Rumors surrounding the upcoming Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's "Regional Fake" forms and a Type-related gimmick could change the game in unexpected ways. So far, they're still unconfirmed, and just like any rumor, their veracity should be viewed with some measure of skepticism for now, but they have exciting implications if true. The release date for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, November 18, is coming up quickly, so there should be a new trailer revealing the region's gimmick sometime soon.
Ever since Pokémon's Gen 6, every new Generation has had some kind of gimmick involving alternate forms for the series' famous monsters. Mega Evolution allowed fully-evolved Pokémon to take on powerful temporary forms in Gen 6, followed by Gen 7's Z-Moves that let Pokémon use devastatingly strong special moves, and finally, Dynamax/Gigantamax in Gen 8, where Pokémon grew to titanic size and some gained new forms. The Pokémon Gen 7 games also introduced regional variants, different forms of returning Pokémon that are native to their respective regions. Gen 9's gimmick has been a topic of speculation almost since its release, and Game Freak has so far made no comments.
So far, two gimmicks have been prominently rumored by reliable leakers such as Centro LEAKS; Paradox Forms and Convergent Species. The exact nature of both is still a mystery, but the details currently available paint an exciting picture. Innovations like these can make Gen 9 wholly unique from the rest of the series, in terms of both Pokémon battles and overall gameplay. It's also rumored that Scarlet and Violet will feature few regional variants and that they won't be the focus of Scarlet and Violet, which should leave more room for Pokemon Generation 9's new gimmick.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Leaks - Paradox Forms & Convergent Species
Pokémon's Convergent Species are apparently similar to regional variants, but different at the same time. Centro LEAKS describes them as being new Pokémon that are similar to returning ones, but are completely unrelated, and have different Types, appearances, names and Pokédex numbers. The concept is similar to real-life convergent evolution, in which organisms independently develop similar traits to fit similar needs. So far, the only Pokémon that are reported to have Convergent forms are Diglett, whose alternate form will be Water-Type, and an unspecified Water-Type from Gen 1.
Paradox Forms are reported to be Pokémon that have time traveled from either the past or the future, and are ancestors and descendants, respectively, of existing Pokémon. Apparently, they don't evolve, and have high stats. They're also their own Pokémon with their own names and Pokédex numbers. There are many more of these designs rumored for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet than Convergent Species, including Jigglypuff, Amoongus, Gallade, and Volcarona. They appear to be version-exclusive, with Pokémon from the past only being available in Scarlet, and those from the future in Violet.
How Convergent Species, Paradox Forms, or any other gimmick will affect the game is tough to predict, but not impossible. In Gen 6 and Gen 8, the gimmicks played a major part in the games' story, so it's possible that this will also be the case in Scarlet and Violet. Centro LEAKS has previously stated that the regional gimmick will be a new concept of Mega Evolution, meaning that it's possible that Paradox Forms will be similar temporary battle-exclusive forms instead of capturable Pokémon in the games' overworld. Both of these concepts sound like they'd fit Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's themes of past versus future well, with Convergent Species adding an additional element of the present day, and it will be exciting to see how they're used in-game if the rumors are accurate.
Source: Centro LEAKS