The rumored Nintendo Direct for January 2020 is actually a Pokemon Direct. The stream starts at 9:30 am EST/6:30 am PST and promises around 20 minutes of new Pokemon information.
Unfortunately, the announcement didn’t include any teasers for what will be presented at the Pokemon Direct. However, we can speculate on some of the content based on previously announced projects.
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More than likely, the Pokemon Direct will include info on Pokemon Home, the successor service to the Nintendo 3DS’s Pokemon Bank. Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have been relatively mum about how Pokemon Home will work, and now that Pokemon Sword and Shield are out, it seems like getting the service up and running should be a priority.
So far, we know that Pokemon Home is a cloud-based storage system that will be available on Android, iOS, and Switch. The utility will connect to the Pokemon Bank, Pokemon Go, Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee, and Pokemon Sword and Shield.
However, the Pokemon Home app will have limitations. Pokemon from the Bank, Go, and Let’s Go will be one-way transfers only, meaning you can only deposit, not withdraw, Pokemon from those sources. Pokemon Sword and Shield will be able to deposit and withdraw from Pokemon Home, but this is limited to the Sword and Shield Pokedex.
Since Pokemon Sword and Shield released only two months ago, it’s doubtful we’ll hear any news on future main series titles. Besides Pokemon Home, we may hear more about Pokemon Sword and Shield events or DLC and the upcoming Pokemon Sleep. There’ll also likely be some info on upcoming events in Pokemon Go. All in all, it looks like the Pokemon Direct will be pretty lean, but it’ll at least give us a peek on what’s in store for the franchise in the coming year.
Again, you can watch the Pokemon Direct on January 9 at 9:30 am EST/6:30 am PST on Nintendo’s YouTube or Twitch channels.
