Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's new trailer has dropped and shown new Pokemon, including the mascot legendaries: Koraidon and Miraidon. Both appear to be reptilian, with the Scarlet one appearing more lizard-like and the Violet one appearing more snake-like. With their designs released, fans are now wondering what types they will be.
Based on how they look, there is a strong prediction for Dragon-type. However, this would be a pitfall for Pokemon, as Dragon-type legendaries are already in great supply from previous generations. Just because the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet legendaries look reptilian does not necessarily mean they have to follow the trend of being legendary Dragon-types.
The Overflow Of Legendary Dragons
Legendary Pokemon that are Dragon-type include Regidrago, Latias, Latios, Rayquaza, Zekrom, Reshiram, Kyurem, Zygarde, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and Eternatus. That is a lot of legendary Dragon-type Pokemon, and it is an easy pitfall for developers to fall into since dragons typically are thought of as rare and special. Dragons are also just epic and large, making Pokemon battles seem even more interesting.
Not only have Dragon-type legendaries been overdone, but they have already been the legendary mascots in a lot of games. This has happened with Rayquaza, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem. They have already been the face of plenty of Pokemon games.
Due to this history of Dragon-type legendaries, these new Scarlet and Violet designs have fans worried that the series is sticking to an old formula that has been getting dull. There are 18 Pokemon types to play with, and type combinations fans have not yet seen like Rock and Ghost-type, Ground and Fighting-type, and Fairy and Fighting-type. In this sense, many hope that the legendary Pokemon will bring something new to the table in terms of typing, outside the overused Dragon-type.
Possibilities For Koraidon And Miraidon
There is one aspect a lot of and are noticing about Koraidon and Miraidon that could set them very far apart from typical legendaries. There appear to be wheels on their chests, and even handlebars on their backs. With more Pokemon becoming ridable in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, fans are wondering if Pokemon will make these legendaries transform into motorcycle-like beings that are ridable in the open world. If this is true, the typing could get quite interesting. The colors of Koraidon lend to the possibility of types like Fighting, Fire, Ground, and Rock while Miraidon looks like it could be Ghost, Poison, Psychic, and Ice. Both could also be Electric and/or Steel-type if the motorcycle inspiration is true.
Just because they are reptilian-looking does not mean they definitely will be Dragon-type. There are plenty of Dragon-type-looking Pokemon that actually are not Dragon-type. These include Charizard, Aerodactyl, Gyarados, Lugia, and Milotic. Thanks to that precedent, there is hope that the series will not fall into the Dragon-type legendary pitfall.
Another interesting thing about Koraidon and Miraidon is their names. Korai translates to "from time immemorial" in Japanese and Mirai means "future." This means there might be a past and future dichotomy between the legendaries and their respective games. This is supported by the professors; the female professor in Scarlet seems to dress in clothes from the past, and the male professor from Violet seems to be from the future. This can definitely influence the typing of the legendaries. With such big themes, though, Dragon-type is often a default Pokemon goes to.
Pokemon has been taking a lot more risks lately, from going open world to changing its battle system in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. If Koraidon and Miraidon are indeed Dragon-types, it will show that the series still have a bit of learning to do when it comes to risk and fresh ideas. However, there are already a lot of good signs for Scarlet and Violet breaking tradition, such as having two Pokemon professors instead of one. There may still be hope for original typing.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release on November 18 for Nintendo Switch.