Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have a lot to live up to. Coming off lukewarm critical reception to Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, as well as the positive reception to Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Generation 9 needs to stand out. As Scarlet and Violet promise to be the first mainline games set in an entirely open region, it's on the right track to get ahead of its Generation 8 predecessors Sword and Shield.

The reveal teaser for these upcoming titles from Pokemon Day 2022 don't reveal much, but fans have expressed interest in Scarlet and Violet's art style alongside its starters Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly. Despite the lack of explicit details being shared about the upcoming Generation's new region, clues in these starter names and throughout Game Freak's trailer suggest they will be set in the Iberian Peninsula - Spain being the overwhelming inspiration. With that in mind, there are some strong contenders for popular trainers from past games who could make a cameo appearance in the Pokemon world's version of Spain.

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Returning Characters in Past Pokemon Games

All Pokemon regions are connected much like their real-world counterparts, which has resulted in a lot of cross-pollination. Beyond cases like Kanto and Johto being directly connected or Unova's Pokemon World Tournament hosting combatants from all over, many returning characters are more akin to cameos. For example, Johto's Steel-type Gym Leader Jasmine appears in Sinnoh's Sunyshore City, which hosts a lighthouse much like her home city of Olivine. This was also likely an allusion to the fact that HeartGold and SoulSilver were the next titles in Game Freak's pipeline.

Generation 7's Alola region is rife with cameos, from Unova Elite Four member Grimsley offering players the Sharpedo Ride Pokemon to the post-game appearances of Red and Blue from Kanto, as well as Hoenn Frontier Brain Anabel. Fan-favorite Sinnoh Champion Cynthia appears numerous times throughout the franchise, and Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire went out of their way to add connective tissue like Mauville's redesign being modeled after Lumiose City in Kalos.

Despite this recurring idea in Pokemon games, the United Kingdom-inspired Galar region didn't have much in the way of cameos. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet should make up for this, using characters who would either fit their Spanish influences or those who could simply flesh out the world.

Juan, Hoenn's Second Water-Type Gym Leader

scarlet violet spain region potential cameo

Of all the characters introduced in Generation 3, Juan is perhaps the most underutilized. He only appears in Emerald version, replacing Wallace as the Sootopolis City Gym Leader while the other Water-type expert moves up to take Steven Stone's Champion seat. He's said to be Wallace's former teacher, but not much else is unveiled about the man. However, his flamboyant design is clearly riffing off the idea of a matador-like gentleman with a common Spanish name to match, and in some versions of the Pokemon anime he speaks with intermittent Spanish phrases. Scarlet and Violet would be a perfect chance to give him character beyond being a replacement Gym Leader.

Kahili, Alola's Golf Superstar and Elite Four Member

scarlet violet spain region potential cameo

A number of returning Pokemon are confirmed for the new region - such as Magnemite, Seviper, and even Hisuian Zoroark - but one that would make perfect sense to come back is Oricorio. The Fire/Flying-type Baile form of this Alolan Pokemon draws inspiration from flamenco dancing, after all. Alola's Flying-type expert Kahili is the most notable trainer to use Baile Oricorio, and her introduction in Sun and Moon reveals she traveled the world to improve her golf game before getting a call to serve in the new Elite Four of her home region.

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Alder, Former Unova Champion and Journeyman

scarlet violet spain region potential cameo

Most Pokemon games make reference to upcoming titles in ways that might not become obvious until later. Jasmine appearing in Diamond and Pearl is one example, but there are also obtuse clues like the "Strange Souvenir" item in Pokemon X and Y that made reference to the Tapu deities from Sun and Moon. Pokemon Legends: Arceus mines a lot out of its story being set in the past by including numerous ancestors for Pokemon characters, but one less obvious reference to Alder could hint at a cameo in Scarlet and Violet.

Alder was the Champion in Pokemon Black and White, though his presence was undercut by a larger focus on N and Team Plasma. By the time jump in Black and White 2 he has passed the title down to Dragon-type expert Iris, spending more time at his home in Floccesy Town. He's known for wandering Unova like a vagabond, helping up-and-coming trainers, and paintings throughout Legends: Arceus depict a similar man with fiery hair like his signature Pokemon Volcarona. Alder's use of a Bouffalant could be used as some wayward connection to Spain's traditional bullfighting, as not many notable characters are known for using the more fitting bull Pokemon Tauros.

Kalos and Galar's Real-World Proximity Make For Perfect Cameos in Spain

scarlet violet spain region potential cameo

Geographically, a Spain region would be directly connected to the France region of Kalos, similar to how Kanto and Johto are linked. Given Pokemon characters' propensity to move around, it would make sense for a Kalosian trainer to use the railway station in Couriway Town to visit Scarlet and Violet's new region. Options are plentiful, from Electric-type Gym Leader Clemont investigating new means of generating power to Water-type Elite Four member Siebold expanding his culinary knowledge, or it could be as simple as Bug-type Gym Leader Viola working on a new photography project.

There isn't necessarily one Kalos trainer who would be a perfect fit for this cameo, and the same could theoretically be said for a reference to Galar region trainers. As soccer (football) is a big sport in Spain, Galar's Gym Leaders could be just as popular in Scarlet and Violet's region, with someone like Leon perhaps traveling after he loses his position as the invincible Champion. Regardless of what Game Freak decides, it would be smart for the developer to keep expanding its in-game universe using more natural cameos akin to those in Sun and Moon.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are scheduled for release in 2022 on Nintendo Switch.

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