The year 2015 is drawing to a close, and it's likely that the year will end without a release date for "Pokémon Z" being officially revealed.

In recent weeks, fans had begun to expect that something significant concerning the Pokémon brand was going to be announced this December. That belief largely stemmed from the teaser shown in last month's CoroCoro magazine that indicated that there would be a big announcement coming this December related to the Pokémon brand.

As it turns out, that may indeed be a big announcement, but not one that is actually related to the release date of "Pokémon Z."

According to iDigital Times, leaked images of CoroCoro's December issue revealed details about a new Pokémon instead of a release date for an upcoming game.

The new Pokémon, named Volcanion, is a fire/water type creature and it is reportedly set to have a big role alongside "Pokémon Z's" Zygarde in a new movie set to come out in 2016.

Volcanion's reveal may not exactly have been what fans were waiting for, but it is yet another indicator that "Pokémon Z" is coming, but just how soon is now the question.

According to Moviepilot, it's becoming increasingly likely that an announcement concerning "Pokémon Z's" release date will not be made until next year. The website suggests that the odds of "Pokémon Z" being released early on in 2016 are quite small. Instead, Nintendo may be creating quite the build up for the game, and in that case, a release date around the middle of the year would make more sense.

Any delays in the process could also lead to "Pokémon Z" being launched in 2017.

For now, fans can only hope that "Pokémon Z" is coming sooner rather than later, and with Volcanion in the fold and a big 2016 in the works, they may not be too far off with their optimism.