The Pokémon fanbase is currently bracing itself for the upcoming release of Pokémon Sword & Shield, both of which still have many unanswered questions regarding their rosters. It seems as if The Pokémon Company is also focusing on Pokémon Sword & Shield, but there is always the question of what comes next, and remakes of Pokémon Diamond & Pearl seem like the next step for the franchise.

Pokémon Diamond & Pearl represented a huge technical leap forward for the series, as they were the first Pokémon games to appear on the Nintendo DS. The Pokémon fanbase became connected in new ways during the Pokémon Diamond & Pearl days since they could log on to the Internet. The Sinnoh region fleshed out different parts of the cosmology of the Pokémon universe and provided some of the most difficult battles in the entire series.

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Remakes of Pokémon Diamond & Pearl would have made a lot of sense as swansongs for the Nintendo 3DS era of Pokémon games, but the popularity of the Nintendo Switch meant that Game Freak's attention moved to the newer system. If Pokémon Trainers are going to return to the Sinnoh region in the future, then it will likely be after Pokémon Sword & Shield. 

The Merchandise Leak

via: destructoid.com

There has been a lot of speculation that remakes of Pokémon Diamond & Pearl are currently in the works, but recent information regarding upcoming Pokémon merchandise has added fuel to the fire.

Paul Ryan is the owner of Pokéshopper, which is a website that provides information regarding official Pokémon merchandise. According to Dot EsportsRyan recently confirmed the rumors that a lot of new merchandise involving Pokémon from the Sinnoh region will be available in 2020. A similar rush of merchandise of older Pokémon usually comes before the announcement of a remake, so it's looking likely that remakes of Pokémon Diamond & Pearl will follow Pokémon Sword & Shield and might be released in 2020.

They're Next In Line To Be Remade

via.YouTube.com

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It didn't take long for the Pokémon franchise to start remaking earlier games in the series, as Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen followed Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire. It made sense for the first two generations of games to be remade, as those couldn't be traded forward to later titles, which meant that they were disconnected from the rest of the series.

Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire would go on to receive remakes for the Nintendo 3DS in 2014, which were now called Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire. It was still possible (though difficult) to trade with Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire, so it seems that was no longer a factor in remaking the older titles.

The next generation of Pokémon games in line to be remade are Pokémon Diamond & Pearl. Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire were released in 2014 and six other Pokémon games have been released since then (eight if you include the upcoming Pokémon Sword & Shield), so plenty of time will have passed by the time remakes of Pokémon Diamond & Pearl would be available.

One of the issues with remaking an older duo of Pokémon games is that they cannot be promoted in the anime, as Ash is generally still traveling in the region of the most recent core games in the series when they are released.

However, the next season of the Pokémon anime is going in a new direction, as it will feature a world tour of the old regions from the series, as well as the upcoming Galar region from Pokémon Sword & Shield. The framework is in place for Ash to spend a lot of time in the Sinnoh region, especially since he can finally get his win back against Tobias, who is considered to be one of the toughest opponents Ash ever faced in the series.

If this is the case, we might see remakes for Pokémon Diamond & Pearl soon enough.

Source: Dot Esports

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