There are still a lot of unknowns about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, such as whether there will be traditional gyms, what the villains will be like, and what Pokemon there will be beyond the starters. Fans are hoping for many regional variants, unique legendaries, and new designs. The series usually bases its new designs on the real-world area from which a region takes inspiration, and it seems Scarlet and Violet will be based on the Iberian Peninsula.
This means a lot of new Pokemon will likely be based on cultures, wildlife, and mythology in the Iberian Peninsula. Fans expect a lot of the region to be based on real-life locations in Spain and Portugal, and there are a lot of animals unique to that part of the world which make for great Pokemon designs.
The Iberian Lynx and Iberian Ibex
The Iberian Lynx has been a very popular suggestion among Pokemon fans, as there are a lot of predictions that the Grass-type starter Sprigatito will evolve into a bigger cat. The Iberian Lynx is a wildcat unique to the Iberian Peninsula, and is currently endangered. Plenty of fans have already made fan art of what an Iberian Lynx Pokemon would look like, especially as a Grass-type evolution of Sprigatito.
A lot of fans are also expecting a new goat Pokemon design, which would make sense since the Iberian Ibex is another species found in the Iberian Peninsula. Their design could rival that of Gogoat, and since these ibex are known for living in the mountains, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet could make this design a Ground-type.
Iberian Pig and Lammergier
Iberian pigs are swine whose colors can range from black to gray, and sometimes even red. The pigs are unique to the Iberian Peninsula and would make for a good farmland Pokemon like Miltank, Wooloo, and Tauros. There are already some Pokemon pigs out there like Tepig, Grumpig, and Mamoswine, so Iberian pigs would need to shake things up in terms of typing and design.
Lammergier are also known as "bearded vultures." The large birds are known for their diet, which is almost exclusively comprised of bones. This has made some fans think a regional variant of Mandibuzz based on the lammergier could happen. The other bird Pokemon known as Mandibuzz's rival, Braviary, got a variant in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, so having a lammergier-based Mandibuzz variant seems like a natural choice.
Iberian Wolf and Spanish Imperial Eagle
Iberian wolves are the largest wolf population in Western Europe. In terms of Pokemon, there are plenty of wolf and canine Pokemon like Lycanroc, Zamazenta, and Zacian. However, the series has always found ways to shake things up in terms of design and typing. An Iberian wolf could show a whole new take on what a lupine Pokemon can be, as there are no wolves with Bug, Ice, Steel, or Grass-types.
Every Pokemon game has an early evolution line of birds, such as Talonflame, Corviknight, and Staraptor. Fans are expecting the same of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. There are a couple of birds from the Iberian Peninsula that would make for good inspiration, including the Iberian Imperial Eagle.
Red Squirrel and Garden Dormouse
Pokemon is known for its rodents, especially since Pikachu is the icon of the series. There have been squirrel Pokemon such as Skwovet and Pachirisu, but there has yet to be one inspired by the red squirrel, which is native to the Iberian Peninsula. They could easily be used for the early rodent Pokemon found in the game, or another Electric-type Pikachu clone.
Another option is the garden dormouse, which is very small and adorable - likely one of the smallest animals found in Spain. Having a tiny mouse that can rival the smallest Pokemon like Joltik, Flabebe, Cutiefly, and Comfey would be interesting to see in the upcoming games.
Iberian Brown Bear and Iberian Magpie
While a garden dormouse is incredibly small, the Iberian brown bear is known to be one of the largest animals in the wild areas of Spain. Of course, Pokemon already has a brown bear in Ursaring, so for the Iberian brown bear, designers would have to think more outside the box.
The Iberian magpie is part of the crow family with gray bodies, black caps, white throats, a blue tails, and blue wings. Due to their love of forests, they could be Grass and Flying-type Pokemon, being another option that designers have for the early route bird Pokemon.
Toro Bravo and Man-Of-War
One animal that fans are expecting to see is a bull of some sort, possibly a variant of Tauros. Bulls are iconic in Spain, with the toro bravo breed used for bullfighting and the Running of the Bulls. Some fans are even expecting the cover legendary Pokemon to be inspired by bulls.
There is more to wildlife in the Iberian Peninsula than creatures on the land. In the sea, there are also plenty of creatures that could inspire new Water-type Pokemon. A particularly unique-looking animal is the man-of-war, a creature that looks a lot like a jellyfish. The name comes from a famous warship that sailed in Portugal, and they are also venomous, so they could make for an interesting Poison-type Pokemon.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will release in late 2022 for the Nintendo Switch.