Version differences have been part of the Pokemon franchise since its inception. Red and Green started a trend of using exclusives to encourage trading, with monsters like Ekans exclusive to Red version and Sandshrew to Blue version. Pokemon Gold and Silver took this a step further by introducing two box art Legendaries - Ho-Oh and Lugia - whose presence in the main plot would differ slight. While each pair of entries approaches their exclusive content differently, some Black and White offerings could point to design ideas for the upcoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Despite being scheduled to release this November, there are a lot of mysteries regarding Scarlet and Violet. Fans know about its three starters Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly, as well as its Legendary Pokemon Koraidon and Miraidon. They also know the game will be open-world and feature four-player co-op. However, Generation 9's new region doesn't have a public name, and potential gimmicks like time travel can only be inferred through sparse pre-release information and rumors. If time travel does shape Scarlet and Violet, the design of Unova's Opelucid City could be an instrumental callback for Game Freak.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Temporal Prospects
Game Freak has kept much about Scarlet and Violet close to the chest, and this is ultimately a good thing considering how thoroughly the franchise's marketing has revealed elements in past titles like Sun and Moon. Some reputable leakers like Riddler Khu have given interested followers something to think about, but any non-official information should be taken with a grain of salt. Even without that, it's clear the debut titles for Generation 9 are themed around the past and future.
The aforementioned Legendaries are players' first window into this. The Scarlet and Violet website doesn't offer clues as to their capabilities, just that "these two Pokemon are said to have powers that far surpass those of other Pokemon." Yet their English names and designs spell out the basics. Both Koraidon and Miraidon are lizards with apparent motorcycle parts grafted on, augmenting the -don suffix typically used for dinosaurs (and Charizard's Japanese name Lizardon) to sound like "ride on." In Japanese "korai" refers to antiquity, fitting Koraidon's tribal elements and high-rise hot rod look; meanwhile "mirai" refers to the future, fitting Miraidon's hoverbike aesthetic with pixilated eyes.
The dual professors introduced in Generation 9 are also major indicator for this past-future theme. Pokemon Scarlet version, which boasts Koraidon on its box art, will feature Professor Sada - whose prehistoric outfit and name referencing the Spanish "pasado" point to this being the title focused on history. Pokemon Violet likewise matches the futuristic Miraidon with Professor Turo, whose name seemingly references the Spanish "futuro." Unlike Sada's cave dweller style with strings of teeth and torn fabric, Turo wears a high-tech bodysuit under his lab coat that looks straight out of the movie Tron.
How Pokemon Black and White Set the Stage
Pokemon Black and White versions were not ostensibly about the past and future, rather their box art Legendaries Reshiram and Zekrom are representations of the Taoist "yin and yang;" played in-game as the division between truth and ideals. Yet, coming off the folklore and mythology-centric Sinnoh region in Pokemon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, Unova is a cosmopolitan and modern region based on the areas around New York City. Characters like Clay, the Gym Leader of Driftveil City, are more interested in building a brighter future than they are dwelling on the past.
While most version differences in Pokemon games prior to Generation 5 revolved around the kind of monsters one could catch, Black and White introduced blatant changes to the region depending on what game someone had plugged into their Nintendo DS. The stand-out example is Opelucid City, which is sleek and futuristic in Black version but boasts more historic architecture (and fitting soundtrack changes) in White version. Players would encounter a different eighth Gym Leader too, with Dreyden in Black and Iris in White.
The direct sequels Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 kept this divide, but gave Opelucid a more unified role in the plot with Dreyden acting as the seventh Gym Leader in both games following Iris' ascension to the Champion seat. However, these titles bring more focus to another area with version differences, as White Forest now has the White Treehollow training facility to match Black City's Black Tower.
Adapting the Idea to Scarlet and Violet
Scarlet and Violet's co-op mechanics suggest it is less likely individual areas will have different appearances matching "past" and "future" aesthetics. After all, it would be awkward to see one player walking around an empty lot in Scarlet version where their friend playing Violet sees a skyscraper. Yet the idea could still work in concept if the upcoming region's open-world is plagued with space-time rifts as in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, leading to players experiencing either the past or future as part of the plot.
Rideable Koraidon and Miraidon mounts could be another way to visit the region's past or future iterations in a more permanent way during the post-game. This could let fans see a particular city's alternate design in full rather than through brief plot-important snippets, following in Opelucid City's footsteps by having different music with instruments matching the time period.
Most everything is speculative at this stage, but minor details released for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet suggest time travel could play a big part in the games - possibly even traveling backward or forward in time to catch new Pokemon variants. If so, it would be a shame for the series to not take a cue from its own past by building upon the elements established in Black and White. Whether Generation 5 remakes will follow Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl or not, the Unova region has plenty of ideas worth mining.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release November 18 for Nintendo Switch.