Mainline Pokemon games are renowned at this point for the subtle hints and nods at future releases planned for the future, with the trend starting a long time ago and never stopping since. These small clues about what is coming next are often minuscule features that would simply go unnoticed for the longest time without anyone suspecting it, such as Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl possibly hinting at Pokemon Scarlet and Violet through sets of flowers. A great example of these hidden gems came with Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, which featured an in-game poster of what was going to be Gigantamax Toxtricity from Pokemon Sword and Shield, a long time before the creature was even officially revealed.
Fans have been carefully going through all the various releases to date to find possible connections between those and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in hope of finding something worth speculating about in the news drought since the announcement trailer aired. Something that caught the players' attention is that the male protagonist in Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon could possibly have a hidden reference to Fuecoco's existence, which would make sense timeline-wise, considering that very early concept art for Gen 9 was probably being made then. If this is the case, however, then it's also worth investigating whether the other starters got the same treatment -- particularly the newly beloved Grass kitty, Sprigatito.
How Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon Tease Scarlet and Violet's Starters
Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon could have included an easter egg to reference Fuecoco's design further down the line, which could be seen in the male protagonist's shoes. These shoes looked like crocs, and they sported a motif that was very similar in color and shape to Fuecoco, seeing how they were red for the most part, but white in the front with two small black triangles over the toe. This could possibly be a reference to Fuecoco's nose and color scheme, and the fact that they were crocs-like shoes may not be a coincidence, considering how the Gen 9 starter is inspired by a crocodile.
If this is true, however, then it's possible that the female protagonist also has a small element that indicates something about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's starters. The character was designed as wearing a straw hat with a pink flower on the side, accompanied by two small leaves, one per border. If the theory about Fuecoco is correct, then this could very well be a hint about Sprigatito's evolution line in Gen 9.
In fact, many fans have been speculating that Sprigatito could fit the pattern for a Grass/Fairy-type Pokemon based on its name and design, and it could evolve into a creature that has flowers in its fur -- possibly pink flowers to match the Fairy-type look. From the early look at Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Sprigatito also seems to have peculiar chest fur that looks like leaves, and it's been theorized before that those leaves could eventually make room for a beautiful flower.
This could tie in the theory about Fuecoco's connection to Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, while also validating the link between Sprigatito's evolutions and the female protagonist of the games. Quaxly would be left out of this equation if this were to be the case, but it's not unlikely that, if the association is proven true, there could be another hidden detail about the lovely Water-type duck and its possible evolutions. Overall, although the tie between Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet may seem far-fetched, it's not impossible that small details like these were indeed put there as hints.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will launch for Nintendo Switch in late 2022.