Highlights
- Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are revolutionary games in the Pokemon series, with an open-world formula that gives players freedom.
- The time-traveling aspect of the games is noticeable in the storyline and the Paradox Pokemon in Paldea.
- Speculation about a new Pokemon Legends Unova game is fueled by leaks and hints, including the possibility of new forms for Pokemon like Mightyena.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet may not have had the best of receptions at launch because of all the issues with frame rates and visual glitches that ruined the experience for some fans, but they are still some of the most revolutionary games in the series. Thanks to an open-world formula that gives players freedom over what they want to do and where they want to go, Gen 9 takes several good ideas from previous games and merges them into one big adventure. The time-traveling aspect of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is tangible in many ways, from the storyline to the Paradox Pokemon in Paldea, but the same theme might stretch to the DLC and even go as far as connect the games with a Pokemon Legends Unova - all with a Dark-type critter.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus was one of the biggest sensations in recent years thanks to its fun and unique gameplay loop combined with many features that made it more of a Soulslike game than a regular Pokemon title. After its success, speculation about a new game in the series where players are taken to Unova's past has been running rampant, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's DLC might bridge the gap in multiple ways, especially with new leaks emerging.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's DLC Could Add a New Mightyena Form
A Pokemon Legends Unova's starters and characters would likely be quite different from what players have seen in Pokemon Black and White, although Legends: Arceus did reintroduce familiar faces with all the ancestors in the game. Yet, if it does pursue similar past vs. future themes as Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, a Pokemon Legends Unova game could both expand on the story from the original Gen 5 titles with the Original Dragon and explain how Professor Sada and Turo's time machine really works.
Recently, a known leaker by the name of Riddler Khu shared hints at what could be a new cross-gen evolution, Paradox form, or just a different type of form for a Dark-type Pokemon. Khu's track record is pristine, and it's likely their riddles will make much more sense further down the line when players can truly piece them together. For the time being, Khu shared two pictures of The Legend of Zelda's Blood Moon combined with one for the Pokemon Black and White anime with the caption "saado," followed by a collage of Umbreon, Mightyena, Weavile, and Midnight Lycanroc.
Lycanroc is the odd one out when it comes to typing, as it's a pure Rock-type even in its Midnight Form. However, the true outlier in the mix is Mightyena, and that's for multiple reasons. For starters, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Pokedex already includes all the other three in Paldea, but more importantly, Mightyena's pre-evolution Poochyena was seen in The Teal Mask DLC in a battle against Kieran, one of the expansion's key NPCs. As such, it's quite likely that Mightyena will get either a cross-gen evolution, a regional form, or possibly a Paradox form in the very first DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
As for the Blood Moon from The Legend of Zelda, one could argue that it could be linked to a sort of werewolf form for the Pokemon, which would make sense thematically. More interestingly, with the term "saado" used by Khu, it's likely that leaker is referring to a past form, which in this case could either be an entirely new Paradox form of Mightyena or even a form available in the heavily-rumored Pokemon Legends Unova game, much like Ursaluna, Kleavor, and others became available in Gen 9 via Pokemon Home. Either way, this could be a great occasion for Game Freak to connect its mainline series to a new chapter in the Pokemon Legends: Arceus spin-offs.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now for the Nintendo Switch.
