Here's what you missed from today's Pokemon press conference

It’s a beautiful day to be a Pokemon trainer, as Pokemon’s annual press conference brought an interesting flurry of news.
Besides the usual new merchandise and retail announcements, here are four of the biggest (and in the case of Pokemon Sleep, weirdest) things to keep your eyes peeled for in the coming year.
Pokemon GO
— STUPIDDEAD?SKULLHEAD (@MikeLuckas) May 29, 2019
Pokemon HOME
and
Pokemon SLEEP#PokemonPressConference
First up is the faintly dystopian unveiling of Pokemon Sleep, a new smartphone app that tracks a player’s sleep and somehow turns it into a game. Sleep-based gaming is the stuff of sci-fi nightmares, but for hardcore pocket monster enthusiasts, the ability to unconsciously work on your Pokedex sounds like a dream come true.
The game will require a new device called the Pokemon GO Plus + (plus… plus?) that monitors your sleep via an embedded accelerometer and communicates with your phone. No word on exactly what Pokemon Sleep will involve – perhaps counting Mareeps, or accumulating enough good sleep statistics to attract an especially rare creature?
Only time will tell; Pokemon Sleep is slated for release in 2020, so concerned parents have time to gird their loins.
We’re pleased to announce the development of Pokémon Sleep, a new app from @Pokemon_cojp that tracks a user’s time sleeping and brings a gameplay experience unlike any other!
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) May 29, 2019
Several Snorlax were consulted on this, in case you were wondering. #PokemonSleep is coming in 2020. pic.twitter.com/nJ7mJY09Dl
The fans have spoken, and they absolutely loved the recent Detective Pikachu film. Creatures Inc, an affiliate of the Pokemon Company, is launching a new Detective Pikachu game for Nintendo Switch, continuing on from the original game.
It was first released on Nintendo 3DS in 2016, featuring a peculiarly smart talking Pikachu who helps his new pal Tim try to find his dad. No word on whether Tim will be reprising his role, but we hope to achieve some closure (and hopefully more engaging game mechanics) in Ryme City. It seems like plot details will remain a mystery for now.
The Pokemon Company and DeNA have teamed up on a new smartphone game, Pokemon Masters, which focuses on battling. Expect a robust all-star lineup of all your favourite trainers for a straightforward Poke-battle experience. We’ll hear more about this particular game next month.
Announcement 4⃣
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) May 29, 2019
Dreaming of becoming a Pokémon master? This is your time!
Get ready for Pokémon Masters, a new game that allows you to battle alongside your favorite Pokémon Trainers from the main series RPGs. #PokemonMasters pic.twitter.com/RNFxswsDFp
At first glance, the name almost suggests a Poke-version of Google Home, but it’s actually a cloud-based app to connect and sync some of your favourite Pokemon games (including Pokemon GO, Pokemon Sword and Shield, and Pokemon Bank) across different platforms.
Players can use a smartphone app to trade monsters with anyone and everyone, regardless if one person is on a 3DS and another is using an iPhone. Expect this to appear in 2020 on both iOS and Android, as well as Nintendo Switch.
alexisong@asiaone.com