The latest Pokemon generation has fully arrived after being tested in the distant past of Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Players have been charting their own journeys through the open world of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and by many accounts those paths were worth traveling. While Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have been kneecapped by a host of technical issues, the strength of their core ideas enabled many a trainer to push through those barriers and greatly enjoy the games.
It helps that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are making an old formula feel fresh. From the different types of boss fights to the player-centric approach to progression, there are a lot of new things to appreciate. Old aspects of Pokemon like TMs, Ride and Follower Pokemon, and even the approach to legendary Pokemon have all been revisited and reworked. While it does feel like some traditional parts of Pokemon are being left behind, there are more parallels than one would think at first glance. A good example of this is how Paradox Pokemon have essentially taken the place of Fossil Pokemon for this generation.
Fossil Pokemon Are a Long-Standing Series Tradition
Since the original Pokemon games, Fossil Pokemon have been an understated staple of the franchise. At the end of Mt. Moon, the first major dungeon of Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow, players encountered a pair of Fossils blocking their path. They were being studied by a Super Nerd who would permit players to take one, reserving the other for himself. Players have a choice of the Helix Fossil and the Dome Fossil, which will produce Omanyte and Kabuto respectively. Once HM01 Cut is usable, players can also backtrack to Pewter City to gain the Old Amber, which can be turned into Aerodactyl. They will need to wait until they reach the Pokemon Lab on Cinnabar Island, home of the second-last gym, but the unique Pokemon produced feel worth it.
This pattern for Fossil Pokemon carries on through most Pokemon games, with Generation 2's original releases, Generation 7, and now Generation 9 lacking Fossil Pokemon. HeartGold and SoulSilver added this functionality to the Johto-based games, but they were technically Generation 4 titles anyway. Most entries with Fossil Pokemon introduced two new Fossils for the player to choose between, though some also allow previous Fossils to be found through optional activities. Pokemon Sword and Shield changed things up by allowing players to make four possible combinations from two pairs of Fossils, though unfortunately Dracovish proved to be the only viable result of this experiment.
Paradox Pokemon Fill In Gaps Left By Fossil Pokemon
Considering the focus on exploration and treasure hunting in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, it's a little odd to see that Fossil Pokemon have been totally excluded. There are neither new Fossils nor the chance to obtain old Fossil Pokemon. There could have been a situation much like the original games where another student of the Academy could take whichever Fossil the player doesn't choose. Regardless, there is a group of Pokemon that serves many of the same mechanical and narrative functions as Fossil Pokemon, and those are the Paradox Pokemon.
These creatures come from the past in Pokemon Scarlet and from the future in Pokemon Violet. It’s easy to see the relation between Scarlet’s ancient beasts and the revived Fossil Pokemon, though in that case they are devolved existing Pokemon rather than brand-new ones. Just like their Fossil brethren, Paradox Pokemon can't be obtained until a late-game area, and their version exclusivity facilitates trading between players to get all of them. Serving as a sort of fusion between Fossil Pokemon and Ultra Beasts, Paradox Pokemon are an entertaining addition to the franchise that will hopefully be expanded through DLC or a new Pokemon release. With that said, it would still be nice to see classic Fossil Pokemon return in a future generation.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now on Nintendo Switch.
