The new rideable Legendary Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet ruin the allure of them being Legendary Pokémon, which is something that used to be a major factor in the older games, but they're now reduced to carting the player around. The new exclusive Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet include Koraidon in Pokémon Scarlet and Miraidon in Pokémon Violet, both of which are the Legendary Pokémon that appear on the box art for each game. They also act as the vehicles that the player will use to traverse the Paldea region.
The concept of Legendary Pokémon debuted with the Legendary Birds and Mewtwo in Pokémon Red and Blue. Each of these was a terrifying beast that was much more difficult to catch than a regular Pokémon, and the fact that players only received a single Master Ball during their playthrough meant that they only had one guaranteed shot at a capture. Each new entry in the Pokémon series has added new Legendary Pokémon to the roster and many of these have been beasts with the power to end the world, with their role in the story being treated with the utmost seriousness. The sheer number of Legendary Pokémon at this point has diluted their value somewhat, but they still play an important role in each mainline Pokémon game.
The second trailer for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet revealed the Legendary Pokémon in the games, with the more ancient Koraidon and the futuristic Miraidon seemingly hinting at a time element to the story of the game. The most recent trailer for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet revealed that these Pokémon weren't quite as majestic as they first appeared, as they will be acting as the bikes that the player uses to explore Paldea. Koraidon runs on its legs like some kind of vehicle from The Flintstones, while Miraidon looks like a bike from TRON.
Legendary Motorcycle Pokémon Have Lost Their Allure
It seems that these new Legendary Pokémon will be functioning as the HM mules/bicycles of old. The problem with Scarlet and Violet using Legendary Pokémon as motorcycles is that they lost their allure as being rare Pokémon that are encountered at a late point in the story, usually as part of some epic encounter. If Koraidon and Miraidon are acting as the player's vehicle throughout the Paldea region, then that means that the player will likely acquire them very early on. The once majestic Legendary Pokémon have now been reduced to carrying around some dopey kid, as they catch level 5 Pokémon on the earliest routes in the game. It would have made a lot more sense to have different Pokémon for the riding/swimming/flying role, encouraging players to seek out different Pokémon with that ability.
This isn't the first time that Legendary Pokémon have been used as mounts, as many Legendary Pokémon in the past have been able to learn HM moves, while Mega Latias and Mega Latios could be used to fly around the Hoenn region in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. The difference with those games is that the Legendary Pokémon were encountered late in the story and the player had earned the right to capture them. If Legendary Pokémon are just teaming up with the player to act as their bike, then it ruins the allure of what it means to be a Legendary Pokémon.
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