Despite the fact that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's latest overview trailer seemed to be the last one for the reveal cycle of Gen 9 ahead of the game's imminent launch, The Pokemon Company did showcase a new critter today in the form of Gimmighoul. This cute Ghost-type Pokemon was actually leaked by Pokemon GO a few days ago, with the 3D model of the pocket monster making the rounds online as people quickly came to realize it was the same creature that a known leaker had teased months ago under the name "coin Pokemon." With today's reveal, Gimmighoul immediately spawned plenty of memes and sparked a discussion about what it means to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in terms of an upcoming 2023 link event between Gen 9 and Pokemon GO.
As per the two trailers shared today and also based on the official Gen 9 website confirming as much, it seems that Gimmighoul will have two forms, respectively called Chest Form and Roaming Form, with the latter allegedly being exclusive to Pokemon GO. The wording on the matter is still not exactly clear, but it does seem that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's coin Pokemon will actually only be available to catch in its Chest Form. This sets a strange precedent as far as Pokemon GO exclusivity goes, and players are confused about what it means moving forward.
Why Gimmighoul's Form Being Exclusive to Pokemon GO is Bad for Scarlet and Violet
Gimmighoul is not the first little monster to have some form of exclusivity to Pokemon GO in the history of the franchise, as there was another precedent with Gen 7's Meltan and Melmetal. These Steel-type critters were actually introduced towards the end of Gen 7 and appeared in Pokemon GO before they could be obtained in Pokemon Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, where they only became available through transfer. However, Meltan and Melmetal are Mythical Pokemon, whose release is often tied to specific events and promotions.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Gimmighoul is not a Mythical Pokemon, however, and it seems that its Roaming Form will only be available in Pokemon GO until the 2023 link happens, which will then allow trainers to transfer it to Gen 9 games. Gimmighoul's Roaming Form is visible in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's open world, but players cannot catch the critter, which will run away and drop a golden coin when trainers try to chase it. These gold coins are needed to evolve Gimmighoul, but it's yet unclear whether its Chest Form is the only one that can indeed evolve.
The problem with Gimmighoul's Roaming Form being exclusive to Pokemon GO is that this will be the first base game critter not to be fully available in all its forms in the generation it's released in unless players transfer it from Niantic Labs' title. This can be especially problematic based on the official Pokemon Scarlet and Violet website's description for Gimmighoul, which is said to be slower in its Chest Form than its Roaming Form, and that could prove to be controversial if there's also a difference in the Pokemon's Speed stat.
Gimmighoul could change competitive battles in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet thanks to its Ability, Rattled, combined with a specific playstyle and a few defensive items, but if the pocket monster's two forms happen to also have different stats, then a faster version of it is going to be much more valuable. As such, making this form exclusive to Pokemon GO for months on end is far from ideal, and even if there are no noticeable differences between the two, it could easily make it harder for collectors to get their hands on both. Overall, this seems like a poor decision to begin with, but further developments could change the tide one way or another.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release on November 18 for Nintendo Switch.