Out of all the recent additions to the Pokemon series’ feature list, the introduction of regional form variations has to be up there amongst the best. As the newer generation’s have started to include fewer original creatures in their respective Pokedexes, variations have added some welcome variety into the mix. Even though the phenomenon has become a staple in the core series of games since Pokemon Sun and Moon, it technically didn’t start there.
Instead, the Pokemon anime’s famous Orange Islands arc can stake a claim to that accolade. However, as Game Freak has continued to develop its concept of biodiversity, it’s also actively chosen to ignore the franchise’s original regional form variations. For a number of compelling reasons, though, a future Pokemon title should finally canonize the Orange Islands’ variants within the franchise’s in-game universe.
The Orange Islands’ Variants
Thanks to the amount of time it took Game Freak to transition between the first two generations of Pokemon, the franchise’s anime adaptation ventured into uncharted territory toward the end of the '90s. Instead of heading straight to Johto, Ash and Pikachu first set their sights on the tropical Orange Islands. While the region is famous in-part for being the first location where Ash became a Champion, many fans will likely remember its eclectic indigenous Pokemon just as fondly.
In an attempt to make the Orange Islands visually distinct from Kanto, without leaning too heavily into Johto’s then-unreleased Pokemon, several regional form variations were created specifically for the show. On Valencia Island, viewers were treated to tan-colored versions of Red, Blue, and Yellow’s Pokemon for example, such as Vileplume, Paras, and Weepinbell. Later on pink colored versions of the first generation's Pokemon, like Caterpie, Pidgey, and Rhyhorn, also showed up on the fittingly named Pinkan Island.
While it can be argued that these variations are now closer to the series’ shiny Pokemon, rather than the regional variants seen recently, two of the Orange Islands' creatures appeared that broke the mold more dramatically. In addition to a Butterfree with vivid patterns on its wings, a crystallized Onyx starred in one memorable episode. Sporting a body made of smooth glass, this regional form was even more unique from its Kantonian cousin thanks to its immunity to water-type attacks. Despite their iconic status, though, none of these creatures have ever been found within a mainline game.
Benefits of the Orange Islands
There’s a long list of reasons why the absence of the Orange Islands' regional variants, from Pokemon’s in-game universe, should come to an end sooner or later. For starters, the charm of the Pokemon mentioned above is in-line with what’s special about Alola, Galar, and Hisui’s own form variations. Beyond mirroring real-world concepts like migration and evolution, each would add some welcome diversity into Game Freak’s world. From a purely mechanical perspective, it’s also easy to imagine each having unique type combinations that could benefit the series’ gameplay meta.
Perhaps even more beneficial, though, would be the good-will Game Freak would earn from fans in the process. The fact that each Orange Islands' variants have remained within the imagination of franchise's fan-base since the '90s is proof that their introduction into canon would be welcomed. Since the show debuted, viewers have been clamoring for its unique Pokemon to be catchable within the franchise’s primary medium. After all, it’s worth keeping in mind that icons like the first season’s Pink Butterfree are almost as old as the franchise itself.
Pokemon’s Anime Connections
Even though there are some caveats that should be kept in mind with each example, there’s an extensive list of Pokemon that have already bridged the gap between the anime and games. Historically, the likes of Togepi, Munchlax, and the recent Dusk-form Lycanroc all debuted on-screen before their first in-game appearance. With the first two in particular, it was years before either officially became catchable by players. Even though a greater amount of time has admittedly passed since the Orange Islands’ forms first appeared, anything is still theoretically possible.
Perhaps more aptly, though, one Pokemon that was made specifically for the anime has already appeared within a mainline game. Ash’s Battle Bond powered Greninja, which even bears his name within its official cannon designation, was available within Pokemon Sun and Moon provided players downloaded the demo associated with the 8th generation games. Each of these examples demonstrate that from a logistical perspective at least, there’s enough historical precedence for the door to still be open to the Orange Islands' variations as well.
The Practical Opportunities
There’s also practical reasons to believe that the Orange Islands' variations could debut within the in-game Pokemon universe fairly easily. Even though it likely wouldn’t make sense for Game Freak to include them in PokemonScarlet and Violet, there’s still going to be other opportunities for them to show up further down the road. Considering how the Kanto region has already popped up on five separate generational occurrences, it’s safe to assume that another remake set there will come into existence eventually.
Allowing players to venture to the islands south of Kanto at that point, either in their Orange or Sevii Islands incarnations, would open up the perfect excuse for the regional variations to make their in-game debut. It’s worth keeping in mind that there’s no reason Game Freak would have to stick exclusively to the forms that appeared in the anime either. Brand-new Pokemon that evolve from those variants could also be thrown into the mix, just like the recently released Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Based on the success of that game, it stands to reason that most fans would welcome that development.
It should also be noted that there are other ways Game Freak could practically canonize the Orange Islands’ forms. Even though fans would likely be upset at their physical absence, there’s very little stopping the studio from adding the regional variations into the mix via strategically placed references. Easter eggs have become a significant part of the lore behind the Pokemon world, so it’s easy to imagine an NPC, picture, or TV screen alluding to a pink Nidoking for example.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release in late 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
