A Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fan has designed their own Pokemon which is a shark version of Palafin that the artist partially attributes to the Fall Guys Hammerhead skins. Pokemon Gen 9 began with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet which broadened the Pokedex with regional variants, new evolutions to existing Pokemon, and the Water-type Palafin which has accumulated its own fan base like some of the other fresh additions.
Reddit user DynamoDen_ recently shared their fan art of a unique shark Pokemon that they call a villain to the blue Water-type dolphin, Palafin which can become a Hero through transformation. Similar to the different forms of Tauros in Paldea, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players will see two versions of Palafin, the standard Zero form and an upright Hero form with arms that is activated with the Zero to Hero move. Though there have been multiple Pokemon based on sharks like Gible, Garchomp, and Sharpedo, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet neglected to introduce any, which DynamoDen_ seeks to rectify with their fan art.
Contrasting the calm blue colors of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Palafin, DynamoDen_'s shark Pokemon is a bright purple color while in Zero form that turns a deeper purple as Palafin turns deeper blue upon transforming to Hero form. Palafin's dull beak shares similarities with dolphins in both forms, while the shark one shows its sharp teeth in both versions which emphasize the villainous nature hinted at by DynamoDen_. In Zero, DynamoDen_'s hammerhead shark Pokemon features a yellow dorsal fin that resembles a crudely tied bandana and a ring on the end of its tail that shares the same color and has directional points like those on a compass.
Upon transformation, DynamoDen_'s Pokemon fan art alternative to Palafin takes on a swashbuckler look, with its bandana turning into a pirate hat, an anchor-shaped tail replacing a much smaller one, and its fins becoming sharp enough to look like dual-wielded cutlasses. The proud stance of Palafin's Hero form is mimicked by DynamoDen_'s shark in its second stage which has a unique emblem on its chest similar to the more powerful dolphin-like Paldean Pokemon. The pronounced tail of the standing shark has pushed the pointed ring up to its abdomen, with black and yellow rings that have been added to its fins to resemble the hilt of a cutlass.
At the bottom of DynamoDen_'s Pokemon fan art are three hammerhead skins from Fall Guys Season 3 which give Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fans an idea of what a Shiny version of their creature may look like. The villain term may have been given to the impressive Pokemon due to Palafin's Zero to Hero ability and its corresponding form rather than an actual reflection of typing or stats, but it could be a new concept for the franchise entirely.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now for Nintendo Switch.