The names of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet's professors, Sada and Turo, appear to break from Pokémon's longstanding convention of naming professors after tree species. Since the earliest entries in the series, the professors in the Pokémon games have been named words like Oak, Rowan, and Sycamore, whereas the names of these characters in the upcoming releases do not immediately appear to resemble any trees or other flora. This is also the first pair of games to feature a separate professor for each title, with Sada appearing in Scarlet and Turo in Violet.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are set to be released on November 18, 2022, and look to have taken a step away from the tried and tested formula of the past. Instead, it has evolved into an open world to rival Pokémon Legends: Arceus and continue on the bold new path that that game started. The games show the biggest departure from the traditions of the mainline games yet, with a 4-player online co-operative play set to become a key feature of the release.

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The professors' names, Sada and Turo, do not resemble any obvious tree types, at least known as such in the West. While there is such a plant as a Sadabahar plant, it does not seem to factor in to the naming of the professor. Owing to the games' key concept of time, Spain-based region, and Pokémon variants, it is possible to decipher that the characters are named after their respective time periods, Pasada (meaning past) and Futuro (meaning future). This can be seen in their clothing choices, with Sada's outfit appearing like that of a primal hunter, and Turo's outfit looking notably sci-fi. They also resemble the games' respective legendaries, Koraidon and Miraidon, whose names also play on the past-and-future dynamic, showing their strong links to the core concepts of these games.

Scarlet & Violet's Pokémon Professors Will Break From Tradition

Pokemon Scarlet And Violet Professors Revealed In Trailer

Although the first Pokémon professors were named directly after trees, such as Elm, Birch, and Rowan, the series started to deviate from this tradition slightly with Pokémon Sun and Moon, with the popular Alolan professor named Kukui, which is the Hawaiian word for "candlenut tree". Using the language of the culture that the games were based on allows the character to be more intrinsically linked to the region. This has followed into Scarlet and Violet, with the characters truly embodying their respective games. The characters appear to have a stronger presence and purpose than previous professors, shown by their strong resemblance to the version exclusive Legendaries. Being named after the games' core concept of time and being named in the language of the region show that the professors symbolize their worlds in a way that no professor has before.

Stepping away from the tradition of tree-based names represents a bigger change in the series as a whole. The gameplay and graphics of Scarlet and Violet are a far cry from the last mainline games, Sword and Shield, which some Pokémon fans hate even now. Instead, the games will adopt an open-world system with Pokémon visible in the overworld. This is the biggest evolution in gameplay since the move to the 3DS-era games, Pokémon X and Y. Changing the naming conventions of the professors symbolize this change as the developers seek to explore new ideas and take the games into new directions.

Understanding the names of the new Pokémon professors is key to understanding their roles in the upcoming games. Names have always played an important part in Pokémon games, and the new titles appear to be no different. The names of the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's legendaries, Koraidon and Miraidon, come from the Japanese words "korai" (meaning ancient past) and "mirai" (meaning future). The juxtaposition of past and future will clearly be central to the narratives of the new games.

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