Pokemon fans are eagerly awaiting the next entry in the series, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Although much of the new games are still under wraps, Game Freak has shown off the starter Pokemon, among others. Quaxly is a cute, duck-like Water-Type starter, Fuecoco is a feisty Fire-Type starter, while Sprigatito is a felinely Grass-Type starter. Additionally, players have gotten a look at the two legendary Pokemon, Koraidon and Miraidon. There has been plenty of speculation surrounding where the game will take place and, using clues from the reveal trailer, some fans have suggested that the next region may be inspired by Spain.
While some gamers patiently wait for official updates, other gamers have turned to leaks to find out more about the upcoming game. Fortunately for them, there have been plenty of leaks surrounding Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Among the many leaks from various sources, which should all be taken with a grain of salt, there are claims that the game will feature what have been dubbed ancient and future Pokemon forms. These Pokemon forms suggest that players will be discovering more about time travel and evolution.
Leaks Surrounding Future and Ancient Forms in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
Gamers have been eager to find out more about the upcoming game, though Game Freak has been exceptionally secretive with its project. Nevertheless, gamers are still getting sneak peeks of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet through leaks, with most of them coming from the Twitter user and leak aggregate account CentroLeaks. The account is quite trusted because it has a good track record with leaks of past Pokemon titles, including Pokemon Sword and Shield and Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
According to CentroLeaks and other leaks, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will feature a Pokemon species variation known as ancient and future forms. Though they share a connection with existing Pokemon, they differ from regional variants because they have their own Pokedex numbers and names. The leaker has claimed that Jigglypuff, Amoonguss, Misdreavus, and Volcarona get ancient forms, while Delibird, Hariyama, and Gallade get future forms, and Salamence and Tyranitar get either future or ancient forms. Presuambly, the past forms are exclusive to Pokemon Scarlet while the future forms are exclusive to Pokemon Violet. According to the leaker, these forms have high stats and have time traveled.
There was plenty of other information leaked about the upcoming game. The leaker claimed that the following Pokemon will also get new evolutions: Primeape (whose final evolution is Fighting/Ghost), Wooper, Girafarig (the evolution is allegedly Psychic-Type), Dunsparce, and Bisharp. They also claimed that the game would introduce the concept of convergent species, which are Pokemon that look like other species but are not related to them. The idea borrows heavily from the idea of convergent evolution in biology. Like the future and ancient forms, the convergent Pokemon will also have their Pokedex entries. According to the leaker, Diglett is one of the Pokemon that will have a convergent form.
Scarlet and Violet will show Tauros some attention, as it will allegedly have three different forms, with each form living in a different area of the region. One form will be Fighting-Type, while the remaining two forms will have dual Typing, though the Types have yet to be revealed. Wooper will also have a regional form. It will also be possible for one Pokemon to follow the player, though they will not be able to follow players indoors. There is also bad news for gamers who love player customization, as the leaker claimed that Trainer customization is limited, and all the clothing options are school uniforms.
How Ancient and Future Forms Could Be Used in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
All of this seems to align with other leaks which have suggested that Pokemon will be able to time travel. Scarlet and Violet could make use of time travel to allow players to interact with ancient and future forms of Pokemon. Stories that choose to incorporate time travel always have to do so carefully, as it is very easy to end up with plot holes and lapses in logic. This, perhaps, may allude to why the leaker referred to the ancient and future forms as "Paradox Pokemon."
The leaks also suggest that evolution will also play a large role in the upcoming game. Evolution has always been important, as players train their Pokemon to grow stronger and eventually evolve into a stronger form. However, the mechanisms behind evolution have always been mysterious, especially when they involve evolution stones and other strange methods. If the leaks are accurate, it appears that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will expand on the concept of Pokemon evolution, revealing the ways it plays out over long periods, as well as how environmental factors affect the evolution of Pokemon.
The series had already dipped its toes into this with regional variants, but with convergent evolution being introduced, it seems that it will delve deeper than ever into the concept. Players may also understand evolution better through ancient and future forms, which will illustrate how certain Pokemon species have changed throughout time. Hopefully, players leave with greater knowledge of evolution in the Pokemon world.
The idea of ancient and future Pokemon is intriguing, and if implemented correctly, it could bring attention to some neglected Pokemon while revealing more about the intricacies of evolution. From the leak, it appears that a good variation of Pokemon from different generations will be getting ancient and future evolutions, and separating them between Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet encourages trading between friends. Time travel is certainly a lofty idea, but it would not be out of place in a series that has featured wormholes and doomsday weapons.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are scheduled to release on 18 November 2022 on Nintendo Switch.
