The release of new Pokemon games is always exciting for fans who get to start their journey in a new land and meet new Pokemon on the way. Mainline releases tend to include hints to where the next generation of titles is going to be set, or at least what sort of mechanics players can find in it. For example, Power Spots and Gigantamax Toxtricity were teased in Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Thus with Pokemon Sword and Shield players started looking for possible hints at what the setting for Gen 9 would be, but many clues have also came from Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, as well as Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl pointed to a potential Italy-based region for Gen 9 because of a painting found in several locations that seemingly depicts Venice. When players meet director Junichi Masuda in the game, they are also greeted by him saying "Ciao." However, there are several clues outside the Gen 4 remakes that may be pointing at other regions for Gen 9 -namely some of Pokemon Legends: Arceus' events and Pokedex entries, as well as Pokemon Sword and Shield's Zarude. Among the various possibilities, a popular theory is that a South America-based region is next in line, and it all starts with Zarude.
Why a South America-Inspired Region for Gen 9 Pokemon Makes Sense
Mythical Pokemon often hint at future releases through their design, main themes, and even their in-game abilities or moves. Such is the case for Zarude, according to many Pokemon fans, seeing how the critter's signature move - Jungle Healing - makes it specifically seem like something from a tropical rainforest. Primates with dark furs are often found in rainforests, where the sun is less dominant because of trees shading everything underneath them. Zarude's design is specifically based on a mix of baboons and lion-tailed macaques.
The most renowned rainforest in the world is certainly the Amazon, which is why some feel Zarude's design and its signature move could be a hint toward a South American region for Gen 9. Another argument for this setting is that it is where Mew comes from according to some Pokemon games' Pokedex entries, and having a region based on Mew's mythological origins (and possibly a new form) could be a great way for the series to include Gen 1 nostalgia in a fresh way. This is something Pokemon games have done before with Gen 4 being the closing Japan-inspired set of games, eventually moving to something very different with Pokemon Black and White in Gen 5.
South America is also where the Galapagos Islands are located (namely, around Ecuador); the place that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, which is a theme that's very dear to Pokemon games. Pokemon as a franchise is very popular in South America too, and this could be a big factor in how well-received Generation 9's launch would be. It's worth noting that no Pokemon games (and few Nintendo games in general) are translated into Brazilian Portuguese, which could be something that Gen 9 changes.
Lastly, Pokemon GO has plenty of critters exclusive to real-world regions including South America. With the overwhelming success Pokemon GO has had since its launch, and seeing how this is one of the few continents that Pokemon games haven't yet explored, designing Gen 9 games with South America in mind could be an interesting choice. There are various reasons why South America makes sense for the setting of future Pokemon games, but it would perhaps most importantly help expand on the series' diversity in terms of biomes and countries fleshing out an in-game world.
