Is Professor Oak in Pokemon Sun and Moon? (UPDATED)

Pokemon Sun and Moon is just a few short months away, but there is still a ton we don't know about the game. A trailer released yesterday confirmed that Pokemon Sun and Moon is set in the same world as Pokemon X & Y by showing older versions of Dexio and Sina, Professor Sycamore's assistants in the Kalos Region. Dexio and Sina will assist the player in their journey by giving them a Zygarde Cube that helps unlock the mysterious of the Legendary Pokemon Zygarde.

However, it appears that other characters from past Pokemon games will also make an appearance in the new game. A new Japanese trailer for Pokemon Sun and Moon appears to show Professor Oak talking with the player about "Alolan variants", new versions of old Pokemon that only appear in the remote Alola region.

Professor Oak was the Pokemon professor in Pokemon Red and Blue and was the first professor to give players their starter Pokemon in the Kanto region. Oak returned in Pokemon Gold and Silver and Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, but hasn't appeared in a Pokemon game in over five years.

The Professor Oak seen in the new trailer is sporting a tan and much longer hair, but his name is still listed as "Okido" in the dialogue box, which seemingly confirms they're the same character (Professor Oak's Japanese name is Okido). Since Oak is talking about Alolan forms, they likely gave him a new look to demonstrate the difference between an Alolan variant and its normal look.

UPDATE: The character shown above is actually Nariya Oak, Professor Oak's cousin.

Oak's appearance in Pokemon Sun and Moon raises some big questions about the game. Since Pokemon Sun and Moon marks the 20th anniversary of the Pokemon franchise, can we expect to see other popular characters in the game. Could Red (the game's version of Ash Ketchum), Misty, Brock, Gary or other characters from the original games also make an appearance in Pokemon Sun and Moon? And could this mean that Professor Oak will have a more prominent role in the Pokemon Sun and Moon anime after disappearing for almost all of Pokemon XY: The Series?

We'll have to wait and see whether Oak's appearance in Pokemon Sun and Moon is just a clever cameo or if it's a tease of more connections to come.