Despite the fact that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet were first revealed with a brief trailer on Pokemon Day this February, fans haven't learned much more about Generation 9 and what it entails. Many alleged leaks regularly sprout up after a mainline game is announced, but official information will remain scarce until the next trailer drops, likely sometime in May or June. Still, fans are excited to discover more about the region for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, its main gimmick, all the new creatures they will bring, and what the starters' evolutions will look like.
Choosing a starter is one of the most important decisions to make when starting a new Pokemon game, and as of now Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have only shown the base forms for its three starters: Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly. The type combinations for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's starters are up in the air at the moment, especially since Generation 8 had single-type starters all the way through their final evolution stage. Because Generation 9's region is inspired by the Iberian Peninsula, players are expecting Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's starters to evolve into creatures that take elements from Spanish culture and folklore, with Quaxly possibly being based on Don Quixote of La Mancha.
Comparing Knight Pokemon to Don Quixote and Quaxly
Don Quixote is the fictional character from Miguel de Cervantes' famous novel The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha, a self-proclaimed knight who read many heroic romance stories prior to going on adventures himself. Don Quixote likely lost his mind, to the extent that he sees imaginary monsters where otherwise normal landmarks stand, such as windmills being mistaken for giants. Because the story of Don Quixote is that of a knight-errant, he is often described and depicted with knightly armor, a shield, and a jousting lance with which he charges at his non-existent enemies while riding a skinny horse.
Pokemon Sword and Shield did introduce a Pokemon riding other creatures in the form of Calyrex from the Crown Tundra DLC, but that is a Legendary Pokemon with its own unique design. As such, it's unlikely that a starter Pokemon from the next set of games will have a mount; but that doesn't mean a knightly Pokemon cannot exist. Prior examples include creatures like Aegislash, which is a Steel/Ghost-type Pokemon that wields its own shield for protection, or reveals the sharped blade of its body to attack its foes.
Another Pokemon with a similar design is Escavalier, which is a Bug/Steel Pokemon with armor and two jousting lances for arms, showing how even man-made weapons make sense on Pokemon. As such, if Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Quaxly does indeed evolve into a critter that resembles or is inspired by Don Quixote, it could very well be armed with a lance and a shield - not unlike Sirfetch'd from Pokemon Sword and Shield. This also makes sense if the theory that Quaxly will evolve into a Water/Fighting Pokemon is right, as a knight doesn't necessarily have to be Steel-type to have a strong theme.
Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Quaxly Makes Sense as Don Quixote
Apart from what the evolutions for Quaxly could potentially look like, it's also important to understand why it makes sense to have this Pokemon connected with Don Quixote, even if the fictional knight has no impactful relation to water or the ocean. The Iberian Peninsula and Spanish people as a whole have a strong connection to the sea both geographically and historically, as the region is surrounded by water, and it's also from where many ships sailed during the age of exploration. Although Quaxly could very well turn out to be based on sailors, which would make sense as a connection to the conquistadores and the exploration of foreign lands, its name does resemble that of Don Quixote.
More importantly, Quaxly is described as an earnest and tidy duckling Pokemon on the official Pokemon Scarlet and Violet website, and that trait links it more to Cervantes' Don Quixote. If the Pokemon were to evolve into a chivalrous knight, it wouldn't be a stretch. It's also worth noting that Cervantes' work is often considered the first modern novel, and Don Quixote is a prominent symbolic character in Spain, making it a likely candidate for being the inspiration behind one of Pokemon's starters.
Furthermore, it may be worth pointing out that Pokemon Sword and Shield played on strong themes for the United Kingdom that could be passed down to the three starters in Galar. Rillaboom is a reference to British rock music, more likely that of The Beatles, whereas Cinderace is based on football players and Inteleon is a tribute to spy movies like James Bond. I's likely that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will feature starters based on Cervantes' novel in the case of Quaxly, or even Spanish mythology in the case of Fuecoco. Overall, there is a fair chance that at least one new Pokemon will be inspired by Don Quixote, and so far Quaxly is the most probable candidate.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are scheduled to release on Nintendo Switch in 2022.