Pokemon is in a transitional period. In terms of the games, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet just came out, and both are expected to receive DLC at some point in the future. Generation 9 includes new trading cards and a soft rebooted anime series. That anime deserves attention all on its own, as it's expected to synergize with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, but has a lot to live up to after the current Pokemon anime wraps up Ash Ketchum's storyline.
Between Scarlet and Violet introducing a true open world and the Pokemon anime debuting a refreshed party of protagonists, there's a lot of uncertainty about Pokemon's future. Scarlet and Violet are still trying to improve through bug fixes and eventually new content, so Liko and Roy will similarly need to prove that the anime is in good hands. Information about the dual protagonists has started to trickle out, and there is an odd focus on a special Poke Ball that Roy is carrying around which could feed back into Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
The Pokemon Anime's New Poke Ball is Suspicious
Pokemon Japan's Twitter account recently shared some information about the anime's new male protagonist Roy. This trainer hails from Kanto, home of Ash Ketchum himself, and is carrying around a mysterious old-fashioned Poke Ball. Roy coming from Kanto is another potential link to the original Pokemon anime series, and could suggest that a time jump has occurred to make either Liko or Roy related to Ash.
Roy's mysterious Poke Ball has become a fountain of fan theories. Anime veterans immediately made the link to the mysterious GS Ball from the Johto arc, which never ended up revealing its contents. Whether this Poke Ball ties into Roy's motivations will have to be seen in the anime proper, but its complicated design as well as the red and blue dots on the front suggest some importance. A bigger question is whether that importance will be confined to the anime, or if the mainline Pokemon games will also start using this Poke Ball.
Scarlet and Violet's Paradox Pokemon Could Tie Into the Anime's New Poke Ball
While the Poke Ball's red and blue dots do correspond to the primary colors of Roy and Liko, they also line up with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. The mascots for Scarlet and Violet are Koraidon and Miraidon, whose dominant colors provide each game with their title. Both are Paradox Pokemon, which could indicate that Roy's Poke Ball is a Beast Ball-equivalent intended to catch Paradox Pokemon, or already holds a Paradox Pokemon within it. The Sun and Moon anime didn't treat Beast Balls very differently from the games, where they have an increased chance to catch Ultra Beasts, so it would be an interesting move to premier such a concept in the next anime season.
So far, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet do not require any special methods to capture Paradox Pokemon. They are strong, a couple reaching Legendary-tier stats, but the higher-tier Poke Balls will work. Yet more Legendaries involved with the Paradox phenomenon have been teased by the Scarlet and Violet Books, and these may require a special catching apparatus. A Paradox Ball could be required to stabilize these Pokemon in the present time, perhaps coming from the shell of the mystery Pokemon responsible for the Terastallization phenomenon. Until the anime or games say for sure this is all just speculation, but fans should pay close attention to what Roy uses his special Poke Ball for once the anime enters its new season this April.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now on the Nintendo Switch.