This Thanksgiving, The Pokemon Company announced on Twitter that 2021 would kick off a 25th Anniversary celebration for the series. Many fans may remember Pokemon Red and Blue dominating their free time and draining their Game Boy batteries during recess around the very tail end of the 90s,  and as such, some might might be a bit confused by the date. However, the series first launched in Japan in 1996, a full two years before it made its Western debut.

Just exactly what the plans for the anniversary will be remains to be seen. Given that it's such a large milestone though, it's likely that 2021 will be packed with announcements to excite fans. For example, the Mario series celebrated its 35th anniversary earlier this year, which led to several surprise announcements and confirmation of longstanding rumors, including a limited-timed Super Mario Bros. Battle Royale and a timed collection of Switch ports for Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy.

RELATED: The Pokemon Master Collection Rumor May Be Fake, But Fans Should Still Have Hope for 2021

It stands to reason that Pokemon's newest anniversary will be just as elaborate, and one announcement that would be great to see is a new entry in the Pokemon Let's Go games on Switch. Unfortunately, Game Freak producer and director Junichi Masuda said last year that the company had "no particular plans" to continue Pokemon Let's Go, Pikachu and Eevee. Hopefully things have changed, however, because there are plenty of reasons why a sequel would be a great way to celebrate the franchise's new landmark.

Johto is a Fan Favorite Region

Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee served as remakes for Pokemon Yellow on Game Boy, which was an enhanced version of the first two titles, Red and Blue. It brought the series back to its roots and updated the Kanto region for modern consoles. While Kanto holds a special place in the heart of many Pokemon fans, Johto is remembered even more fondly. It brought a ton of new features to the franchise, such as the introduction of ultra rare Shiny Pokemon that serve as impressive status symbols within the fan community, the addition of Steel and Dark types, and the ability to breed Pokemon. Johto was also the first game in the series to be in color and gave fans a whole new way to experience the world.

New Pokemon Can Be Brought into the Limelight

Pokemon Yellow is unusual in that rather than choosing between three fire/water/grass starters, the player's main Pokemon was Pikachu. While it makes sense a version of the remake would star Pikachu, many were surprised by Eevee being the mascot to the other Let's Go game. A Pokemon Let's Go game in the Johto region could certainly just continue the trend of starring Pikachu and Eevee, but it would be more fun if other unconventional Pokemon were made the mascots. There's quite a few possibilities as to which Pokemon could be picked as starters, and it would be great to see a couple deep cuts have a starring role.

Series Newcomers Deserve to Experience Johto

Pokemon has always been and will always be, first and foremost, a franchise for kids. Plenty of teenagers and adults make up a bulk of the fanbase, but it doesn't change the target audience. Let's Go was a terrific way for a new generation of Pokemon fans, and fans who started with later entries, to finally have their own Kanto adventures. It's only natural–and fair–that they should be able to explore Johto next. It's one of the most fleshed out regions in Pokemon lore and everyone deserves the chance to see what it has to offer.

RELATED: 10 Struggles New Pokémon Players Will Never Know

Johto Games Had Great Post-Game Content

One of the best things about Gold and Silver was the amount of post-game content. The end goal of most Pokemon games is to collect eight gym badges, challenge the Elite Four, and become a Pokemon Champion. Gold and Silver took this one step further. After collecting all eight gym badges and beating the main storyline, players are then given the chance to return to the Kanto region and collect eight more badges and and even more Pokemon.

But rather than being a straight up recreation of Red and Blue, the post-game version of Kanto takes place three years later, meaning things have changed since the first time players stepped foot into the region. This new Kanto journey culminates in a battle with the protagonist of Red and Blue, which is not only the hardest battle in the game, but remains one of the hardest battles in the entire series to this day. It was an extremely clever way to pay homage to the games that came before it and establish a continuity within the series. Sadly, no Pokemon game since has come close to having nearly the same amount of post-game content.

HeartGold and SoulSilver are the Most Critically Acclaimed Remakes

Remakes of Gold and Silver were actually already released on the DS in 2009 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the games. Titled HeartGold and SoulSilver, they also incorporated elements from their enhanced Johto counterpart, Crystal. They're considered to be classics by both fans and critics alike, as HeartGold and SoulSilver are currently the highest rated remakes in the entire series on Metacritic. It's clear players love the Johto games, and a fresh new take with the more relaxed attitude of Let's Go would be a great excuse to revisit them.

Let's Go is Great for Casual Players

The most common criticism towards Pokemon Let's Go was the fact that the games were too easy. It's a valid critique for those already familiar with the series or for anyone who's seeking more of a challenge in general. However, it's important to remember this is only one perspective. There's no right or wrong way to enjoy a video game and some players like a simpler approach with less focus on difficulty. In that regard, Let's Go was the perfect answer.

While many consider Pokemon games to be fairly middle of the road in terms of challenge, it might still be too much for others. Pokemon is a fantastic and whimsical series that should be enjoyed by everyone, and removing the barrier of difficulty can lead to more people becoming fans. What some view as the worst part about Let's Go, others views as an alluring main selling point.

Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee are available now, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.

MORE: Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Remakes Seem More Likely Than Ever