Ahead of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's upcoming DLC, a new unnamed Pokemon showcased during the anime has whetted players' appetites as its striking resemblance to Terapagos strongly hints towards some kind of connection. While it's not unusual for the series to preview new Pokemon outside the main games, especially for new legendary and mythical Pokemon as the centerpiece of its movies, the latest anonymous reveal of the Terapagos-like "baby" is steering away from this tradition. Between what players have seen before when it comes to legendary and mythical Pokemon versus what Pokemon Scarlet and Violet introduced, there are multiple ideas circling the upcoming DLC.
Some lines of thinking pull from existing relationships between various mythical and legendary Pokemon, such as one Pokemon evolving into another or the pair having a symbiotic relationship within the series. Others are based on Scarlet and Violet's current lore, connecting Terapagos and the unnamed anime Pokemon to the games' Paradox Pokemon or even further to leaks surrounding new forms coming to Terastallization. Ultimately, by sorting through what's currently known about the Scarlet and Violet DLC, what's been rumored so far, and what Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have established in terms of its lore, then four distinct theories can be made connecting Terapagos to this supposed counterpart.
Terapagos Might Not Be Directly Related to The Anime Pokemon
Until more is known about the unnamed Pokemon, Terapagos, or the new Gen 9 DLC in general, then it remains entirely possible that the two new Pokemon aren't actually connected to one another. While it might be the unlikeliest theory, it wouldn't be the first time that Game Freak has introduced mythical and legendary Pokemon that bear an uncanny similarity to other Pokemon. For example, as far back as Gen 3, Manaphy and Phione were introduced as two separate Pokemon where the former could be bred to produce the latter. But since Phione could not evolve into Manaphy, the two only share a direct connection through breeding.
A similar scenario could be happening with Terapagos, where the as-of-yet unnamed Pokemon is its offspring, but whether these baby-like Pokemon can evolve back into Terapagos would remain to be seen. However, a much closer parallel could be drawn between Paldea's Terapagos and Kalos' Diancie and Carbink in Pokemon X and Y, as while Diancie's Pokedex entries reference its relationship to Carbink, there is no direct link between the two. Therefore, just as Diancie is a mutation of Carbink, so too could Terapagos be an altered form of the unnamed Pokemon, with a potential cause tying into the DLC's focus on Area Zero and Terastallization.
Terapagos Could Be An Evolution of The Anime Pokemon
But a likelier explanation could be evolution within Scarlet and Violet's DLC where Terapagos evolves from the unnamed anime Pokemon. For instance, following on from Pokemon Sun and Moon, mythical and legendary Pokemon now exist as part of evolutionary lines. Examples include Cosmog eventually evolving into Solgaleo or Lunala respectively, Pokemon GO's Meltan and Melmetal, or even Pokemon Sword and Shield introducing Kubfu and Urshifu in its own DLC. As such, Terapagos could be the final stage of evolution for a new Terastallization-inspired Pokemon line, where the pre-evolved form's name has only been omitted to disguise any immediate links.
For instance, early teasers for Scarlet and Violet which showcased each legendary mascot Koraidon and Miraidon alongside Cyclizar evoked similar theories, with fans linking the three Pokemon together through evolution. While this particular idea wound up being only half-right about a potential connection, it does strengthen the argument that Terapagos and this new Pokemon are linked. Just as Gen 7 and Gen 8 introduced evolving mythical and legendary Pokemon, Terapagos might be Gen 9's addition to this growing series trend and could be Game Freak making up for the misdirection with Cyclizar, Koraidon, and Miraidon.
Terapagos Could Be A Paradox Form
However, given what players now know about Koraidon and Miraidon, then it's just as possible if not more likely that Terapagos is a new Paradox form. Though it might not be as immediately obvious to some players since almost all Paradox forms are based on older, pre-existing Pokemon, Koraidon and Miraidon are the ancient and future forms of Cyclizar. While this makes Cyclizar the only Gen 9 Pokemon to have received a Paradox form, Terapagos could be about to change this. Similar to the multiverse concept behind the Ultra Beasts, Terapagos could be one of Pokemon's new Paradox forms and one to reinvigorate Scarlet and Violet's story.
As the DLC's name already suggests, the two expansions will be focusing on new areas and stories that will somehow link back to Scarlet and Violet's Area Zero. Since Area Zero and the Terastal Phenomenon serve as the origin point of Paradox Pokemon, then it wouldn't be a stretch to suggest that the Terastallization-centric Terapagos is also connected in the same way. Yet while Terapagos' Paradox classification could be justified one way or another canonically, the fact it has a specific name unlike most other Paradox Pokemon indicates that this theory is possible but improbable.
Terapagos Could Be A Tera Form of the Turtle Pokemon
There seem to be several key details that link Terapagos and the unnamed Pokemon. As Terapagos has a specific name it's unlikely it will be a Paradox form, but likewise, the fact that the anime turtle Pokemon is left nameless is a potential giveaway that the two are connected. For instance, while Cyclizar, Koraidon, and Miraidon all received their own names, these were dissimilar enough to obscure their relationships, so explicitly leaving the anime Pokemon anonymous means that the name would likely expose the Terapagos connection.
Combining this with the fact that Terapagos and the unnamed Pokemon share their designs, then it's more likely their relationship might not be tangential like Carbink and Diancie nor evolutionary like Meltan and Melmetal. Instead, factoring in leaks for Scarlet and Violet's DLC about rumored Tera Forms similar to Mega Evolutions and Gigantamaxing, then the Terapagos that players were initially introduced to might be the all-new Tera form of the unnamed "baby" Pokemon later shown in the anime. This would then explain why its name was omitted, as technically both Pokemon are Terapagos, something which can only be confirmed once these alleged Tera forms are officially revealed.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now for Nintendo Switch.
