As reported by Serebii and various Pokémon news outlets, a healthy flood of news surrounding the first direct sequels in Pokémon’s main series has surfaced. Black 2 and White 2 will apparently take place two years after the events of Black and White Versions, confirming once and for all that these are indeed direct sequels. The playable heroes also have new designs, and there is a new rival as well. It’s worth noting that the starting town is also completely new. Portions of Unova are reportedly covered in ice now, and new Gym leaders and cities have appeared as a result of this environmental shift.

Also of interest is the fact that the Unova Pokédex contains 300 Pokémon to start now, meaning there will be a mix of old and new (Generation V) Pokémon available during the main journey. This makes sense since the game is a direct sequel to a pair of games that flood with old Pokémon after the main quest is done. They’re there; they can’t just disappear.

This news does raise some questions. Are these heroes older versions of the previous ones, or are they entirely different people? Since they start in a new town, it’s conceivable that the previous heroes could have carried over and settled in a new town by themselves.    And what of N? There’s still no news of N, and how these mysterious events involving Kyurem (in particular, fusing with N’s beloved Reshiram and Zekrom) will affect his side of the story. Is Team Plasma done for good? Will these new Gym Leaders rise to the challenges Unova throws at them like their predecessors did? So many questions; all which will be answered when the game hits in Japan on June 23rd (or later for those who avoid major spoilers like the plague).

Who else is genuinely excited for these games now? I’ll admit it didn’t hit me until this news broke. Is there anything you want to see in Black 2 and White 2 that has yet to be revealed? Let us know in the comments below.