It feels like the next generation of Pokemon games should be getting announced in the coming months. With the franchise’s 25th anniversary this year, the release of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl in November, and Pokemon Legends: Arceus coming to the Nintendo Switch in January, it only makes sense to keep adding to the excitement. In the spirit of this, some Pokemon fans have begun to talk about what the main series’ next Fire-type starter will be.

This has resulted in a classic Pokemon theory being brought up once again. Looking at the eight generations of Fire-type starters that fans get to choose from so far, they all seem to match with a specific animal from the Chinese Zodiac. Depending on how accurate this theory is, the next Fire-type starter’s design may be narrowed down to feature one of four animal motifs: Ox, Snake, Horse, or Goat.

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Chinese Zodiac Alternatives

The fire fox Pokemon Delphox in Pokemon GO

Whether or not the Chinese Zodiac theory will lead to one of Gen 9’s new Pokemon being guessed early is debatable, but it’s worth looking at. Generations one through eight can indeed have their Fire-type starters compared to the Chinese Zodiac. It’s also worth acknowledging that these ideas aren’t strict in how they are applied to each Fire Pokemon.

Pokemon like those in Cyndaquil’s family are diverse and can be compared to animals that might be outside of the zodiac. While Cyndaquil itself is the Fire Mouse Pokemon, its evolutions, Quilava and Typhlosion, move away from this designation and draw inspiration from animals that aren’t rodents. But because the theory can be applied liberally, and Cyndaquil is inspired by large rodents like porcupines, the theory stays intact due to its flexibility and keeps the Pokemon in the position of the Rat.

A similar note can be made for Fennekin’s evolutionary line as well. While the Chinese Zodiac’s Dog is a rather specific classification, the canine family itself is remarkably diverse. With inclusions like dogs, wolves, and foxes, there were plenty of valid options to choose from without limiting the characters too much. Keeping in line with the theory, this is likely why players can choose the family of Fox Pokemon from the group of three starters at the beginning of Pokemon X and Y.

The theory’s flexibility, and the enjoyment of guessing future Pokemon, will likely continue to keep it popular. The recent Pokemon Presents event was absent of any major news past Pokemon Legends: Arceus, but fans still like to keep their eyes set on the future. The Chinese Zodiac theory is a great way to do this and gets more on the nose as Pokemon’s other Fire-type starters are put under the microscope.

Pokemon's Real-World Inspiration

Ash commanding his Infernape in battle

While Charizard doesn’t have a dual Dragon-type designation, a ret-con many fans would likely accept eagerly, its visual style is undeniable. The bipedal, six-limbed, first-gen fire Pokemon is incredibly reminiscent of many of the dragons from European myths. Other similarities like this become undeniable for the evolutionary lines of Torchic, Chimchar, Tepig, Litten, and Scorbunny too.

Each of these Pokemon and their evolutions have visual inspirations that appear to be based on the Rooster, Monkey, Pig, Tiger, and Rabbit respectively, which are hard to deny. This ranges from Litten’s striped look and overtly tiger-like aesthetic as Incineroar to Tepig being the Fire Pig Pokemon and eventually evolving into Emboar the Mega Fire Pig Pokemon. Each one appears to be remarkably true to their possible designation within the Chinese Zodiac.

Out of all of these, Chimchar and its final evolution Infernape, some of the only Fire-type Pokemon in Diamond and Pearl, might be the clues that give the most credence to the theory. With an aesthetic that pulls on the design and descriptions of Sun Wukong, the Flame Pokemon can check two boxes at once. If the Chinese Zodiac is indeed the inspirational foundation for all of Pokemon’s Fire-type starters, then it makes sense to also draw on a character from Chinese literature with international fame.

While this wouldn’t be the first time that Pokemon has pulled on different cultures the theory hasn’t been confirmed yet. Despite this, each generation has seemed to only provide more evidence that it's correct, with post-Gen 4 additions feeling more and more deliberate. Still, the fun of trying to guess Pokemon’s starters remains, with fans combining the Horse, Ox, Goat, and Snake ideas with other possible sources of inspiration in preparation for news on the Gen 9 Pokemon.

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