There has yet to be any confirmation on what Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is planning on doing regarding the now expected alternate forms of regular Pokemon. However, like with every major release in the series, the games’ features were leaked. Instead of only focusing on the previous generation’s features, this new generation will supposedly introduce a variety of ideas that will give Pokemon alternate appearances, type combinations, and even evolutions, just like the regional variants of before. Regardless if the direction the game takes, it should still give the last push needed to neglected “classic” Pokemon before moving on to more recently introduced creatures.
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Old Pokemon in Need of an Upgrade
Within the context of the Pokemon franchise, the closest thing to “classic” is arguably the series’ first two generations, which made up the bulk of the initial Pokemania in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Sure, the third generation came out in an era that is now considered retro, but when the idea of “old Pokemon” is brought up, the first two generations are the ones people will likely focus on. Due to how long these aforementioned Pokemon have been part of the franchise, most of them have gotten some form of upgrade by now. Gen 2 gave new evolutions to plenty of Kanto Pokemon, and Gen 4 returned the favor with its famous Sinnoh evolutions.
After Gen 4, the series stopped introducing new evolutions to regular lines, with Sylveon being the notable exception. The concept was revisited with Mega Evolutions in Gen 6, and the regional possibilities offered new possibilities for mediocre Pokemon, even though the upgrades are not as permanent, nor as accessible as the evolutions introduced in Gens 2 and 4. It’s in Pokemon Sword and Shield where regional variants opened doors to new possibilities with new evolutions to older Pokemon. If the recent leaks are true, then Scarlet and Violet would need one last push to finally make every Pokemon from the older generations useful is some capacity.
Among the Pokemon introduced in the first generation, only Tauros, Mew, and Ditto lack any evolutions or new forms in some capacity. Mew is a Legendary and Ditto is specifically tailored around a gimmick that already satisfies the player base. Tauros has gotten nothing since the early days of the series, and if the Scarlet and Violet leaks are correct, then this will change. Assuming the leaks are true, the new generation is taking full advantage of its Spanish-inspired setting by giving the very first bull-based Pokemon some love.
With Tauros taken care of, every single Kanto Pokemon that needs an evolution or extra push in the battling realm is now free from the stigma of being useless. The same cannot be said for Johto Pokemon, who have gotten love recently, but there is still work to be done. Among the lonelier Gen 2 Pokemon, there are Unown and Smeargle, who are likely too conceptually one-dimensional, just like Ditto, for their evolutionary lines to spice up. Other non-Legendary Pokemon left with a single stage, such as Girafarig, Dunsparce, Miltank, and Delibird, currently have nothing but themselves. However, a new form for Miltank could complement the heavily implied one for Tauros, and the other three Pokemon will all get something new to their arsenal if the leaks are true.
Assuming Pokemon fans are not being fooled, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will likely find some good in Pokemon that Game Freak left hanging for too long. This is a terrific step in the right direction and hints at a hopeful future for the entire roster of monsters, whose recent additions will get more opportunities for tweaking.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release November 18 on Switch.
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