Pokémon Day marks a significant milestone for Trainers all around the world as it signifies the day Pokémon Red and Green, the first games of the franchise, were released in Japan. As has been the custom for quite some time, the Pokémon Company held a livestream called Pokémon Presents where they shared all the latest news about the franchise.
This year’s Pokémon Day was more anticipated than previous ones due to February 27, 2026 marking Pokémon’s 30th anniversary.
The Presents started by showing the opening title screens from the mainline Pokémon games starting from Red and Green and ending with Legends: Z-A, which brought back a lot of nostalgia for Trainers alike.
The final video of the Presents had what Trainers were waiting for as the newest entries in the franchise’s mainline games were announced; Pokémon Winds and Waves.
The trailer for Winds and Waves introduced what appears to be a new, unnamed region surrounded with large bodies of water, along with Pokémon from previous games. It also revealed the starter Pokémon, the trio that Trainers choose from prior to starting their journey. The trio included Browt, a grass-type, Pombon, a fire-type, and Gecqua, a water-type.
What caught a lot of Trainers off guard was the release date being sometime in 2027. This means there will be at least a gap year between the release of Legends: Z-A on October 16, 2025, and Winds and Waves in 2027.
UMBC Pokémon Fan Club president Josie Henderson, a fan of the franchise for over 17 years, “enjoyed the Presents this year.” The announcements she liked the most were the confirmation of a 30th anniversary card set, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness becoming available on the Switch 2, and Winds and Waves releasing in 2027.
Regarding Winds and Waves, Henderson said she enjoys the starters and notes that “Gecqua is her favorite of the three, but they each have personality.” She was also excited that the games are not releasing until 2027 “as it means that they have more time to work on graphics to make it potentially the most visually appealing Switch generation game.”
One of the things she wanted to see during the trailer were the starters, which were introduced, but she hopes Pombon and Qecqua remain quadrupedal as they evolve. Her quadrupedal comment is in reference to Pokémon’s tendency for Fire and Water-type starters to become bipedal in their later evolutions rather than staying on four legs. However, she was hoping that the trailer would reveal the new region’s Legendary Pokémon.
There is no telling when more information about Winds and Waves will be released as there is a possibility nothing will be revealed at least for the remainder of the year.
Ozair Hussain is a senior information systems major and opinions editor for The Retriever.
Contact Ozair at ohussai1@umbc.edu