Pokemon Winds and Waves Is Almost Certainly Bringing Back a Fantastic Gen 3 Mechanic

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Pokémon Day 2026 has passed. Although the presentation didn’t have as many major reveals as some fans hoped, it did give us our first glimpse of the tenth generation of Pokémon games. After a lot of speculation, Pokémon Winds and Waves is officially confirmed as the next main series title. We got a broad look at the game’s world and were introduced to the new starter Pokémon. While I already love those little creatures, something else in the Winds and Waves trailer really stood out to me.

The trailer starts with a look back at older Pokémon games, then immediately showcases the beautiful ocean scenery in the new region of Pokémon Winds and Waves. While it doesn’t reveal much about the story, we get a first glimpse of the new characters and some of the locations we’ll be visiting. A quick shot of a windmill playfully acknowledges past performance concerns. However, the most exciting part is the focus on water, hinting that the diving mechanic, which originally appeared in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, might be returning.

Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire Had Some of the Best Side Mechanics

Released in 2002, Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire really stood out for all the extra things you could do beyond the main story. They introduced Secret Bases – hidden spots you could discover and customize – as well as Pokemon Contests and the special Poke Blocks used in them. These features made the Pokemon world feel much bigger and gave players more ways to enjoy their Pokemon, rather than just focusing on defeating the Elite Four. I’m hoping these features return in future Pokemon games!

Right now, there’s nothing concrete in the Gen 10 information that hints at the return of features like Pokémon Contests or Secret Bases. However, given how much focus there is on water in the new games—even the title includes the word “Waves”—it seems likely that another mechanic from the Gen 3 Ruby and Sapphire games will make a comeback. Besides Contests and Secret Bases, those games also introduced the Dive mechanic. Players learned this move as HM08, and it allowed them to explore underwater. I fondly remember the thrill of using Dive for the first time and watching my Pokémon character swim beneath the waves to discover a brand new area.

In past Pokémon games, the move Dive allowed players to submerge and explore small underwater areas. These areas contained rare items and hidden caves, adding a new dimension to gameplay. While underwater exploration returned in the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire remakes and Pokémon Black and White, it hasn’t been featured in more recent main series games. However, with the upcoming Generation 10, it’s highly likely we’ll see a return to underwater adventures.

Underwater Exploration Is Almost Certainly Coming Back in Pokemon Winds and Waves

The new trailer for Pokemon Winds and Waves strongly suggests the game will take place in an island region. It appears players will travel between islands by sea, and the water graphics look significantly improved compared to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Given the emphasis on water travel, it’s highly likely that both Surf and Dive will be featured, possibly using Pokemon or the hoverboards seen in the trailer. The trailer even offers glimpses of an underwater world teeming with Pokemon, hinting at the possibility of deep-sea exploration, even though we don’t see the characters diving directly.

According to the official Pokémon website, the new game, Pokémon Winds and Waves, will have a large, open world to explore, including stunning islands and a sparkling ocean. While past attempts at open-world Pokémon games haven’t always been perfect, this one gives me hope that we’ll be able to explore both above and below the water. The website specifically mentions that players will be able to “dive into” the worlds of Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves, which suggests underwater exploration might be a key feature, and I think the developers at Game Freak are intentionally hinting at that.

Although we haven’t learned much about the upcoming Generation 10 Pokémon games yet, the names of some key features suggest exciting new ways to get around. The name “Waves” strongly hints at the return of the Surf and possibly even the Dive mechanics. And “Winds” makes many players hopeful that we’ll be able to fly around the game world much sooner than we did in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Dive was a great addition to Ruby and Sapphire, making exploration more engaging, and bringing back a similar feature could really enhance the open-world experience in Generation 10. However, game technology has improved significantly since then, so hopefully Game Freak will create a more detailed and immersive underwater world than what we saw in Generation 3.

The new Pokémon game, Pokémon Winds and Waves, is scheduled to come out in 2027. We’ll probably learn more details throughout the year, especially once the current focus on Pokémon Pokopia dies down. This means we might find out about features like the Dive mechanic and other details for the tenth generation of Pokémon games before the release. On a different note, who can I contact about bringing back Pokémon Contests and making Poffins in this new generation?

Would you like to see the Dive mechanic return in the tenth generation of Pokémon? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-03-04 00:13