Pokemon Scarlet and Violet were in development for several years alongside Pokemon Legends: Arceus, and this pattern could return in the future.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are almost one month away from release, and while they will keep many fans busy for a long time, especially with the rumored DLC being already in the pipeline, Game Freak is likely planning Gen 10 games. This is not to say that Generation 10 games will eventually come soon after the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC, but rather that future games are probably being made already, and they were possibly green-lighted months ago if not earlier. A glimpse into the development cycle of Pokemon games was provided by the fact that Game Freak grew enough to split into two teams, with one of them working on Pokemon Legends: Arceus for a long time, and the other on another project that was later revealed to be Gen 9.

This is something that became obvious when The Pokemon Company announced that remakes for Pokemon Diamond and Pearl were on their way, but for the first time in the franchise's history, they were being made outside of Game Freak. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were in fact developed by the Japanese studio ILCA Inc., a decision that not all fans were happy about, but also one that allowed Game Freak's other team to work on Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. This cycle could very well repeat itself after Gen 9 games come out, and it would make a lot of sense for Gen 5 remakes and other titles.

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Gen 5 games are oftentimes considered the best of the bunch by many long-standing fans, and that's because of the overall themes of the story, a set of compelling villains, and the fact that they acted as a soft reboot of the Pokemon franchise. This translated into the biggest regional Pokedex ever, which was a great callback to Gen 1 games, and it's a number of new critters that has yet to be matched in later entries.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's leaked Pokedex is not as big as that of Gen 5, too, and it's rumored to not feature several pocket monsters from the Black and White era that have never before appeared on the Switch. This alone could be an indicator that Gen 5 remakes are indeed needed and that they're eventually coming, but it's also worth mentioning that they could be again outsourced in order to let Game Freak work on Gen 10 and another Pokemon Legends game simultaneously.

A Gen 5 Pokemon Legends would make perfect sense due to Pokemon Legends: Arceus having several references to Black and White throughout its story and via its characters, to the point that fans were left wondering if Alder is a "faller" - a time traveler. In fact, Game Freak could repeat the exact same formula as with Gen 4 remakes by releasing a Switch version of the Gen 5 titles sometime in the next couple of years, and then follow it up with a new Pokemon Legends game set in Unova a few months later.

In the meanwhile, the team at Game Freak that was previously working on Pokemon Scarlet and Violet would start active development on Gen 10, assuming it hasn't started yet, and the company is still in the brainstorming phase. While employing another company to remake old Pokemon games could not be the most ideal frame for fans who are used to Game Freak's work, this strategy did pay off with Pokemon Legends: Arceus, and the reception of Gen 9 games when they launch could cement it if positive. Overall, there's a lot to be excited about for the future of the franchise, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's many new features are a great springboard for what's to come.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release on November 18 on Nintendo Switch.

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Andrea became a gamer for life at 7, thanks to a Pokemon Red cartridge and her Game Boy. She knew she wanted to be a writer back when she got a floppy disk and wrote "My Book" on it. Her Italian lineage makes her a big pizza fan. She loves games featuring deep lore, sci-fi elements, and strategic thinking. When she is not writing, she's often found playing Destiny 2 and Pokemon games. Andrea has a BA degree in Cognitive Psychology from UNISOB and an MA degree in Copywriting and Advertising from IULM.