Pokémon Fans Are Freaking Out Over New Trademark

Pokémon fans have spotted a new trademark suggesting an upcoming release, but no one has any idea of what it could be. In recent years, it's become common for leakers and rumor mills to keep track of trademarks and patents in order to theorize about upcoming releases. After all, this information is publicly available, and can be very revealing if you know what to look for.

Sometimes, though, the revelation of a new trademark can throw fans into disarray. When a brand-new title gets trademarked without warning, and it's not obviously connected to any previously announced release, speculation tends to run wild as to what it's referring to. This case is no exception.

X (formerly Twitter) page Centro Leaks, a common source for Pokémon leaks and rumors, spotted a new trademark, filed by Pokémon video game developer Game Freak, for something called Pokémon Spot. Centro Leaks notes that it's filed in a Japanese trademark category usually used for "electronic video games/applications," which, in conjunction with Game Freak's attachment, suggests this has something to do with the video game wing of the franchise.

One of the most common theories was that the new trademark could be related to mobile app Pokémon Go. Some users suggested it could be an accessory for the game, like a portable PokéStop or something similar.

Personally, I wouldn't be too surprised if it allowed businesses to designate themselves "Pokémon Spots," giving their locations some kind of special in-game benefit and, at least in theory, attracting more paying customers to visit. Commenter Matcha Foxx suggested something similar, comparing it to Pokémon Pass, an app that allowed players to claim in-game promotions and bonuses.

Another common theory suggests that Pokémon Spot could be a separate mobile app. "Let me guess," said Blaze Incineroar, "Another mobile game that will be forgotten in a few days," likely referencing the controversy surrounding Pokémon Champions.

Commenter flamertale had a different theory: "Pokémon Snap but it's actually Pokémon Go, I'm guessing." Pokémon Snap, released in 1999, was a Pokémon photography game for the Nintendo 64; this user seems to be suggesting that Game Freak could be working on a mobile version of something similar.

User @ryoMKWd, meanwhile, had a different theory: that this could be the true name of the enigmatic "Project Seed." This is rumored to be a Pokémon MMO spanning multiple regions, but nothing has officially been confirmed as of yet; and, if all of the above is true, Pokémon Spot seems like a weird name for an MMO.

So what is Pokémon Spot, really? At this early stage, we just don't know. Speculation will continue to run wild until there's any sort of official announcement, but at least this trademark spotting has us ready for an as-yet unannounced Pokémon release to be confirmed soon.