Excitement for the new games has already swelled thanks to the new Fire-type starter, Fuecoco, as fans try to decipher the Pokemon’s real-world inspiration. However, the new Gen 9 games could take things a step further. There are plenty of mono-types in the Pokemon franchise that could use more representation, with several typings having less than 20 mono-typed Pokemon out of the franchise’s now 900-strong roster. For certain dual-type combinations, this number is even less with 16 different couplings still unused in the Pokemon franchise. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have an opportunity to take advantage of these unused typings making them a memorable start to a new generation of games.
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New Mono-Type Pokemon
For mono-type Pokemon, Flying, Steel, Dark, Dragon, Rock, Ghost, Poison, Ground, Ice, Bug, and Fairy could all use a couple of additions without a dual-type to up their current numbers. For Flying and Steel, which each have three and 11 mono-types, respectively, new Pokemon with ambitious designs could boost their popularity. The current lack of mono representation isn’t a fault, as much as it is a circumstance of many Flying and Steel-types with secondary typings, along with every other Pokemon type. This by and large has become the standard, as Pokemon has continued to grow and is something that a lot of fans enjoy, but it can still be a hindrance.
While seeing a lot of evolutionary lines end with a Pokemon that has dual-typing might result in some Pokemon being more competitively viable, it has also severely reduced the number of mono-types in certain categories. There’s often as much of an argument to be made for mono-types to be more present in Pokemon games, as there is for increasing the number of unique type combinations that fans see. Rare Charizard Pokemon cards, as well as the Pokemon itself, have been incredibly popular since the series debut. However, being a Fire and Flying-type has attributed to there being twice as many as Pokemon with this dual-type combination, compared to mono-type Flying Pokemon in the series.
This abundance of dual-type Pokemon in the face of mono-types being underused has also led to some interesting circumstances in how new Pokemon have been released. While Steel-type Pokemon were introduced alongside the new Dark-type in Gen 2’s Pokemon Gold and Silver, Flying-type Pokemon have been a part of the series since Gen 1. Despite this, Pokemon Blue, Green, and Red had no mono Flying-type Pokemon, and one wouldn’t be released until Gen 5’s Pokemon Black and White introduced Tornadus and the Forces of Nature.
At the time of release this might have seemed inconsequential, but as Pokemon has grown, there have been a lot of great opportunities to build on mono-types like Flying and Steel that haven’t been taken advantage of. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet regional forms are likely a given for a lot of different Pokemon, but even as the games reprise past favorites, they should also look to add something new to these types as well. Expanding the underused mono-types in the series and letting those that are severely underserved strive, could do just as much as tweaking the old typings of Pokemon through regional forms, and could also keep fans engaged with entirely new content.
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New Dual-Type Pokemon
Increasing the number of underused dual-types in the future could serve a similar purpose as mono-types in the long run. Right now, there are still 16 unused typings: Normal-Poison, Normal-Rock, Normal-Bug, Normal-Steel, Normal-Ice, Fighting-Ground, Fighting-Electric, Fighting-Fairy, Poison-Steel, Poison-Ice, Ground-Fairy, Rock-Ghost, Bug-Dragon, Bug-Dark, Fire-Grass, and Fire-Fairy. Each of these typings has unlimited potential when it comes to how their respective Pokemon might be designed and the combinations themselves could be revolutionary. Pokemon Legends: Arceus’ Hisuian Zoroark is a great example of this.
The type combination of Normal-Ghost isn’t one that a lot of fans could have predicted, especially since Zorua and Zoroark’s original forms from Gen 5’s Pokemon Black and White were mono-type Dark Pokemon. On top of this, Zoroark’s Normal-Ghost typing removes its weakness to Ghost-type moves, one of the only two types weak to itself, and replaces it with immunity to Normal, Ghost, and Fighting-type moves. This is major for competitive battles, and combined with their designs, has made the new Hisuian Zorua and Zoroark a great addition to the franchise. It also demonstrates what implementing unused typings can do, and shows how unique new Pokemon in these categories can be.
Taking advantage of this philosophy in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet could add to Gen 9’s success, and also be done in significant ways. The possibility that Pokemon Violet’s Legendary Pokemon will be a lion seems significant, and this could be executed with a new type combination to make it feel more substantial. Dual-type options like Fairy and Fire-type, or Fire and Grass-type, would be a first in the series and stand out against the crowd. Contradictory typings like Fire and Grass have also become more prominent recently, making a decision like this even more plausible, while also being a new step for the greater Pokemon franchise.
Of course, Fire and Grass, as well as mono Flying and Steel-type Pokemon, aren’t the only areas the series could highlight. They might be some of the most underserved, or completely absent Pokemon, but there are still plenty of other options when it comes to new Pokemon and their typing. However, adding to any of the types that need help or introducing new combinations, in general, would be a great move for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s gameplay. The series has done well building on its foundations and adding new Pokemon with each generation with nothing to suggest that fans won’t be treated to the same once Gen 9 releases.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are releasing in late 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
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