Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are the franchise's two new titles for Generation 9, successfully disproving many theories and speculations the community has developed over the years. While the announcement trailers didn't confirm much, they revealed enough about the upcoming games to debunk several prominent theories and speculation. While the announcement has sparked new speculations and theories of their own, there are many past wishes that Pokémon fans won't receive with the information currently available. Readers and fans should remember that information can change, especially considering that available gameplay and images are from early builds.
From hints scattered throughout the announcement trailer, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet look to possibly take place in the Spain or Portugal equivalent of the Pokémon world. Several Pokémon are confirmed for Scarlet and Violet, including monsters like Seviper, Larvitar, and Magnemite. Fans have also received their first glimpses at the new player characters, whose designs are much different from other protagonists in the franchise. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet also revealed its starters: Fuecoco, Sprigatito, and Quaxly, which debunked their fair share of rumors.
Pokémon theories and lore are constantly changing to adapt to new games and retcons, but Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's short trailer hasn't revealed any concrete information to change in-game canon very much. Thankfully, fans may receive more details as 2022 progresses and the release date comes closer. Since the Pokémon Sword and Shield expansion pass fully released, fans have been speculating about what Gen 9 might hold. While many theories provided entertaining and revolutionary mechanics to include in the next game, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet eliminated the possibility of their appearances.
Pokémon Scarlet And Violet Proves Region Theories False
The biggest anticipation for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet was its new region. Every Pokémon region is based loosely on real-world countries, but Game Freak and Nintendo don't reveal their games' settings until further along the development process. One of the most popular theories included a suspected India-equivalent region, supported by several Pokédex entries in Pokémon Legends: Arceus concerning Copperajah and (supposedly) Sword and Shield given the relationship between Britain and India. However, several hints suggest this isn't the case. The architecture in the announcement trailer appears in Spain and Portugal, and the biomes advertised match some environments present in the two countries. Furthermore, the names of Scarlet and Violet starter Pokémon hold Spanish roots, with Fuecoco's holding the beginning of the word 'fuego' (fire) and Sprigatito containing the word 'gatito' (little cat).
Other speculated territories suggested Pokémon's Generation 9 would take place in South American countries like Brazil, but a key hint in the announcement trailer also disproves this. Maps strewn across the walls and desks in the trailer reveal that the region's shape is similar to Spain's, but the complete forms have yet to be revealed. Furthermore, the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet title colors match the colors present on Spain's flag. With all this evidence, it's unlikely that fans can expect a South American or Indian Pokémon region for Generation 9.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Revealed Its Real Starters
Like most Pokémon games, fans speculated the Gen 9 starters for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet before the games were announced. Most predictions followed a zodiac pattern for the Fire-type starter that's been present since Pokémon Red and Blue was released. The Fire-type starters have mostly been modeled after the corresponding animals, with Charmander representing the Dragon, Cyndaquil representing the Rat, Torchic depicting the Rooster, etc. However, Fuecoco breaks this trend and resembles a crocodile. Not only is this strange since Pokémon already has Totodile as a Water-type Johto starter, but it breaks tradition from a twenty-year-long streak.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will likely feature many Pokémon from its native and new regions. However, the starter reveal has proved the most illuminating for many fans. Pokémon fan artists often depict their dream starters and use them to predict future Pokémon Generations. Many predicted forms stem from region predictions reflecting the real-world parallel, but others embrace animals from mythology, endangered species, and more. While many fanmade Pokémon likely won't appear, fans can still speculate the second and final evolutions for Fuecoco, Sprigatito, and Quaxly.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet May Reject Traditional Gameplay
Following Pokémon Legends: Arceus' 2022 release, and early gameplay footage of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, it appears open-world adventures are truly the franchise's future. Several sprawling locations resembling Pokémon Sword and Shield's Wild Area suggest the games could be moving towards an exclusive free-roaming mechanic. Additionally, overworld sprites for some Pokémon species are a promising addition. It's unknown whether Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will revive Pokémon League mechanics or adopt another storyline similar to Pokémon Sun and Moon; many hints differ Scarlet and Violet from a traditional game. Fans predicting that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet would return to the standard Pokémon formula may be proven wrong with the gameplay shown in the announcement trailer. Unfortunately, there aren't many specifics available for Scarlet and Violet's gameplay in its only available trailer, and fans are likely in for a significant wait before receiving another.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Likely Won't Revive National Dex
Following the outrage accompanied by Pokémon Sword and Shield's National dex debacle, some fans predicted that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet would be different. While many Pokémon from other regions are present in the trailers, the game likely won't revive the full Pokédex at release. There are multiple pieces of evidence to support this, including the lack of sizable environments that could house so many Pokémon. Furthermore, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet feature overworld sprites that appeared in Pokémon Sword and Shield, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, and Pokémon Let's Go: Eevee and Pikachu. None of these games featured a National Pokédex that encompassed every single monster in existence, forcing many players to leave their monsters behind. Since Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are likely to introduce more native species, increasing the possibility that Generation 9 could surpass a thousand Pokémon or come close to it.
Nintendo and Game Freak haven't released much information about Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but early looks are promising for Pokémon's future. While the franchise has maintained a relatively identical formula in gameplay and story, Pokémon Legends: Arceus introduced new mechanics that revolutionized the series. Early looks at Scarlet and Violet suggest the next Pokémon generation could continue these changes and implement them into the standard game format. Nintendo hasn't announced a release date for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but it's likely the games could release around the holiday season like previous Pokémon generations.