PokemonGO_SunMoon.png

With Pokémon GO dominating gaming news over the past several weeks, and with Pokémon Sun and Moon looming its head around the corner, it's truly an exciting time to be a Pokémon fan. Assuming you are one and can't wait until the series' next instalments in November, Pokémon GO may be that experience to keep your inner-Pokéfanatic content – though this is debatable.

We've already discussed our expectations of the future of Pokémon GO and this writer, like many, assumes the critters of Johto (Generation II) are likely to make their appearance within the almighty app in the first major content update. But what if Niantic and co thought a little outside the box? This writer believes that it could be a smart move for Niantic to skip the remaining generations for now, and introduce the wonderful new monsters of the Alola region – the new Pokémon in the upcoming Sun and Moon games.

Why, you ask? Well, here's one reason, and arguably the most important. Doing this is likely to create tremendous build-up towards Sun and Moon (assuming the update arrives before November). It's likely to get both veterans and casual players interested (if not already) in the new games. The concept of a game generating promotion for another is something that's not often done, and this could perhaps be a first for the Pokémon franchise.

Pocket Monsters like Mimikyu could prove popular

Even if the update was to launch after the Sun and Moon release, it could still be an effective move to generate higher sales for the November games. There could perhaps, as confirmed by the powers that be, be greater tie-in opportunities between the app and games themselves. While it depends on the player, the obvious drawback would be spoiling the surprise of encountering the new set of monsters before experiencing the new games - again, something that's never been done before if you don't count magazine/online leaks etc.

With that said, however, it's nice to think about the possibility of old-school Pokéfans uniting with newbie Trainers to catch this new set of critters for the first time. Currently veterans of the series already know the ins and outs of at least the first Gen of creatures, thus giving them an immediate advantage in their quest to catch 'em all and dominate the competition. However, a new Gen of Pokémon presenting itself to everyone without much knowledge about them would mean a shared new experience for veterans, casuals, and everyone in-between. All kinds of players can explore these new Pokémon together - it'd be a unique experience for everyone.

What do you think of this idea? Would you like to see the next Pokémon GO update take advantage of the opportunity of focusing on Generation VII due to Sun and Moon's upcoming release, or do you think going by chronology is the best way to go? Sound-off in the usual spot!