Pokemon games often introduce brand-new features that take the spotlight due to how game-changing they can be, such as Mega Evolutions or Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing. There are many important pieces to Pokemon battles in the games, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will likely revolutionize the meta from Gen 8 in many ways, one of which could be Gen 9's roster of pocket monsters. Although very little is officially known about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet due to the news drought since the first and second trailers dropped, there have been multiple alleged leaks online about what sort of critters and gimmicks will be part of Generation 9.
An example comes from the leaked type combinations of the three starters for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, which were hinted at by a prominent insider with a proven track record. This leaker is known as Riddler Khu, and they recently claimed that Gen 9 will have the first Pokemon species that's a Fire/Grass hybrid, something that fans have wanted for a long time, especially after Pokemon X and Y introduced Volcanion, a Mythical Pokemon who is a Fire/Water hybrid. There is currently no clue about what sort of Pokemon the rumored Fire/Grass dual type will be in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, but its unique type combination would make it a very interesting addition to the series.
Why a Fire/Grass Pokemon Could be Powerful in Gen 9
There are many ways in which a Fire/Grass-type Pokemon can be a powerful asset, and one of them is how it behaves in terms of offensive capabilities. As of the type chart from Pokemon Sword and Shield, which is presumably remaining unaltered in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, a Fire/Grass critter would have a vast type coverage just with its STAB moves, and that's not including potential attacks of other types that the pocket monster might learn. In fact, a Fire/Grass-type would be equipped to deal double damage to Ground, Rock, Bug, Steel, Water, Grass, and Ice Pokemon, as well as neutral STAB damage to 9 types across the board.
This is particularly good because it covers several popular types such as Ground, Steel, Water, and Grass, which are often picked for their powerful offensive or defensive capabilities. It's also great to have damage advantage over Rock, as it is one of the types that deals supereffective damage versus a Fire/Grass hybrid, meaning that depending on the playstyle and stats one could still have a favorable match-up instead of a bad one. Having a Fire/Grass-type in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet would also be ideal for those who want to pick Quaxly as their starter, as these two Pokemon alone would cover all three starter types.
Another fantastic combo for a Fire/Grass pocket monster would be setting up multiple terrain and weather effects at once, hypothetically speaking, and using them to the players' advantage with moves like Solar Beam. A Fire/Grass Pokemon that has the Drought Ability, for example, would be incredibly powerful in the endgame because it could set up a terrain that enhances moves it takes neutral damage from, but ones that deal STAB damage when it uses them. Another great Ability for a Fire/Grass hybrid would be White Smoke, which prevents stat decreases applied by opposing moves and Abilities, with it being exclusively a Fire-type perk.
For the Grass side of things, a Fire/Grass hybrid could get access to Abilities like Grassy Surge, which creates a Grassy Terrain for five turns when the Pokemon enters the battlefield. Being a Grass-type would also open up the chance for this critter to have moves like Leaf Blade, Leech Seed, Giga Drain, and Spore, which can be devastating in any mainline Pokemon game if used right. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are likely to be no exception, although it remains to be seen which Abilities and moves get another pass in Gen 9.
Weaknesses of Fire/Grass-Type Pokemon in Gen 9
A Fire/Grass Pokemon does have its weaknesses, however, and a few of them are quite unpleasant. For example, unless major changes occur in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's type chart, a Fire/Grass pocket monster would take supereffective damage from Flying, Rock, and Poison moves, with Flying currently being one of the best types in the game due to its coverage and good moves overall. While Rock and Poison don't normally see as much play in competitive tournaments, they certainly aren't uncommon types to find in the wild, with one of them quite possibly being found in one of the Gyms of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Likewise, a Fire/Grass critter would deal only half the damage with its STAB moves against other Fire-types and also to Dragon types, which is where the real disadvantage comes up in the endgame. Dragon-types tend to be fairly common in endgame content and among the best pocket monsters in the games, such as the various pseudo-Legendaries and true Legendaries in each generation. This leaves the type combo as a good one, but also one that can easily be defeated in some battles, especially considering that the Flying and Rock types are fairly common even as non-STAB attacks.
Overall, it would be fun to see a Fire/Grass Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and many fans have been theorizing that it could look a lot like Sunflora, a Gen 2 critter. Another theory is that it could be the evolution of Smoliv, with it launching fiery oil at enemies, but this seems not to be the case according to Riddler Khu, who stated that this new type combination won't be related to the cute olive Pokemon at all. Ultimately, although it has its weaknesses, a Fire/Grass hybrid has a lot of strengths to make up for those, and it would be a great one to catch and battle against.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release for Nintendo Switch on November 18, 2022.
