Pokemon is not going to be a launch title but I do believe it will release sooner than the 3DS installments.
It was close to 3 years after launch that 3DS finally got a mainline Pokemon title, that's too long. If the next handheld releases in mid-2016 then I think holiday 2017 seems like a good time to release Pokemon Gen 7.
When the herd loses its way, the shepard must kill the bull that leads them astray.