Pokemon titles have always been a great way to introduce new generations to the world of video games, with caring for the critters and fighting seen in equal measure. Of course, Pokemon games are much more complex than just that, and there are many strategies players can adopt to improve the way their Pokemon perform in battle, or maybe the way shiny critters can be hatched from eggs. In both cases, one of the most important aspects of Pokemon games has always been the breeding process, which often happens when players leave two of their Pokemon at a Nursery or some other building with the same premise. At some point, there will be an egg waiting if the matches were right.
Breeding wasn't always part of the games, as it was not yet introduced to the saga in Pokemon Red and Blue. However, ever since Pokemon Gold and Silver, it has been a staple of the series, improved over the years due to all the possibilities that came with it. The base principle of breeding is that it can be achieved by pairing male and female Pokemon at the Nursery, and that will eventually generate an egg that contains a new hatchling. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule, and the future of the saga can be shaped when factoring in Nintendo's enthusiasm at the idea of making Pokemon with different gender identities.
How Nidoran Variants Could Change Pokemon Games
The idea is not something new, as it came a few months ago after the company received a letter from a child stating that it would be important to them and other people if Pokemon games ended up including non-binary representation. Nintendo's response was very positive, and the representative stated how there could be more gender identities as well to better make everyone feel accepted. However, this clashes with the way breeding is currently implemented in the Pokemon saga, because non-binary critters would challenge the games' binary view of things.
Still, a great stepping stone in this direction could come from Pokemon belonging to the Nidoran family, as it is the only one in the series to have different male and female Pokemon in each stage of evolution. In fact, these critters were introduced in Pokemon Red and Blue, as there were Nidoran (male) and Nidoran (female) to find and evolve. They took the form of Nidorino and Nidorina first, then Nidoking and Nidoqueen later. The Nidoran family could be the catalyst to make Pokemon games more inclusive than they currently are, and that could happen by introducing different versions of Nidoran with other gender identitites in future mainline titles.
In the games, as they are now, genderless Pokemon do exist. They bend the rules of breeding in some cases, with creatures like Rotom and Golurk being able to reproduce only if paired with Ditto. Then, there are gender-locked Pokemon, meaning that they only come in a specific gender, and yet they too can reproduce if paired with a Ditto. This could work its way into how other gender identities are introduced into the games, with other versions of Nidoran exploring non-binary, genderfluid, pangender, and more.
Nidoran is the perfect Pokemon for this because it already comes in male and female variants, and allowing players to catch and train other versions of Nidoran would send a powerful message of acceptance and naturalness. It could also open up new possibilities for breeding to go beyond the standards it followed thus far, which could yield interesting combinations in terms of Pokemon upbringing. Something like this is not entirely new to Pokemon games, but it would build from something that's already there in a tactful and respectful way, akin to what was done with Eevee's different evolutions.
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will release on November 19 for the Nintendo Switch.