Trainers, we don't know where to begin. A rumor for the upcoming main-series game for the Nintendo Switch surfaced yesterday, and the community exploded. Normally, we wouldn't cover such a rumor (especially since the Switch game has had so many non-credible rumors surface over the past year), but the community's reaction to it, plus the fact that it also relates to Pokémon GO, makes us feel it's worthy to tell you about.
Before we dive into it, we want to remind you that this "leak," "rumor," or whatever you wish to call it is still unverified. We are bringing this to you to keep you informed of what is going on, and not as fact. Please keep that in mind as you continue reading.
THE RUMOR'S ORIGINS: This rumor was originally posted on 4Chan (a rumor forum that is, a vast majority of the time, full of fake information) on April 1, 2018. Since that was posted on April Fools' Day, everybody seemed to overlook it. Yesterday, the same "leaker" went back to his post and added a logo to it.
IS THE LOGO REAL?: The logo is in Japanese, and translates to "Pocket Monsters [Pokémon] Let's Go Pikachu." PokeSirena, a YouTuber who is often translating alleged leaks, says in a video that the logo is grammatically correct. Additionally, she says the Japanese characters are very well drawn, and could not be done that well by an amateur. While we trust her judgment, that does not mean that the logo is real.
THE RUMOR'S CLAIMS: As we said above, the rumor also alleges other things. Again, they may not all be true, but they are the following:
WHY ARE PEOPLE BUYING IT?: So why is this post so different than all of the other fake 4Chan ones? Well, these are popular reasons that YouTubers are using in their videos:
REMEMBER THIS: We have been reluctant to cover this story, as we are still not complete believers of it. We would like to remind you that even if the leak turns out to be credible (which we cannot gauge yet do the lack of any official information), not everything could come true. We saw this with the one credible leak we had for Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
Going forward, we will continue to follow this story and update you if it turns out not to be credible after all. Additionally, we will bring you official information once it starts coming in for the Switch game. Thanks for reading, Trainers.
Before we dive into it, we want to remind you that this "leak," "rumor," or whatever you wish to call it is still unverified. We are bringing this to you to keep you informed of what is going on, and not as fact. Please keep that in mind as you continue reading.
THE RUMOR'S ORIGINS: This rumor was originally posted on 4Chan (a rumor forum that is, a vast majority of the time, full of fake information) on April 1, 2018. Since that was posted on April Fools' Day, everybody seemed to overlook it. Yesterday, the same "leaker" went back to his post and added a logo to it.
IS THE LOGO REAL?: The logo is in Japanese, and translates to "Pocket Monsters [Pokémon] Let's Go Pikachu." PokeSirena, a YouTuber who is often translating alleged leaks, says in a video that the logo is grammatically correct. Additionally, she says the Japanese characters are very well drawn, and could not be done that well by an amateur. While we trust her judgment, that does not mean that the logo is real.
THE RUMOR'S CLAIMS: As we said above, the rumor also alleges other things. Again, they may not all be true, but they are the following:
- The games are remakes / reboots of Pokémon Yellow
- The game has two versions: Pokémon Let's Go! Pikachu and Pokémon Let's Go! Eevee
- Red and Blue will play a role in the story, but are not the playable characters or rivals
- Following Pokémon make a return
- HM's are still replaced with Generation 7's PokéRide feature
- There is an online hub for players
- The game is integrated with Pokémon GO
- Catching Pokémon works like in Pokémon GO
- Their will be bonuses in the Switch games and Pokémon GO for linking them together
- There will be a new accessory that works for both Pokémon GO and the Switch games
- The announcement for the games will come soon, and they will be released in 2018
WHY ARE PEOPLE BUYING IT?: So why is this post so different than all of the other fake 4Chan ones? Well, these are popular reasons that YouTubers are using in their videos:
- Pokémon merchandise has been very heavy with Pikachu and Eevee as of late
- Industry-insider Emily Rogers recently claimed that the Switch games will be revealed soon, release this year, and have very odd titles
- A recent tweet from Junichi Masuda recently showcased Pikachu, Eevee, and some other "hints" that relate to this leak
- The leak was found credible enough for the people behind Serebii to put it on their website
REMEMBER THIS: We have been reluctant to cover this story, as we are still not complete believers of it. We would like to remind you that even if the leak turns out to be credible (which we cannot gauge yet do the lack of any official information), not everything could come true. We saw this with the one credible leak we had for Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
Going forward, we will continue to follow this story and update you if it turns out not to be credible after all. Additionally, we will bring you official information once it starts coming in for the Switch game. Thanks for reading, Trainers.
SOURCES: RuffledRowlit, Verlisify, Twintendo, PokeSirena, Paul Ryan | IMAGE CREDIT: Niche Gamer
UPDATE: Since we published this article, a new development has come out about this story. A company that manages Nintendo websites has registered the domains "pokemonletsgopikachu.com" and "pokemonletsgoeevee.com," Serebii reports.