HDMI Splitter Rotom: Pokémon Presents 2/27/25 Impressions

Pokemon Concierge by Netflix

I made no predictions going into today’s Pokemon Presents. 

See? I’m making good on my no expectations promise I wrote about before. We’re in a weird spot with the lead up to Nintendo’s next console, and it was always more likely that any big surprises would roll out alongside that on April 2nd. 

This event was always going to be reserved for–the rest.

There was no downtime in the 19 minute presentation, and like the showcase itself, this article is going to be super efficient. I’m excited for a few of these things, but chances are if you regularly play any of these live service games, you have other methods of getting your fix–I mean, your information about updates. 

Here’s everything that was shown this morning: 

-New episodes of Pokemon Concierge are coming to Netflix in September (and you can watch the first season for free on YouTube). I love this show. If you want to feel fuzzy for an hour, I highly recommend it. 

-Pokemon GO Tour is hosting a Global Unova event on March 1st and 2nd (and the new season begins on March 4th). The event is free and Black Kyurem and White Kyurem will appear in raid battles. 

-Pokemon Masters EX is celebrating its 5.5 year anniversary with shiny legendaries from Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. It’s still the loudest game I’ve ever played on my phone. 

-A new apple-themed menu is coming to Pokemon Cafe ReMix tomorrow.

-Pokemon Sleep still exists and Cresselia vs Darkrai is coming soon. (Darkrai is becoming one of my newfound favorites thanks to the card game).

-Pokemon Unite is adding Suicune, Alolan Raichu, and Alcremie this year. The Remoat Stadium stage is also making a return. 

-My beloved Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket is getting Triumphant Light booster packs tomorrow. I had no idea otherwise I would have started hoarding hourglasses. Ranked matches are coming at the end of March. 

-More mega evolutions are coming to the physical card game later this year (Lucario EX and Gardevoir EX were featured in the trailer).

-Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is celebrating Pokemon Day with in-game phone cases (no, really) and new Tera Raid Battles. 

-Pokemon Champions is a new title for Switch and phones with an emphasis on battling (yes, I feel stupid for writing that sentence). The fine print at the bottom of the screen was quick to point out that none of what was shown is actual gameplay. I’m old enough to remember Link Cables and Transfer Paks. It all feels very Pokemon Stadium (if only this had minigames). 

-Pokemon Z-A, Pokemon Champions, and the physical card game will be available to play in Latin American Spanish at launch. This was one of my favorite announcements from this event. Everyone should have the opportunity to play Pokemon. 

-Pokemon Legends: Z-A closed the showcase. We were treated to about five minutes of new footage. Z-A takes place in Lumiose City, the Pokemon equivalent of Paris, while it undergoes an urban redevelopment project that allows humans and Pokemon to live together.  This trailer had an emphasis on traversing rooftops. We also got to see the new combat system that allows your trainer to move freely on the battlefield. Why did it remind me of Quest 64?

The character who runs the hotel you stay in is named AZ (and I wish it was Azzi Fudd, instead). 

My man, Totodile, is back in a big way. 

It’s arriving in late 2025–and is already a contender for something you should probably wait to play on your Switch 2. I’m deeply concerned about its graphics and performance–which is saying something because those things rarely matter to me (especially in RPGs). I’m still interested–but my interest now has an asterisk. 

The general reception online, as a whole, seems to be tepid towards this event–but new cards are coming to my silly phone game, so I’m thrilled. This light slate is most likely a blessing in disguise because I need to conserve my strength for that huge Switch 2 Direct (and the novella I’m going to write about it) in one month. 

Happy Pokemon Day and happy Friday’s Eve (eevee?). A new interview went live last night with the solo dev behind Merchant 64 (check the interview tab). 

Have a good weekend–go play Monster Hunter.