Game Freak’s “Freak” Side Shines! “Rain Then Sunny Girl” Booth Overflows with Otaku-Loved “Realism” — Plus Omori & Suginaka Interview [TGS2026]

The “TOKYO GAME SHOW 2026” was held at Makuhari Messe from September 17 to 20, 2026. This event brings together a wide variety of games, ranging from highly anticipated new releases to noteworthy titles yet to be seen. In this article, we’ll introduce the new mobile game *Rain Then Sunny Girl* from the Game Freak booth.

Game Freak has been generating a lot of buzz and attracting attention in recent years with titles outside the “Pokémon” IP, such as “Beast of Reincarnation.” At the company’s booth—its first appearance at TGS—there was plenty to excite both longtime fans and gamers alike, including the re-release of the legendary fanzine “Game Freak.”

In this article, we’ll take you inside the booth and share excerpts from mini-interviews with Shigeru Omori, a developer at Game Freak, and Katsunori Suginaka, CEO of Chrono Gate. We heard valuable insights, including the story behind the game’s creation and their thoughts on exhibiting at TGS for the first time.

A Recreation of the In-Game Club Room! From Meticulously Crafted Displays to Character Costumes!

First, let’s take a look at what the special booth for this game had to offer. Upon entering the booth, visitors were greeted by a recreation of the clubroom at “Tenseijo Girls’ Academy,” the setting of the game.

From the various posters on the walls and the whiteboard to the books and small items spread out on the desks, the space was meticulously crafted to fully immerse visitors in the game’s world.

Moving further inside, visitors were greeted by a massive display spanning an entire wall and a row of character costumes lined up in a row. This presentation, which made the characters—beloved by otaku—feel incredibly real, truly showcased the “freakish” side of Game Freak.

And then there’s this display spanning the wall. It’s a truly impressive exhibit showing the scenery outside the clubroom—but believe it or not, the scenery displayed on the screen actually retrieves real-time weather data from the area around the TGS venue and updates it instantly!

This exhibit truly seems to symbolize the game’s weather-centric concept. When I visited, the sky was clear and sunny, but I really wanted to see how it would look during rain or cloudy conditions…!

Moving further in, there are various exhibits that heighten anticipation for the game’s release, including a “Rain Then Sunny Girl”-themed washing machine, a merchandise shop selling various official goods, and life-size character panels.

And right next to the merchandise shop...

There it was: the “Game Freak Reprint Edition.” It’s well-known among game fans that Game Freak started as a game doujin circle, and that the company’s current name comes directly from the title of their doujinshi back then, “Game Freak.” I was thrilled to see it revived right here at TGS.

As you can see, the booth not only prominently showcased the game’s world but also offered plenty of treats for Game Freak fans.

“We Love Beautiful Girls—We’re Freaks, After All!” Mr. Omori and Mr. Suginaka Discuss Their Enthusiasm for the Game and TGS

Here, we present an interview conducted at the booth with Shigeru Omori of Game Freak and Katsunori Suginaka of Chrono Gate.

――Thank you for joining us today. This is Game Freak’s first time exhibiting at TGS—what made you decide to participate?

Mr. Omori: Simply put, it looked like fun (laughs).

All: (Laughs).

Mr. Omori: Since we’re creating everything ourselves—from the game’s world-building to the booth’s exhibits—I thought it would be great if we could do something fun there. We also want to take on challenges that other booths aren’t doing, like handing out fanzines and setting up a clubroom.

Mr. Suginaka: Since this is an original IP, we wanted people to get to know the world first, so we designed an exhibit that would let visitors enjoy this world.

――How has the response been from attendees?

Mr. Omori: We’ve received a lot of positive feedback. It’s been very well-received by fans, too—it’s both gratifying and fun to see our own ideas being embraced like this.

Mr. Suginaka: Having been with Game Freak for many years myself, I wanted to give something back this time, so I put a lot of passion into creating the booth. I think things like handing out the fanzine and building the world will make people feel, “This really is a ‘Freak’ company!” so I hope everyone enjoys it.

――You both seem to be really enjoying producing this project yourselves. By the way, what was the initial inspiration for creating this game?

Mr. Omori: While we were working on *Pokémon SV*, ideas for games I wanted to create just kept popping into my head.

I was able to bring some of them to life in *Poko a Pokémon*, but I still felt there was a lot left undone. In particular, I really wanted to implement the “connecting with the real world” mechanic, so as I worked to bring that vision to life, this game was born.

――Where did the concept of weather come from?

Mr. Omori: At first, my goal was to create a system that utilized various types of information found on the internet, and the weather was merely a secondary element. However, as I worked on it, I realized, “This would actually be interesting if I made it a main element,” so I expanded on that idea—and as a result, it ended up becoming the main element.

――Was the “bishoujo game” aspect also planned from the start?

Mr. Omori: Yes. We decided from the very beginning to make it a “bishoujo game.”

――Do you both like cute girls?

Mr. Omori: We do, yes.

Mr. Suginaka: There’s no one who doesn’t like cute girls, right?

Everyone: (Laughs).

Mr. Omori: That’s just how Game Freak is (laughs). There are all kinds of “freaks” out there.

――May I ask about the relationship between the two of you?

Mr. Suginaka: I joined Game Freak right out of college and have worked under Mr. Omori ever since, so it’s practically a mentor-protégé relationship. He taught me so much about game design. Although I’ve since left Game Freak and am now at a different company, we’ve remained close friends all this time.

――So that means this title is being created by a seasoned duo who’ve worked together for many years.

Mr. Suginaka: Even when Mr. Omori first approached me and said, “I’ve got an idea for a fun game,” I understood exactly what he meant right away (laughs). I totally got everything he wanted to do.

Mr. Omori: When I asked him, “You really love cute girls, don’t you…?”

Mr. Suginaka: “I love them!”

Everyone: (Laughs)

――Since we’re running out of time, one last question.

Speaking of Game Freak, it seems like you’ve long been focusing on releasing games on Steam, developing mobile games, and nurturing your own IPs, such as *Beast of Reincarnation*. What are your thoughts on the future outlook?

Mr. Omori: We want to continue cherishing “Pokémon” as our mainstay, but we always maintain a spirit within the company of not relying solely on that and taking on various new challenges.

I think we’re a company where the priority is “Let’s make something fun—something we really want to make,” rather than “Let’s make something that will sell,” so I want to keep that mindset alive.

Mr. Suginaka: What struck me while talking with Mr. Omori was, “Is it really okay to go this far?!” From the perspective of younger team members, it’s hard to understand—like, “Is it really okay for Game Freak to make bishoujo games?” But since Mr. Omori takes the lead on that, others see him setting the example and are inspired to come up with fresh ideas one after another.

――So the “Freaks” within the company resonate with this approach, creating a great environment for game development. I think that’s wonderful. It was a great honor to hear so many stories from you today. Thank you very much!

“Rain Then Sunny Girl” is scheduled for release on iOS and Android in the winter of 2026.