Elemental types are one of the most compelling aspects of the Pokemon series, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet shake up the mechanic with the Terastal phenomenon. Rather than being limited to their original typing, monsters can now Terastallize into completely new types, opening the door for unique strategies. However, with an emphasis on types in Gen 9, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet missed the perfect opportunity to add brand-new ones for its past or future Paradox Pokemon.
The series has a history of introducing new types as a way of balancing out gameplay when certain types end up more powerful than others. With the latest addition being Fairy in Pokemon X and Y, the series has rounded out its total number of types to an even 18, making it unlikely that a new permanent type will be added in future entries. However, with the implications behind the existence of Paradox Pokemon, Game Freak could have included special types for these monsters unique to the Gen 9 games.
Paradox Pokemon Could Have Received New, Unique Types
Paradox Pokemon call into question a lot of what fans thought they knew about the franchise already. The appearance of creatures from the ancient past or the distant future offer a glimpse into different eras of the Pokemon world, but certain other aspects don't really mesh with the established lore. For example, Walking Wake is supposedly the past form of Suicune, but the Legendary beast wouldn't have existed in the ancient past if the legends that it was created by Ho-Oh from a creature which perished in the Brass Tower fire are true.
The word "paradox" implies that these monsters are beings that shouldn't be able to exist, and therefore, break with the lore previously established by the series. Since the nature of their existence already throws a wrench in the lore, it could have been a great opportunity to introduce special new types that are only available to these creatures. Their status as paradoxes that potentially just appear in Gen 9 would add to another layer to the complexities around types already present in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Perhaps these types could have been explained as having been evolved out of existence over time from past Paradox Pokemon, or some yet-discovered artificial type created for future Paradox Pokemon. Fan-requested types like Sound or Light would have been perfect for the future forms, and something like Primordial types would have easily fit in with the past aesthetic. A lot of the lore surrounding the origins of these creatures is presented from dubious sources in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, so Game Freak could have gone all-in on the bizarre elements of the Paradox Pokemon.
The most likely reason Game Freak didn't go this route is because it would have caused too much inconsistency when transferring monsters between generations, as well as complicate the meta more than introducing Tera Types already did. However, with a lot left unexplained about Paradox Pokemon, the upcoming DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet still has the chance to expand upon the lore of these monsters and even give them unique Tera Forms with brand-new types. As unlikely as this addition may be, it represents one of the few chances fans of the series may still have at seeing new types introduced.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now for Nintendo Switch.
