It doesn’t seem like it, but it’s been just about two months since Pokemon Scarlet and Violet was announced. In the void of any real announcements, many fans have spent their time dissecting the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trailer, while many rumors and fake leaks have reared their head too. Many have also expressed their hopes and desires when it comes to the new starters—Fuecoco, Sprigatito, and Quaxly.
Tons of theories have come about, such as how Quaxly’s evolution line will be somehow connected to Don Quixote and Sprigatito will be based on an Iberian Lynx/Flamenco dancer. Many Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fans don’t want Sprigatito to be bipedal, but many have also resigned themselves to that likely being its fate. Of the three starters, Fuecoco is likely the most debated upon by fans—having shot up in popularity immediately after the reveal—and some fans think it’s based on a Cucafera.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet – Fuecoco’s Design
One thing that is clear is Fuecoco’s food-based design. Many believe it is based on a pepper, which makes sense, yet what stands out the most is his crocodile form. Typically, Fire starters are based on the Chinese Zodiac, but Fuecoco clearly isn’t. In this absence of any real connection there, many think he’s instead based on the Cucafera.
The Cucafera is a Catalan myth, a creature said to eat thirteen cats and three children every day. There are, of course, variations of the myth, and some forms of this creature that are less frightening. But it remains usually as a warning against idolatry and heresy. With Fuecoco’s more rounded shape and crocodile features, it would make sense if its final form was very close to a Cucafera. It all adds up design-wise.
As seen above, a Cucafera is often made in parades but is based on a creature with a crocodile head and a shell like a turtle/armor made from a coconut. Some descriptions of the Cucafera suggest it is a type of Dragon, too, but it’s easy enough to see how Fuecoco could become a Cucafera. These are often seen as part of festivals, meaning the connection to food isn't some random tangent either. The designs as they stand are not far apart, and it would be a logical progression for Fuecoco as it becomes quadrupedal.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet – Fuecoco’s Typing
Beyond the speculated design of Fuecoco’s final evolution, many have also debated what typing Fuecoco would be. The Cucafera lends itself to a lot of theories. Some want Fuecoco to be a Fire/Dragon-type, and some myths do connect the Cucafera to a dragon. That said, it’s highly unlikely that one of the starters gets a secondary Dragon-typing of all things.
Some think it’ll be a Fire/Ghost-type, which would be interesting to see. If this is the case, though, it doesn’t seem its final evolution would be based on the Cucafera. It wouldn’t be impossible, but it doesn’t seem likely either. Perhaps, based on the idea of the Cucafera, the most interesting typing for Fuecoco’s final evolution is Fire/Steel. Heatran is the only other Pokemon with this typing, and while strong in a lot of ways, it’s by no means an OP typing.
It'll likely be some time before fans learn of its typing, but hopefully, as the summer marches on, Game Freak and Nintendo will open up more about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are scheduled to release on Switch in 2022.
