Highlights
- Speculation about Gen 5 remakes and future Unova games in Gen 9 is fueled by hints and leaks, including the revelation of Archaludon for The Indigo Disk.
- The possibility of two versions of the next Gen 5 games has sparked interest, with rumors suggesting taste-based themes and ties to the White Forest and Black City.
- The latest hints from Riddler Khu suggest the inclusion of the Original Dragon from Gen 5 lore as the mascot for a potential Pokemon Legends Unova game.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's release and the accompanying Paldean Pokedex sparked discussions about what Gen 5 remakes would look like with new Volcarona forms in Slither Wing and Iron Moth or if Kingambit would be included. There were multiple features, bits of dialogue, and new critters pointing toward more Unova games in Gen 9, and when Archaludon was revealed for The Indigo Disk, a renowned leaker stated it was a hint toward Gen 5 Pokemon games of some sort - which is easy to believe considering it's shaped like Unovan bridges. More recently, the same leaker (known online as Riddler Khu) shared more hints for future Pokemon Unova games.
Gen 5 was in the talks for remakes among the community already when Gen 9 came out, and that's because Gen 4 games were remade in the form of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, making Pokemon Black and White the next in line for a facelift. A popular option among fans would be to have a Pokemon Legends Unova game coming out alongside Gen 5 remakes much like Pokemon Legends: Arceus came out shortly after Gen 4 remakes. With these options in mind, Riddler Khu's recent leaks paint a seemingly clear picture of what is in store for the Unova region.
Why Pokemon Gen 5 Games Could Feature Two Versions and The Original Dragon
One of the most recent rumors is that the next set of Gen 5 games might come with two different versions, and the current theory is that this is not even tied to the remakes, but rather different games entirely. These versions for new Gen 5 Pokemon games would be apparently tied to taste in some way, which remains an unclear hint from the leakers, even though Gen 5 does feature some food-based critters. Having two different versions of non-remake games for Unova would be an interesting choice, especially seeing how they were the first set of games to get two versions for their sequels.
Another rumor is coming from Chinese social media through Riddler Khu, and it involves version differences for Gen 5 games, but this time they are themed around "original" and "paradox" worlds, possibly tying into the same Paradox gimmick of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. In Gen 9, one version features past Paradox Pokemon and the other has future Paradox Pokemon, which corroborates another Khu leak regarding Archaludon. In that old leak, Khu hinted that there were two new Gen 9 Pokemon being introduced, and they were seemingly tied to the White Forest and Black City from Gen 5, with Archaludon having connections to the latter.
Khu is currently sharing more riddles on social media, and the latest set of hints is all about Pokemon that either have three heads or evolve into three-headed creatures, such as Deino, Doduo, and Magnemite. The most logical assumption would be that, if literal, these rumors are saying that the next Pokemon Unova games will feature the infamous Original Dragon from Gen 5 lore. In the lore, it seems that the Original Dragon was once the creature that eventually split into Zekrom, Reshiram, and Kyurem.
What follows is that the Original Dragon could be the mascot for a Pokemon Legends Unova game, and it could be a three-headed creature that shares some of the characteristics unique to the three Legendary Dragons Zekrom, Reshiram, and Kyurem. This seems the most plausible explanation for these leaks, and it would make sense for a Pokemon Legends: Arceus sequel to explore Unova and the Original Dragon lore. Whether this is accurate remains to be seen, but it seems extremely likely that Pokemon players will eventually have new Gen 5 games that are not just remakes.
