It brings me no joy to report that I don’t think I’m going to be involved with the Pokémon franchise too much longer. I’m writing this soon after what was, by all accounts, a very successful Pokémon Presents. The presentation was all about the franchise’s 30th Anniversary, chock full of merch, additional content for existing games, and two new game announcements. One was a release date for the battle simulator Pokémon Champions, which launches in April 2026. The second was the official announcement of Pokémon Winds and Waves, the series’ 10th generation entries.

Watching this trailer initially filled me with joy as it reminisces about past journeys throughout the Pokémon universe, but as the scene cut to the new game, I found myself getting less and less thrilled. Are these really the same creature models from Pokemon X&Y? Is this still another drab, realistic-looking open area with a few cartoony Pokémon randomly strewn about like in Scarlet & Violet? Are the trainer models really going to look just like the ones in Scarlet & Violet too? Why would I buy a Switch 2 just to play Pokémon Scarlet & Violet 2?

Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’ve finally, after 30 years, lost interest in something I’ve liked since I was a kid. I’ve already left pro wrestling behind, why not Pokémon, too? I think the core of the issue isn’t that I’m leaving voluntarily, but that I’m being forced out by multiple influences.

For starters, unlike Pokémon Legends: Z-A, it feels like Pokémon Winds and Waves will be a Switch 2 exclusive. Already, I’m at least $500 in the hole (or higher based on how technology prices are skyrocketing) plus likely $80 for the base game. Once I finally get the game, I’ll probably have to sit through my 800th seminar on what a Pokémon is, how to catch them, how to battle them, etc. because every Pokémon game is everyone’s first Pokémon game in Nintendo’s eyes.

Then, I’ll plow through a relatively easy game with some subplots ranging in appeal from mildly interesting to outright boring, then put it in my shelf and never think about it again. That was my cycle with basically every Pokemon game since X&Y with the exception of Sword, but only because Sword had the equivalent of PvE endgame content with five-star Dynamax Raids and Dynamax Adventures. I also think those are my biggest issues with modern Pokémon games — they all feel the same, they’re all easy, and there’s nothing engaging to do once you beat them outside of PvP battles.

Would it kill Nintendo to give seasoned players a Hard Mode right off the bat? Would it kill them to reintroduce endgame like the Battle Frontier, even as paid DLC? I still go back and play the Battle Factory in Pokémon Emerald because I love the challenge. Can it be slightly less difficult to EV train Pokémon like it was in Sword & Shield so I can use them in raids?

I’m not writing Pokémon off completely yet, though. My son could still save my love for the series. It’s clear he’s going to be into it when he gets a little older. But for now, I think it’s time to take at least a little break from Pokémon., even if this Pombon guy is really cute.

How do you feel about the new Pokémon announcements? Are you in the same boat as me, or do you think I’m crazy? Sound off in the comments below!