Pokemon Generation 0?! WHAT?!

This picture has been generating some buzz lately around the internet for the past few months. It is the promotional ad for two games called Pokemon Sepia & Monochrome, prequels to the world-famous Pokemon video game series. The main two characters were to be the young versions of Professor Samuel Oak (Dr. Yukinari Okida in Japan) and Agatha (Kikuko in Japan) of the Indigo Plateau's Elite Four. This game was set to take Pokemon in a different direction similar to how the Pokemon Ranger has done in the past few years. Some of the new features were to include:

• Only 100 Pokemon total, with dual types not existing yet.



Agatha with her favorites. Fanart by Kitsuene

• Rather than using traditional Pokeballs, the Apricorn balls from the Johto-based games (Silver, Gold, Crystal, HeartGold, & SoulSilver) would be the primary method of catching Pokemon.
• Option of befriending Pokemon before catching/battling would be available.
• After catching a new species of Pokemon, a cutscene of Oak/Agatha would be shown of them taking notes on the species including a drawing minigame.
• Instead of Pokemon boxes, drop overflow Pokemon off at daycares in each town. Each daycare can hold up to 12 Pokemon, and any overflow Pokemon can either be released or dropped off in what will become the future Safari Zone where they can be visited.
• The games would end with various cutscenes of the two getting older, growing apart, and finally with Oak handing two faceless children prototypes of his brand new invention: the PokeDex.

The most hardcore of Pokemon video game fans should recognize the name Monochrome as one of the early working titles for what ended up becoming Pokemon Black. Between that and the copyright of 2009 in the corner, what that most likely means is that this was concept art for an early idea for a new Pokemon game, but was scrapped in its early stages. Nintendo of Japan, there IS demand for this game. As long as you continue to make quality Pokemon titles, there will ALWAYS be a demand for more games no matter where (or when) it takes place. To close out, I leave with the echoed initial reaction of many Pokemon fans upon hearing about this, a quote from Philip J. Fry of Futurama: