Keen-eyedPokemonfans took notice of a set of trademark filings from Nintendo and the Pokemon Company this week, uncovering a renewed interest in aPokemonspinoff series and a member of a recently revealed legendary Pokemon line set to arrive in the expansion pass forPokemon SwordandShield.
The first trademark fans took notice of was for “Budrex,” a name that ties in with Calyrex, a legendary Psychic/Grass Pokemon set to arrive withthe upcomingCrown TundraexpansionforPokemon SwordandShield.A calyx is a protective layer that forms around a plant’s bud, so if Budrex isn’t an evolution or alternate form for Calyrex, the two are at the very least thematically related. Fans will be able to find out for themselves by the timeThe Crown Tundrareleases this fall, as part ofSwordandShield’s expansion pass.
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Nintendo and the Pokemon Company also renewed the “PokePark” trademark within the released documents, suggesting that a new entry or remaster in thePokemonspinoffseries could be on the way. The previousPokeParktitles were adventure games released on the Wii in the early 2010s, with two games so far:PokePark: Pikachu’s AdventureandPokePark 2: Wonders Beyond. Both games let players control Pikachu through battles and minigames, with the second expanding the playable characters to include Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott, the starter Pokemon fromBlack and White.
The games were focused on a younger target audience than the mainPokemonseries, but the spinoffs have a dedicated subset of fans. Game Freak’s move toward DLC forSword and Shieldsuggests that anotherPokemonRPG is a while off, and Nintendo may be moving toward bringing back classicPokemonspinoffs to boost the franchise’s presence on the Switch ifthe surprise return ofPokemon Mystery Dungeonis any indication.
Even if it isn’tthe much-requestedPokemon Snap 2, a newPokeParkgame or a remastered version of one of the Wii entries would likely serve as a way for Nintendo to bridge the gap between main Switch entries. Only time will tell if anything comes of the renewal. ThePokemonfaithful will likely have to hold on for another Pokemon Direct presentation or Nintendo’s E3 showcase to find out more.
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