ThePokemonfranchise has always done well when it comes to playing around with past ideas in new titles. WhenPokemon ScarletandPokemon Violetrelease, they likely won’t be any different. Gen 9 will be a great opportunity to try new things, butPokemon ScarletandVioletare likely to rehash some past ideas as well. This is generally the case withPokemongames, and has become more prominent in recent titles by introducing regional forms, allowing a past generation’s Pokemon to have a new feel.Pokemon Legends: Arceusdid something similar by revisiting past evolutionary lines for Pokemon, and introducing new evolutions to them alongside regional forms as well.
This isn’t necessarily anything new in itself, asPokemon GoldandSilverintroduced Scyther’s original evolution, Scizor, as well as a handful of other evolutions for different Pokemon. Being as thorough as it felt whenPokemon Legends: Arceusdid this is whatPokemon ScarletandVioletshould pay attention to.The new evolutions inPokemon: Legends Arceusfor Scyther, Ursaring, Stantler, and other all feel and look like feasible and sensible ways to add to these Pokemon. With how fast different Pokemon can become obsolete in the competitive scene, finding ways to fit older Pokemon and their evolutions into the spotlight can be incredibly important.
RELATED:Incredibly Rare Pokemon Snap Trading Card Resurfaces At Auction
Candidates for New Evolutions
Pokemon ScarletandVioletcould target some older Pokemon that might fit well into the Iberian Peninsula-inspired region of Gen 9. Pokemon like Girafarig, Kecleon, and Sudowoodo could all receive evolutions that play into the region’s aesthetic style and overall strengths. Girafarig, for instance, would complement the fractured mosaic art style that was prominent duringPokemon ScarletandViolet’s announcementat the Pokemon Presents. Its color scheme and design are abstract, but it’s still noticeably inspired by giraffes.
With the different forms and shapes that are part of the many works by Gaudi throughout Barcelona, which Gen 9 appears to pull on, a new Girafarig evolution could be an incredible way to bring the Pokemon into the series modern era. This would also be a perfect opportunity to touch onPokemon ScarletandViolet’s regional inspiration.
The same can be said for Kecleon. The chameleon Pokemon hasn’t been the strongest, but its first appearance inPokemon RubyandSapphiremade it incredibly interesting. Much like the different wildlife that inhabits the Mediterranean region, Kecleon is amazingly adaptable. Playing with this Pokemon’s inspiration and offering it a new evolution fromPokemon ScarletandViolet’s regioncould show what adaptations it needs so far from Hoenn. For some, this might sound like a goal that just giving Kecleon a regional form could accomplish. However, because the Pokemon has no evolution, it could benefit even more from a second stage being introduced.
Other Pokemon like Sudowoodo, who do have evolutions, could benefit from a third stage being introduced. The baby Pokemon, Bonsly, was a great addition inPokemon DiamondandPearl, but Sudowoodo feels overdue for a new evolution. Keeping in line withPokemon ScarletandViolet’s Spain-inspired region, Sudowoodo could pay homage to the real-world location’s importance to cork harvesting.
It’s a grounded approach to the Pokemon and works based on real-life inspiration similar to Ursaluna, who’s believed to be inspired by the Ussuri brown bear. Real-world inspiration has worked spectacularly well forPokemonin the past, and being able to add to these classic Pokemon’s evolutionary lines in meaningful ways would be fantastic.
New evolutions for past Pokemon would also provide unique ways forPokemon ScarletandVioletto break away in style, but also still feel likea return to form forPokemon’s Gen 9. It draws on the series' strengths when it comes to real-world inspirations, while also being able to address past features and aspects in a way that matchesPokemon’s current approach to gameplay and design.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violetare releasing in late 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
MORE:Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Starter Types Should Break Tradition
