Pokemon X and Y are celebrating their 10-year anniversary in October 2023. Recently, players have been hoping to see the series' sixth generation return to the spotlight, with some fans speculating that DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet would tie into Pokemon X and Y's Kalos region and others expecting the announcement of modern remakes. To the surprise of many, last week's Pokemon Presents shared no details regarding plans to acknowledge generation six's 10th anniversary. While modern editions of the titles may still be in the works, Pokemon X and Y need closure much more than they need remakes.
Pokemon X and Pokemon Y are the black sheep of the Pokemon series, for positive and negative reasons. Pokemon X and Y introduced major changes to the franchise, including diagonal movement, horde encounters, mega evolutions, Fairy-types, and 3D models of every available Pokemon. On the negative side, the pair also introduced the smallest amount of new Pokemon in a generation, adding only 72. However, by far the most significant characteristic of Pokemon X and Y is the lack of a third entry to complete their story, which leaves the generation with a feeling of incompleteness.
Pokemon X and Y Were Rumored to Have a Sequel in the Works
Pokemon games often feature a third entry or direct sequels to complete the narrative of the original pair of titles. Games like Pokemon Gold and Silver were followed by third entries, such as Pokemon Crystal. Pokemon Sun and Moon received direct sequels in Pokemon Ultra Sun and Pokemon Ultra Moon. Pokemon X and Y stick out like sore thumbs, in that they do not feature any follow-ups either directly or indirectly, despite introducing substantial lore threads to the series. One such thread is a 9-foot tall and 3000-year-old immortal king named AZ who appears four times throughout the titles and then is never referenced again.
Leaks suggest that Game Freak planned more Kalos-centered games, with Pokemon Z thought to be conceptualized before work began on Pokemon Sun and Moon. In a video by DidYouKnowGaming?, the team theorizes that developmental resources were to blame for Pokemon Z never seeing the light. At the time, Game Freak was shifting focus to other projects, though the developer would double down on Pokemon again soon after. DidYouKnowGaming? States that dataminers revealed Game Freak had established projects labeled "28" and "29", implying that direct sequels to Pokemon X and Y were considered. However, the developer later abandoned the concepts, labeling them as "CALOS_RESERVE" and assigning Pokemon Sun and Moon numbers "30" and "31".
Pokemon X and Y were a massive technical undertaking, and the experience did suffer because of it. Lag was a major problem, particularly during multi-battles. In addition, new additions, such as mega-evolutions and Pokemon-Amie, threw off the balancing of the titles' Pokemon battles. A generation's third entry usually applied fixes to the first two titles, so Pokemon Z was expected to be the best way to experience Gen 6. When that third entry never came, Pokemon X and Y were left behind, unfinished both technically and narratively.
Pokemon X and Y's Story May Find Closure in Scarlet and Violet's Area Zero DLC
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet feature a region called Area Zero, which the Pokemon Company recently announced to be the focal point of the titles' DLC. The location is responsible for generation nine's Terastal mechanic and is the site of the titles' epic final battle. Beyond its appearance in Scarlet and Violet, Area Zero could solve a mystery surrounding Pokemon X and Y, bringing closure to the threads left dangling by the appearance of AZ, the former King of Kalos, and his highly unusual partner Pokemon, Floette.
The character was said to have wandered for thousands of years, after his use of the "Ultimate Weapon" ended the Great War and led his partner, Floette, to abandon him. This Floette appeared unlike any other, featuring a unique look, the inability to evolve, high stats, and held item, a flower which some players believe to be Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Herba Mystica. These traits make the case that AZ's Floette could be a Paradox Pokemon from Paldea's Area Zero. If true, Floette connects AZ to both Area Zero and the Herba Mystica's healing properties, which could explain his long life and possession of a wholly unique Pokemon form.
For Pokemon X and Y's 10th anniversary, the Pokemon Company has an excuse to finally bring some much-needed closure to generation six and connect it to the larger Pokemon series. More than any other entries in the series, Pokemon X and Y require a direct return, rather than a remake. The upcoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC, The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, may surprise players with connections to AZ and his Floette, though that is merely speculation for the time being. Until the next Pokemon Presents, fans of Pokemon X and Y are hopeful that the Pokemon Company's plans for late 2023 include a spotlight on the series' pivotal, yet incomplete, sixth generation of titles.
Pokemon X and Pokemon Y are available now for the Nintendo 3DS.