Ishihara’s statement comes just days after The Pokémon Company, along with Nintendo, unveiled the next pair of mainline entries in the franchise – Pokémon Winds and Waves. Slated for release in 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2, the games were unveiled with a trailer showcasing a world that features a variety of different biomes, like forests and beaches, as well as a new trio of starter Pokémon: Browt, Pombon and Gecqua.

The official website for Pokémon Winds and Waves has also confirmed that the upcoming titles will be open-world, with descriptions mentioning islands along with a “vast ocean”. Thanks to this more open structure, players will also get to find Pokémon living alongside their environments, with unique ecosystems having developed between them.

In the meantime, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen have recently been released on Nintendo Switch for $20 each. The titles are Game Boy Advance remakes of the first generation of Pokémon games, which were originally released on Game Boy all the way back in 1996.

As for other Pokémon games in development, take a look at the latest gameplay trailer for Pokémon Pokopia.

The day of this Pokémon Presents also coincides with the release of Pokémon LeafGreen and FireRed on Nintendo Switch. The titles will be enhanced versions of the Game Boy Advance classics, and will be priced at $19.99 each. While neither Nintendo nor Game Freak have provided too many details about the enhancements made, the Nintendo eShop description for the title confirms that it will feature wireless trade and battles through the Pokémon Wireless Club. In terms of visuals and gameplay, however, the titles will seemingly look just like the originals.

As for other things we might see at the Pokémon Presents, one of the likeliest candidates is Pokémon Pokopia, which is slated for release on Nintendo Switch 2 on March 5th. The title was unveiled back in September, and presents an entirely new premise. Players take on the role of a Ditto that has transformed itself to look vaguely like a young human. It also has elements of the survival crafting genre, since players will have to explore the world to get their hands on resources to craft equipment, and even build a home.

A major twist in the formula is that players will also encounter other Pokémon, which can be befriended and brought home. These Pokémon will, in their own way, help out with the growth of your home by, for example, Squirtle watering your crops, or Charmander clearing out grass with its fire abilities.

Pokémon Pokopia director Takuto Edagawa recently also confirmed that, while the game will take players between 20 and 40 hours to finish, there is still plenty to do after the main story. “It would really depend on how the players play the game,” he said. “There’s more things to experience after the end roll.”

“So it depends on what you mean by contents, but I believe that players are encouraged to and will be motivated to continue to play the game.”

The last major release in the Pokémon franchise was Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which came out on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 in October 2025. While the game itself was quite successful, Game Freak also released a DLC for it, dubbed Mega Dimension. Leading up to its December launch, Game Freak had been revealing some of the new Pokémon encounters that players would have, including Mega Lucario Z, and Mega Zeraora.

For more details about Pokémon Legends: Z-A, check out our review. And if you want more details on the last mainline release in the series, here’s our review of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, which came out on Nintendo Switch back in 2022.