'Pokemon Go' Gen 2 release date, updates: Generation 2 Pokemon to launch soon

"Pokemon Go" has seen a decline in the number of people actively playing the game, hinting that the fad is slowly dying off. But Niantic Labs, the developer of the game, has launched a new Buddy System update to entice gamers to keep playing, and rumors now suggest the developers will soon add Generation 2 Pokemon.

Generation 1 Pokemon are the only Pokemon currently available for "Pokemon Go" although two of them have yet to be included for gamers across the globe to catch: Mew and Mewtwo. The remaining 149 Pokemon are all available for players to find and catch. These are the Pokemon from the original "Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow" Gameboy games.

Pokemon GoThe Pokemon Company/Niantic

However, adding Generation 2 Pokemon from "Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal" will bolster the number of players again. Examples of Generation 2 Pokemon include Totodile, Cyndaquil and Chikorita as well as the legendary Pokemon Ho-oh and Lugia.

The buddy system that Niantic Labs has released speculated to be the first step in introducing Generation 2 Pokemon given that it was first introduced in the Generation 2 video games, allowing players to pick one Pokemon to stay out of its PokeBall and walk around with them.

Pokemon Go Hub has also reported that the mechanics for hatching eggs, which is already present in "Pokemon Go," utilizes a formula derived from the Generation 2 video games. The site has already calculated the possible hatching distance for many Generation 2 Pokemon.

With the egg hatching mechanics and buddy system in place it is speculated that the actual Generation 2 Pokemon will be added to "Pokemon Go" sometime soon, possibly just in time for the release of "Pokemon Sun and Moon" for the 3DS this November.

It is important to note that Nintendo and Niantic Labs have yet to make a formal announcement regarding the release date for Generation 2 Pokemon in "Pokemon Go."