Understanding the cycle of Core Pokémon Games.

The Pokémon cycle and how to predict new releases accurately.

The 1990s Pokémon cycle.

Generation 1: Red, Green, Blue and Yellow
Generation 2: Gold, Silver and Crystal

Generation 1 

Started in February 1996 and ended November 1999, that is around 45 months.

The Pokémon Anime made its broadcast debut on April 1st 1997 and is still airing new episodes today, even reaching its official 1000th episode milestone in late 2017.

The core game releases is an oddball depending on the region. In fact, Generation 1 had 3 set of sprites overall.

JP Red/Green used the first set of sprites,

JP Blue aka International Red/Blue used the second set

Yellow used the third set.

The most notable change in Pokémon Yellow was allowing Charizard to learn Fly.

Move tutors did not exist at all.

Generation 2

Started in November 1999 but the anime focusing on said generation started in October 1999. The special edition (Crystal) was out a year later in November 2000 and introduced Move tutors (NPCs teaching moves) which expanded Generation 2 Pokémon's movepool very slightly. This game was the first to introduce a Battle Tower and the ability to play as a female trainer.

This generation lasted for just over 3 years as it ended in November 2002

The 2000s Pokémon cycle.

Generation 3: Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Fire Red & Leaf Green
Generation 4: Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver

Generation 3

Started in November 2002 and was the first to have 3 major releases and 2 semi-major releases. Due to connectivity problems linking up Game Boy games to Game Boy Advance games, this became a fresh start for building a (competitive) team. It ended up being a much longer generation than usual as it ended 2 months short of 4 years (September 2006)

5 games in order:
Ruby & Sapphire 

200 obtainable Pokémon (+2 Mythical Pokémon)

Colosseum - 

The first game in the fresh start era to get

*Early access to certain Generation 2 including:

* Starters, just get a female one so that it is breedable to a newborn.

* Legendary Beasts without the fixed IVs bug and

* Ho-oh without special events.

* US version can get a Jirachi by using a bonus disk

* Japanese version can get a Celebi by using a bonus disk

* PAL owners were lucked out and had to play a really crappy Pokémon Channel game to obtain Jirachi.

Fire Red & Leaf Green

The first game in the fresh start era to get:
* Kanto Starters, Kanto bird trio, Mewtwo, the breeding machine: Ditto

* Move tutors focusing on moves that were TMs in Generation 1 including Softboiled, Mega Punch, Mega Kick and Seismic Toss.

* First games to introduce the elemental Hyper Beam attacks which can only be taught by fully evolved Kanto starters, this got expanded to other fully evolved regional starters in Generation 4, onwards.

Emerald

The game's special edition.

Main selling points:

* Completing the Hoenn dex allowed players to get a Johto starter,

* A non-special event Latias or Latios can be obtained without bugged IVs.

* New move tutors, mainly focusing on moves that were TMs in Generation 2 including Rollout, Elemental Punches and Dynamic Punch.

* Expanded Battle Frontier

* Teaching Pichu family Volt Tackle

XD Gale of Darkness 

The last Generation 3 game to have new movepool updates, it's notable to feature Pokémon learning moves in a special way not normally possible including a Dragonite knowing Heal Bell and Pidgeotto knowing Refresh. There's also a special move tutor NPC who will teach Mew some extra moves including Hypnosis, Trick and Fake Out. Lastly, this is the only way to get a Lugia in Generation 3 without special events.

Generation 4

This was the first generation to support online play and also the last to release 3 different set of games. Started in late September 2006 and ended in September 2010 it was actually a few weeks short of hitting 4 years and is by far the longest generation ever, even the Pokémon anime setting which took place in Sinnoh lasted nearly 190 episodes.

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl 

The first set of games which introduced just 107 new Pokémon, and 29 of them are cross generation related which means they evolve to or from older Pokémon such as a Magneton evolving to Magnezone and a Happini evolving to Chansey.  The game was infamous for only featuring 5 obtainable Fire Type Pokémon before completing the game and obtaining the National Dex, 3 of them are related to a Fire Type regional starter and the other 2 are Ponyta and Rapidash.

Pokémon Platinum

The second entry of Generation 4, released in September 2008, this version introduced brand new formes for Rotom, Giratina and Shaymin. It also introduced the expanded Battle Frontier, early access to obtaining legendary Kanto birds and new move tutor attacks. The native Sinnoh Pokédex got expanded and featured even more Fire Type Pokémon.

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver 

The third and final entry of Generation 4, released in September 2009, these versions were the first for many players to get a proper Johto experience in the post fresh start era. A new move through breeding was given to almost every breedable non-legendary Pokémon, most notably Feraligatr knowing Aqua Jet and Aggron knowing Head Smash.

This game introduced Flat battle where, all Pokémon that are above level 50 temporarily become level 50, regardless of their current level; however, Pokémon below level 50 will remain at their current level. 

This was the only way in a Generation 4 game to obtain

Kanto Starters, 

Mewtwo, 

Johto Starters, 

Johto Legendaries, 

Hoenn Starters and Hoenn Legendaries including Groudon and Kyogre.

More move tutors were introduced most notably Sucker Punch. These 2 games are the only versions where it's possible to transfer Pokémon with the move Defog to a Generation 5 game. This became a big deal when X & Y were released in 2013 as it provided a very useful improvement to the move.

The 2010s Pokémon cycle.

Generation 5: Black 1, White 1, Black 2 & White 2
Generation 6: X, Y, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Generation 7: Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon

Generation 5

The first new Pokémon games released in the 2010s and also the first time since generation 2 to release 2 generations on the same platform. That's how strong the DS was. This generation was the first to have fully animated sprites during the entire battle. The loops are always the same and their eyes even close when falling asleep. 

Black and White

Released in September 2010.

The first entry of Generation 5 had a story mode that was pretty unique as it only featured nothing but brand new Pokémon at the time making it a pseudo-Generation 1 experience where you can't capture a classic Pokémon like Gyarados or Gengar due to good stats, typing, moves, etc to help you out.

It introduced the most new species out of any generation with a decent 156, this is more than new Pokémon species introduced in generations 6 and 7 combined when you exclude both Mega Evolutions and Regional Variants.

Rotom's Appliance formes lost their Ghost typing and got replaced with a different type depending on the extra move learnt from the appliance.

The Pokémon Video Game Championships was getting bigger and bigger.

The first year (2011 Metagame) only allowed 149 Pokémon as it did not allow Mascot Legendaries, 3rd counterpart legendary and Mythical Pokémon.

The second year (2012 Metagame) allowed any Pokémon in the National Pokédex excluding Mewtwo, Mascot Legendaries and Mythical Pokémon.

Black 2 and White 2

The second and final entry of Generation 5.

The first ever direct sequel to a core Pokémon game, new animation sprite loops were given to the starter Pokémon of Generation 5. Move tutors made a comeback but some from the previous generation were missing including Sucker Punch, they were mainly used to give Generation 5 Pokémon more moves to learn. The place called Hidden Grottoes allowed players to get Pokémon to get a useful hidden ability including an Amoonguss with Regenerator and Dragonite with Multiscale.

The third VGC year (2013 Metagame) had the same rules as 2012 but the main difference is that it was played on Black 2 & White 2 which allowed Therian Formes of Tornadus, Thundurus and Landorus and extra attacks/abilities from Move Tutors/Hidden Grottoes.

Generation 6

This Generation had a really big impact throughout 2013.

* The announcement showed full 3D graphics, a first for a core game series.

* The E3 trailer revealed a brand new type: Fairy which was introduced as a response to Dragon Type which was a great offensive type in past generations

* 2 Months before release introduced Mega Evolutions which changed how we know Pokémon forever!

This generation started in October 2013 and ended in November 2016

X & Y

Released in 2013, nearly all of the obtainable Kalos Pokémon had a hidden ability which was done by going through a friend safari. Breeding mechanics had an overhaul which allowed Male Pokémon to pass forward (hidden) abilities and female Pokémon to pass forward breeding moves. This gave Azumarill a huge buff as it was finally possible to learn both Belly Drum and Aqua Jet at the same time. The move Defog had a huge buff as it allowed the user to remove entry hazards from the player side.

A new mechanic was added to the Pokémon's stat page, an origin marking. This is a visual proof that the Pokémon was captured in a certain generation, a blue pentagon, in this case, meant that it was captured in X & Y and the later released Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire.

The first VGC year (2014 Metagame) only allowed Pokémon both old and new from the Kalos Pokédex which is roughly 453.

It's also the most famous year as a Korean player from the Masters division used a Pachirisu, an extremely non-viable Pokémon in theory yet managed to use its selling points to the fullest by paralysing his opponents with Nuzzle and using Super Fang to damage bulky Pokémon. It is part of a winning team to have the lowest base stat total. You can Youtube search "Pachirisu 2014" easily, there was a planned parade in Korea that got cancelled because it was that big of a deal.

Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire

The second and last entries of Generation 6, released in November 2014

Unlike the previous remakes, this one broke the mould by giving the cover legendaries (Kyogre and Groudon) brand new super forms. It was also the first time ever that new attacks and abilities were introduced that they were not programmed in X&Y. These moves were Origin Pulse, Dragon Ascent,  Precipice Blades and Hyperspace Fury. Another big selling point at the time was more Mega Evolutions, mainly focusing on Generation 3 Pokémon and Move Tutors for Generation 6 Pokémon to learn new moves. 

Lastly, it was possible to capture all Legendary Pokémon from Generation 1 to Generation 5 by using Mirage Spots, the main selling point of this feature was to use these Pokémon for both Online Battle Spot and Video Game Championships as they would have the blue pentagon. Strangely, Deoxys usually a Mythical Pokémon can be caught in-game right after Rayquaza without special events!

The second VGC year (2015 Metagame) allowed the national dex with exceptions to both Mascot Legendaries and Mythical Pokémon. Nearly every top player in each division had either a Landorus-T and/or a Mega Kangaskhan.

The third VGC year (2016 Metagame) allowed both the national dex and Mascot Legendaries (restricted), this caused many controversies as it puts a heavy limit on Team Building. To "balance" things out, players can only pick 2 from the Mascot Legendaries selection and the other 4 being pretty much legal in VGC 2015.

The most common combos were

Primal Groudon + Xerneas,

Primal Groudon + Primal Kyogre

Primal Kyogre + Mega Rayquaza

The other 4 were usually:
Smeargle - A speedy Smeargle can outrun most bulky mascot legendaries and shut them down with a Dark Void. This is huge against the best legendaries because their held item for 99% of the time isn't a berry which cures sleep status.

Talonflame - Gale Wings is a very good ability and combine that with base 120 Brave Bird, it has a very strong priority move. It can also use priority Tailwind to let its bulky invested teammates to outspeed offensive opponents.

Kangaskhan - One of the best Mega Pokémon from X & Y, a scary ability which has fantastic utility with the ability to hit twice. This can lead to +2 Attack boosts from Power-up Punch and can even deal damage against Substitute users.

Salamence - One of the best Mega Pokémon from Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, the stat distribution is simply incredible with special defence being average at best. A good offensive speed tier along with a good offensive ability to convert Normal Type moves (Return, Double-Edge or Hyper Voice) into Flying Type moves and get a x1.3 boost from it and that's not factoring Same Type Attack Bonus.

Generation 7

Released in the year the franchise turned 20 and a few months after the unexpected phenomenon that is Pokémon GO. This generation started in November 2016 and is still currently going as of February 2018.

Sun & Moon

The first game to introduce Regional Variants, this focused on classic Pokémon getting new formes due to the environment of the Alola region. Only 81 Generation 7 Pokémon were introduced in the game. This entry was notable for downgrading certain mechanics in the game from abilities to status conditions.

It was also the second time ever since Pokémon Yellow that elements from the X&Y anime mainly Ash-Greninja and Zygarde's 10% & Complete formes were playable.

A new mechanic called Z-moves are one time super moves which can change the momentum of a battle, it used up a Pokémon's item slot and certain Pokémon can learn signature Z-moves.  

Pokémon obtained natively from a Generation 7 game would have a black cross aka the Alola symbol.

The first VGC year only allowed 295 out of 302 from the Alola Pokédex, the extra Pokémon found by using Island Scan and Mega Stones are not legal. The pacing ended up being surprisingly slower as moves including Toxic and Recover were actually ok to use. The most used Pokémon were Arcanine and a Tapu. Arcanine being one of the few bulky Fire Type Pokémon with Intimidate to lower the opponents' attack stat and a diverse movepool made it an unpredictable threat.

Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon

The second and last entry of Generation 7 and the final core Pokémon games for the 3DS. Everyone was surprised to get a special edition nearly 1 year after the original Sun and Moon duo but things got more surprising as a few weeks before launch, a new trailer from a Nintendo Direct revealed brand new species of Pokémon.

The main difference is that past games revealed new formes of already existing Pokémon, this one was not the case as they cannot be traded to the original Sun & Moon games at all. More formes for Necrozma were added to the game, more breeding moves were added to the game.

Move Tutors had a big impact this time as a move called Defog finally made a return after a long absence from Pokémon Platinum and it allowed monsters from Generation 5 to 7 to learn this vital move for competitive single battles.

Similar to Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, Ultra Wormholes can be used to access different dimensions and capture Legendary Pokémon from Generation 1 to 6. These obtainable Pokémon would have a black cross that makes them legal for Online Battle Spot and upcoming Video Game Championships.

As of 2018, Pokémon is starting their second VGC tournament and it allows the entire national dex with exceptions to both Mascot Legendaries and Mythical Pokémon. Mega Stones are no longer banned making it a completely different environment than 2017.

Generation 8 in 2018?

So everyone is talking about Pokémon Switch, I for one would doubt that it will hit late 2018 for a few good reasons.

1) Core Pokémon games tend to come out for the latest handheld system nearly 2 years+ after launch.

2) The upcoming movie has a high chance of focusing on Zenora as a downloadable Mythical Pokémon and I'm hoping that the Pokémon Movie 2019 project will focus on Floette-Eternal flower forme.

3) Video Game Championships has not done the 3rd year and there's a good chance that it would reintroduce restricted legendaries otherwise Alola Symbol marked Pokémon from Generations 1 to 6 are wasted.

4) The anime tends to start around the same time as the games. Ash has taken out 2 out of the 4 Island Kahunas (pretty much Gym Leaders in Alola for the anime) and a third one will eventually happen according to the upcoming Ultra Guardians arc poster. Ash rarely enters the Pokémon League until after at least 100 episodes into the series and it is currently on episode 60.

5) The big important one, after releasing the original pair of Generation 8 games, Game Freak could release remakes of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl 14 years after the original DS release and add the ability to travel through  time and space to encounter and capture legendary Pokémon from Generations 1 to 7 and make them legal for upcoming Online Battle Spot matches and Video Game Championships in 2020, can you get the hint?