Pokemon fans have a lot to look forward to in the next six months, with the Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl release dates coming in November and Pokemon Legends: Arceus launching in January. However, some fans of the Pokemon franchise are already looking ahead to the future, wondering what the Generation 9 Pokemon games might have in store. And now these fans think they might've found a clue as to what the Gen 9 Pokemon region might be.
A screenshot of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl has been making the rounds online, showing a painting hanging on the wall in one of the games' buildings. Speculation points to the painting being representative of Van Goh's "Starry Night Over The Rhone" or Venice, Italy. If it's the former, it seems unlikely to be a hint since we've already had a Pokemon region based in France (Starry Night Over The Rhone depicts Arles, France), but if it's the latter, it could be a hint that the Gen 9 Pokemon region will be based on Italy.
RELATED: Pokemon TV App Launched for the Nintendo Switch With Full Anime Episodes
All of the Pokemon regions so far have had real-world equivalents, and it stands to reason that Italy will be featured eventually, by process of elimination if nothing else. Even so, it's entirely possible that fans are reading a bit too much into this. Yes, Game Freak has been known to hint at the future of the Pokemon franchise in the games, but there's one big hole in this logic: Game Freak is not the primary studio making Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
Game Freak is busy developing Pokemon Legends: Arceus for the Nintendo Switch, which looks to be taking an open world, Breath of the Wild-style approach to the Pokemon franchise. Since Game Freak is focused on that, development of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl has been handed over to ILCA. This is the first time that a main series Pokemon game is not being developed by Game Freak, and it could very well mean that there are no hints about the Pokemon franchise's future hidden in the games.
Ultimately, fans won't know for sure if this painting is a hit at the Gen 9 Pokemon games until the Gen 9 Pokemon games are announced. And again, Game Freak is currently busy working on Pokemon Legends: Arceus, so it could be quite some time before the next generation Pokemon games are revealed to the public. All told, it could be years before fans know if this is a real hint at the Gen 9 Pokemon region or if it means nothing.
MORE: Pokemon Legends: Arceus Should Explore This Mythological Event
Source: Dexerto
