Keen-eyed Pokemon fans took notice of a set of trademark filings from Nintendo and the Pokemon Company this week, uncovering a renewed interest in a Pokemon spinoff series and a member of a recently revealed legendary Pokemon line set to arrive in the expansion pass for Pokemon Sword and Shield.
The first trademark fans took notice of was for "Budrex," a name that ties in with Calyrex, a legendary Psychic/Grass Pokemon set to arrive with the upcoming Crown Tundra expansion for Pokemon Sword and Shield. A calyx is a protective layer that forms around a plant's bud, so if Budrex isn't an evolution or alternate form for Calyrex, the two are at the very least thematically related. Fans will be able to find out for themselves by the time The Crown Tundra releases this fall, as part of Sword and Shield's expansion pass.
Nintendo and the Pokemon Company also renewed the "PokePark" trademark within the released documents, suggesting that a new entry or remaster in the Pokemon spinoff series could be on the way. The previous PokePark titles were adventure games released on the Wii in the early 2010s, with two games so far: PokePark: Pikachu's Adventure and PokePark 2: Wonders Beyond. Both games let players control Pikachu through battles and minigames, with the second expanding the playable characters to include Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott, the starter Pokemon from Black and White.
The games were focused on a younger target audience than the main Pokemon series, but the spinoffs have a dedicated subset of fans. Game Freak's move toward DLC for Sword and Shield suggests that another Pokemon RPG is a while off, and Nintendo may be moving toward bringing back classic Pokemon spinoffs to boost the franchise's presence on the Switch if the surprise return of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is any indication.
Even if it isn't the much-requested Pokemon Snap 2, a new PokePark game or a remastered version of one of the Wii entries would likely serve as a way for Nintendo to bridge the gap between main Switch entries. Only time will tell if anything comes of the renewal. The Pokemon faithful will likely have to hold on for another Pokemon Direct presentation or Nintendo's E3 showcase to find out more.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are both out now for the Nintendo Switch.