Pokémon's Long-Awaited Return To Hoenn Is What We've Longed For

Every Pokémon fan has their favorite region, and Hoenn might just be the most popular of them all. Debuting in Gen 3's Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, Hoenn gave us more islands and water than we were used to, some memorable new monsters, and what's possibly the best remakes to date in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. We've also gotten a lot of Hoenn merch thanks to the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise this year.

Understandably, given Hoenn's popularity, fans are still clamoring for more content in the Gen 3 region. Iconic Pokémon from Hoenn, especially Rayquaza, are frequently used in other mediums and on merchandise, but there hasn't been a new game set in the region in ten years. Now, we've at least got an exciting new release to look forward to. Over on Reddit, images of the upcoming Rayquaza LEGO set were shared, and fans were quick to weigh in.

The Rayquaza LEGO set had leaked months ago, and in the time since, we've managed to see these leaked images, which include a Zennia mini-figure alongside the build of the Legendary Pokémon. It's rumored to be priced at $129.99 when it becomes available for pre-order, although a lot of details have still not been officially confirmed.

At 1083 pieces, the set looks pretty impressive. Rayquaza is towering above the clouds and altar, looking perfect for those who remember finding the Legendary for the first time and/or playing through the Delta Episode in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Zinnia, the character who had a major role in the endgame and Delta Episode, is also included as a mini-figure with the set.

Zinnia appears to be a sticking point with fans. As numerous comments in the Reddit thread mention, the mini-figure is a bit underwhelming. Fans have joked the character looks more like Dora the Explorer than the Pokémon Trainer, with a lot of complaints thrown at the mini-figure's hair.

"How did they make Zinnia so ugly…" reads one comment.

"Bruh why did they give Zinnia the Dora treatment," reads another.

In fact, the thread is filled with comments like this one: "Zinnia.. what did they do to you..?"

Admittedly, Zinnia's design isn't great, but Rayquaza looks pretty awesome (although quite a few fans don't like its design here). LEGO's Pokémon sets have had mixed reactions, and this one is no different. Still, it's always cool to see the franchise returning to Hoenn in some way.