'Pokemon Z' news: Game expected to be launched after 'Pokemon: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages' movie

The box art for Pokemon X.Wikipedia

Nintendo has not made any official statements about the rumored "Pokemon Z," which fans speculate to be a sequel to "Pokemon X and Y" in the same vein that "Pokemon Yellow" was a sequel to "Pokemon Red and Blue." However, a recent rumor indicates that the game might be unveiled following the release of the animated film "Pokemon: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages." 

According to a report from iDigital Times, images leaked from the latest issue of Pokemon CoroCoro showcase the silhouette of an unknown Pokemon. The report states that it might be an unbound form of the legendary Pokemon Hoopa, which was recently made available for "Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire." 

However, KPopstarz reports that this might also be a new form for the "Pokemon X and Y" legendary Pokemon Zygarde. Zygarde, in the Gen. 6 games, was a legendary creature alongside Xerneas and Yveltal. The report cites that it appears like a giant dragon Pokemon with hints of it being a Ground-type Pokemon, similar to Zygarde. 

Legendary Pokemon ZygardeNintendo

The release of "Pokemon Z" has been a bit of an issue for fans of the game series as it has broken the common traditions of the franchise. Instead of releasing the game a year after "Pokemon X and Y," GameFreak and Nintendo skipped it and went on to release "Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire" instead. 

This isn't the only time that Nintendo broke tradition, however. Instead of releasing the much-speculated "Pokemon Grey," a re-working of "Pokemon Black and White," the company instead went with the first full-blown sequel in the entire franchise titled "Pokemon Black and White 2." 

"Pokemon: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages" was released in Japan theaters last July 18 but the identity of the mysterious figure has not yet been revealed overseas. There is also no confirmed release date for the film in the U.S. and other countries outside Japan.